St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-19
To Discuss the Tax Title Law and
Devise Some Means for Re-
modelling 1t.
A Constitutional Convention Is Fa-
vored, to Be Held ut AZ
Early Date.
Various Motions and Resolutions
adopted Regarding the Present
Tax Title Law.
Tax Title Land.

C.N. Bell Commodore Davidson, Gen. ]. B.
Sanborn. Maj. L. NJ. Newson, j, J. McCardy'
DR.. Snyder, Z. st. Julien Cox. William Lin
deke, William Kelly, J. W. MeCluug. A. NJ
Lawton, Capt. Peter Berkey, 5. d. Mason and
Timothy Reardon.
+. r. Delano was the first speaker and
ne spent quarter of an hour in raking the
inconsistency of the present tax title law.
In regard to the decision of the supreme
court in the late Wass case, he said: 1t
was the d-deSt fool decision ever heard
Of" He criticised the Legislature that hau
framed the law and dubbed the man who
would deal in tax titles as thief and
wretch. He urged the necessity of the
people taking some action TO crush the tax
title fiend out of existence and set the hold
ers of property free from the shackles OF
inconsistent law that now hampered them.
When Mr.. Delano had taken ms seat
MIR. MCLUNG'S REMARKS.
j. W. McClung was called for and said
he was glad TO see so large an audience
present. He said:
There are two classes affected under the
present situation. One of these classes is the
men who, through inadvertency or by acct
dent, have failed TO pay the taxes due on
their property. l have property on which
werc held tax titles but l have told the hold
ers that they could not take the property
from me. | have built houses on the property
that looked the worst for me and shall hold
ftuntil the militia is called out. There is
another class who are indirectly affected by
this state of affairs. That is the man who
owns property and wishes TO sell it. Iii a re-
ceipt for taxes is no good, rs Mr.. Delano says,
according to the decision of the supreme
court, we shall be unable TO sell our property
and we must bid goodbye to hopes of selling
property to outsiders W no know and under
stand the condition of affairs. Every safe
guard TO the owners of property in this state
seems TO have been swept away. Now, what
can be done? Can we fix
up this law, which is so inconsistent? Some
body has spoken of changing the constitution,
and am in favor of calling a constitutional
convention and looking over this matter and
taking steps towards the revision of the con-
stitutiOn. think q committee should be ap-
pointed here tonight to form an association
for the protection of those who have suffered
from this tax title law and to ascertain the
names of every one possible in the state who
has lost property through these means
and help them TO recover it and appeal to
those men who have robbed them to give
back their ill-gotten gains. One of the leaders
in this tax title traffic had his
picture in the papers few days ago as a
candidate for congress. / think that a pic
ture of his heartlesS and disgraceful dealings
should be published, and if this was done the
probability is he would not go to congress.
The courts and politicians all have more or
less respect for public sentiment, and if we
put the stamp of crime upon this traffic we
shall be able to get satisfaction from these
sources.
Gen. Sanborn, in seconding the motion
made by Mr.. McClung. said the matter was
very grave one and should be looked at
very carefully. This strict legislation was
made III order to compel the great capital
lists who formerly had the privilege of ap-
pealing to the legislature to get their taxes
cut down 80 per cent. to pay their taxes or
forfeit their property w bile it compelled
the capitalist to cF fEGh Iuf
PAY HIS TAXES,
or lease his S1sperty, it enabled the poorer
classes to save their property, giving them
two years in which they might redeem it,
What is wanted IS equal taxation-a law
that will compel the rich to pay their
taxes and will at the same time protect the
poor.
This great blunder,' said he, shat has
created this Indignation, was in the execution
OF the law, notin the law itself"
II. S. Failchild said:
1.-The law in itself is wrong and damnable
and made in the interest of thieves. The tax
law should have been made to protect the
owner, but instead it has been made to ruin
the property owner and to benefit thieves
II the legislative body that enacted that law
had not been influenced by sharks and thieves
1t could have made a set of laws that would
have protected the interests of the property
holders. They could have made law that
would say, after two years of delinouency
that property shall be put up
at public auction, and the man who shall bid
on the smallest portion of that property anu
pay the money for it shall have it and the
rest shall go back to the owner'
He ridiculed the idea advanced by Gen.
Sanborn that this scheme of buying tax
titles had been concocted by young men
off Il II. i -
work of wealthy and prominent citizens
who stood behind the scalpers and sharks.
getting them to do the work and dividing
the spoils wife them. Mr.. Fairchild pre-
sented the following resolution:
Resolved, That it is highly indicate to saw
the least, for man who, for a money con-
slderation paid, has drafted Il tax law which
should be ironclad, and who has pride of
opinion to support, to sit on the bench and
decide cases arising under that law
j. W.. McClung thought it would be a
good idea to form financial company. 10
purchase tax titles and give the people a
chance to redeem their property at a rea-
sonable rate of interest. This would pro-
tect the people from the teeth of these
sharks that are lying in wait for them like
beasts of prey.
William Lindeke favored the idea of an
pointing committee such as had been sug-
gested by MI. McClung. He didn't believe
that boys are at the bottom of this tax title
grabbing scheme. He had the idea that the
lawyers were principally at the bottom of
1.-THE members of a profession that
should keep them out of the damnable
traf1c. He said that ii. Haupt, .Jr. who
had an office in the Gillian block, had DIR
chased tax title for seven or eight dollars
on the property OF poor widow in the
western part of the city. When the woman
had an opportunity to sell her property for
ST, 600 or $1,000. she found that She was
prevented by this tax title. He said that if
half
= WHAT HE HAD HEARD
OF MT. Blllson was true, the rope was not
100 pad Tor him. He referred to Herman
Greye and spoke in the highest terms off
the manner inwhich he transacted the bust
ness of purchasing tax titles. He said he
had employed two lawyers in the mast two
days to examine the titles to his pronertv
and II he found that there were tax titles
held against them he would get a fax re-
celpt, go to the man who held the title
give him SIS for his trouble and get him to
sign the receipt, land he'll sign it. he said
with an emphasis.
Col. j. IL. Davidson took the floor and
said that one of the greatest difficulties was
that the law was so framed that anvbodv
'couiu steal ms nelghDorS property He
said that he didn't know who were the big
.rascals in the premises, but he had no idea
that boys were the only ones at the bottom
of the scheme. 1t seemed to him that the
whole legislation of the state in regard to
this matter was in such condition that If
should be thoroughly overhauled and new
set OF tax laws be made, and he was in
favor OF constitutional convention
Tor me purpose of taking action toward the
Temodeling of the tax loans. He said that
nonresident property owners are becoming
uneasy regarding their property and this
agitation was injuring the sale of Minnesota
real estate.
At this point the motion OF j. w. Nc
Chung was taken up and passed unani-
mously. The chairman appointed as that
committee the following citizens:
L w McClunr II 6 Eni.aLi1i ID II