St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-28
A scathing Document.

A Sea ching DOcUmeRt.
The committee named at the meeting or
citizens to take steps to protect citizens from
taX-tite sharks, has drawn an address 10
the people of the state, in which the subject
is discussed quite exclusively. 1t is as
follows:
To the People of Minnesota: The constitu-
ton and the laws, which have heretofore
been looked to by all good citizens as the
shield and anchor of our rights ana tue pest
protection OF our property, are now lnVoheo
by certain evil-minded men as instruments
to wreSt from us our property wltnouG pay
ing any consideration for il beyond some III
significant tax which may have remained uti-
paid, or been marked unpaid, by the fraud,
accident or mistake of others over Whon we
had no control. Many citizens have loSt theif
property, others have been compelled 10 pay
such eXorbitant and oppressive sums rs the
greed and ayarice of the taX-tlle purchaser
chose TO exact; while hundreds OF others are
still held in the unyielding grip of the oppres-
sor. who refuses 10 relax his hold while
drop of blood remains in his victim. Blood
money is the only price Tor winch many cltl-
ZenS of Minnesota are now allowed TO ENJOY
their own property-the fruit or their own
industry and good management. The INDIANS
no longer threaten our property; the
graSShopper has left us; tho Claim
jumper dare not diSpossess an honest
settler; horse thieves do not modest US for fear
of summary law, administered 1mpromtu.
But au enemy turks i'll our midst as Stealthy
and cunning as the Indian. as relentless and
devouring as the grasshopper, rs unjust and
regardless of right as the claim jumper; and
as much more dangerous and disastrous to
our interests than horse thieves, as the prey
and booty represented in stolen lands and lots
and homes, amounting to millions of dollars,
exceed in value the prey and booty repre-
scented in horses, amounting only to hundreds
OF dollars The motive and intent OF all is
the same-to grow rich and fatten on the
property of others; to take what does not be-
long to them; to reap where they have not
sown; to get something for nothing. The
methods are the same. They come with
stealthy step, like q thief in the night, under
cover of darkness, without warning, with no
notice to defend yourself, cowardly, felon-
iouSly. The crime is, therefore, the same.
Applied to personal property, il is called lar
ceny. And those who steal personal prop
erty are called thieves and punished as
criminals. We have some protection from
all SUCH But the well-dreSsed gentlemen who
steal your houses and lots and farms are pro-
tected by the law and entrenched behind tho
statutes made by your legislators and asked
to be interpreted for their benefit by your
supreme court. Laws, like the Draconian
code, written in blood. contiScate the property
of the citizen OR no crime or Intentional de-
fault, and the courts are asked to so interpret
them as to protect the leeches and vampires
you. Made originally with the legitimate
purpose to collect taxes, every safeguard
originally thrown around them to protect the
citizen from confiscation and robbery has
been taken away, and now the law is sought
to be so interpreted as to protect only the
robber. Government was never organized
for such purposes, and when it has degener-
ated so low, barbariSm is reinStated and civil
ization remanded to back seat. 1mprison-
nent for debt has long since been consigned
A., 80
property, except for crime, must go with it.
1t has no place among free people and it
must go, with all the rascality and crime
which profits by it, and with all its uphold
erS.
SHOULD NOT BE PROTECTED.
We believe the proud Rgis of the law
should no longer protect 1t, nor the sacred
vestments of the judicial ermine be polluted
by it. The conscience of an enlightened state
has set its seal of condemnation upon it, and
sentence only remains to be pronounced on
it, in spite of the paper statutes, which are
sought to be perverted to sustain it. The
Athenian code of Draco placed the smallest
offense on par with the greatest crime, and
punished idleneSs with death the same as
murder. The highest crime against civil
overnmentS-treason-is punished with con-
fiscation. MinneSotaS lawgiverS have sought
to punish the accidental omission to pay a
paltry tax with the same penalty as the crime
OF treaSOn-cOntiscation of property-with
this difference in favor of treason, that the
confscat on inures to the benefit of the state
and the whole people, while in the case Of the
omission 20 pay the tax, the conhScution
inures to the benefit OF the thieves who
lie in wait to plumber. Also with
this additional discrimination against
the loyal citizen and in favor of
the traitor. The loyal citizens property is
confiscated because the states own officer
has omitted to mark his taxes paid after he
has paid them. He is punished by the state
9 for what the state itself has done or omitted
TO do-not for his, own act-while the traitor
is punished only for his own act. We have
thus TO go back nearly $500 years to find
parallel to this outrageous perversion of
common sense in the name OF justice. We
:. find another parallel by going back into his
tory 1880 years, when the worst tyrant of
his times caused the laws to be posted so
high the people could not read them, and
then punished their violators with DEATH
Minnesota has made her laws SO that our
courts and officers can cOnfScate our prop
erty by publishing what is called construct
i've notice, which is no notice at ALL in papers
which may never be read or seen by the VIC
tins of the law. For not knowing the laws
or proceedings under them we are punished
with confiScation. But the practical Ques-
ton is what shall be done to remedy these
evils? The answer is, the solvent Of all wrongs
in laws and governments is public opinion
and the ballot box. Make the air lurid with
the lightning of the peoples indigna-
ion. Make it red-hct for the thieves-too
hot for them to abide longer with us in good
health and spirits. Show up their villianies
And above all, stop their pay. Don't give
them blood money. Combine stand together,
resist oppression, and save your money to
fight il out on this line If 100 reSolute men
will form state association to stand by all
. the victims of tax title oppression, it cannot
live in Minnesota. Such an association is the
object of this circular. We invite public
cr,iri oil ~, pif
the state, who are willing to join such an as
ISOLATION and aid in the important work of
protecting our fellow citizens in the enjoy
mert of their property, to send US their
names and addresses, that we may know who
sympathiZe with the movement. We invite
these same citizens to act as a committee land
this circular will be their credentials) to send
US the names OF all persons who are the vic
tins of these tax title abuses, and the names
of their oppressors, with a full histsry of each
case.
THEIR NAMES TO BE PUBLISHED.
We wish to make u complete record of all
such cases, to be published hereafter In
pamphlet form, after all reasonable efforts to
break the grip of the oppreSSor by moral
suasion have failed. And when full list of
all the victims is before US, we will organize
a committee, who will wait upon each gentle
man who has his neighbor by the throat, and
use their influence to induce him to relax the
vigor of his grip, or 'show cause Public
opinion Is 10 De the solvent. Ihe entire press
OF the state is earnestly requested to aid in
creating this opinion by ferreting out and
publishing every case OF outrage and oppres-
sion. 'Show them sweet Caesars wounds and
bid them speak" and you can ''put tongue
in every wound that will move the very stones
of Rome to rise and mutiny." The public
should aid also, and dwell upon that import
ant commandment, so little preached on,
Thou shalt not steal" The ballot box fol-
lows next See that no man is elected to any
Office who is hot pledged to discourage tax
title stealing. Organize a financial corpora
ton of honest citizens, who will buy in all
delinquent taxes and allow redemption at
the interest allowed by law. This
will crowd out the professionals,
who who buy to hold and plumber
the poor, the ignorant, or others who acct
denfalY become their victims This ,,ill ri e.