St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-01
SPLENDID IRONY.
A Republican Claim That Will
Not Wash.

Not ash.
In the address of the Republican state
committee to the voters of this state,
soliciting their suffrage, are found these
words:
If any one doubts the sincerity of the Re-
publican party we would respect
fully call attention to some of the laws
enacted during The last SIX years, during all
of which time the Republicans have con-
trolled the three branches of the state gov
eminent Our tax laws have been revised,
and, in consequence thereof, many thou
sands of dollars have recently been collected
from railroad lands that heretofore escaped
taxation.
In the light of the facts, what splen-
did piece of irony this is? Though this
robbery of the state had been going on
from ten to fifteen years, yet until the
proceedings by me begun in the legisla-
ture in 1881 to expose and punish it.
defy the committee Or Gov. Merriam, or
any one, TO point to one word or act of
any Republican state official in expos
ure. condemnation or prevention of 1t.
And 1 also challenge them to point to
any step then or since taken to expose Or
remedy it which | was not the first to
point out and urge.
And, unfortunately for the commit
tee and for the governor, this is not all.
During the session of 1883, when the
hottest of the fight III favor of the rights
of the state against these leeches was
on, Gov. Merriam was member OF the
house. The land tax bill elected more
| interest than any other before the legis
| lature. He could not have been ignorant
which it sought to right. But
| in the house it was smoth-
| cred, though the farmers of that
| body were nearly all anxious to have
| it passed. Did Gov. Merriam say or do
aught to aid those who were fighting
| the battle of the state against those cor
porations? Nothing. He said or did
| absolutely nothing on the side of the
| state. And in 1887, though l had in a
| speech before the legislature called at
| tention to the fact thatthere was danger
that these corporations might smuggle
through some bill relieving them from
some or all of their just taxes, he. as
| speaker of the house, signed the in
| famous and forged House File ISL,
which did so relieve them. This is Gov.
Merriam's record and my record on this
| infamous fraud on our people by these
companies. And it pretty clearly shows
which of US was under the influence of
the corporations.
Not only have I uniformly while a
member of the legislature opposed all
Ianu grants, bonuses. SUBSIDIES OF otuer
special privileges to railroad companies
OF other corporations, but have sought
to make such bonuses or subsidies i'm
possible. /, therefore, at the session in
1883, proposed constitutional amend
ment providing that No county, city,
town, township. OF other subdivision of
the state, shall ever subscribe to the
capital stock of any railroad company
or of any private corporation, or make
any donation or loan it's credit in favor
of any such corporation"
This l succeeded at that session In
getting through the senate with Sigh,
amendment, but it was beaten in the
house. I again introduced 1t at the next
session. and it passed the senate with.
! out amendment, but was again killedif