St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-04
The Mining Tax Bill and DON
nelly's Fierce Oppose
ton.
Why Hompe Called His Bill
From the Senate Railroad
Committee.
The Dakota Senator Favored
the Nicaragua Bonding
Scheme.
Special to the Globe.

HENNING. Mimi, Feb. 3.-The Alli-
anee Advocate tomorrow will publish
the second of Senator Hompe's letters
on Donnelly. This letter reviews
considerable part of the work done at
the last session of the legislature, and
shows D0nnelly's position OH the min
ing tax bill introduced by Senator
Leavtt, of Meeker county, as we'll as OH
general railway legislation, which has
been so misrepresented by DonnelIy's
organ. The letter follows in full:
On pages SIP we find him voting SO
postage for himself. Page % shows
Senator Sanborn introduced Senate File
No. IL. joint memorial to the Mime
sofa senators and representatives in
congress to oppose the guaranteeing by
the United States of the bonds of the
Nicaragua Canal company to the amount
of 500. 900, eco. TO most of us the me-
mortal seemed wise measure, and in
accordance with the declared princi-
pies of the Alliance. Many were as
tOniShed to find Donnelly opposing the
memorial, but in favor of the canal
company. TO me it seemed we have
had enough experience in guaranteeing
bonds for corporations with experience
with the Pacific Railroad company fresh
in our memory. De Lesseps, the great
French engineer, spent several hun
dred millions, bankrupting himself and
friends, in trying to cut a canal through
the iSthmus, and the great ditch is but
begun. Now suppose the government
should involve itself sl00,000.000, and
the canal still be unfinished, as in all
probability it would, we have to put up
more until it might cost the government
S5U0,000,000 before the job was COM
pleted; and what security would the
government haveP Why, they say we
would nave a first mortgage OH the
canal, as we had on The Pacific rail-
roads. But what assurance have
VIZ that Mr.. Donnelly will not
be in the United States senate,
and vote as he did in con-
gress in 1864, for the government
mortgage on the property. OF course.
it might cost the company several mill
ions, as, undoubtedly, it did the Pacific
railroad to pass such an act. But they
could afford it. TO return to our text.
The memorial came up (See page 1859
and was defeated. Yeas, 81; Repub-
licans9 9. Democrats II. Alliance Z. Nays,
II; Republicans IL, Democrats 8, Alli-
auce 8, Donnelly, LaDue and Wood. So
the bill vas lost for lack of Que vote.
/ But on the next day Senator GeiSsel
w
ana the bill was carried by the follow
ing vote: Yeas, Republicans IL, Demo
Gratis IL, Alliance IL; nays, Republicans
Is, Democrats 3, Alliance 2, Donnelly
and Borchert.
| 1t was such bad breaks as this that
| weakened Mr.. Donnelly as a leader,
and that is simply history repeating it
self. 1t has been the same with every
legislature of which he has been
,i,n,. NJ Nd
comes out without follower and but
few friends, He has always attributed
this to the. corporations corrupting his
fellow members. In some cases this
may have been true, but in large
majority of eases he himself has been
the cause of it. Donnelly has no use
| for men; he wants tools that will obey
| his every beck and within.
One of the hardest contests of the
session was over Senator Leavitt's min
| ing tax bill. 1t appears that eleven
| years ago the mining corporations in the
northern part of the state engineered
bill through the legislature, providing
| tor tax of one cent a ton on all iron
| ore mlned,a eXempting the lands and
| all other property of the mining cOrpo-
| ratiOnS from taxation. This is held by
some OF the ablest attorneys as uncon-
Stitutional. The constitution provides
that all property (railroad companies
| eXcepted) on which taxes are to be lev
| led shall have cash valuation, and be
| equaliZed and uniform throughout the
| state. The Minnesota Iron company has
| property valued at Sl4, 900, 900, which, at
| per cent, a low rate of taxation, would
amount to s2S0,00O. Yet it only paid
| about $4,000 in taxes last year.
During the debate OH this bill l took
| occasion to speak as follows:
| l have listened to the debate on the bill
| with some surprise. We are told here by the
| friends OF the Iron company that if the pres
ent law is repealed the revenues which the
state derives will be decreased. Then why
do they make such fight against the bill?
Why does the company have able and paid
attorneys to lobby against its passage? Again,
am surprised at the vacilating character Of
members not only on this measure, but other
questions also. Bills have passed the COM
mittee of the whole almost unanimously
and, because our newspapers, or perhaps an
outside party. has whispered i'll the ear of
some one of the members, new light seems
to dawn on their minds and the bill is de-
feated OH its passage. This IS apt to be the
case with bills looking toward the reform of
abuses. 1t is so with this measure. At one
time thirty-fve senators voted to place it as a
special order. Some of these men are now
speaking against it. don's understand it.
A test vote was taken on the matter,
and the next day, after the corporation
attorneys had had all night to work the
members (see page SID, the vote stood:
For the bill, II; Republicans 2. Demo
Gratis Z, Alliance s: against, %; Repub-
licans Is, Democrats 8, Alliance 3-Don-
nelly, La Due and Sevatson.
The direct vote by which the bill was
amended, making it read that the tax
should be cents per ton, instead of
taxing the mining property the same as
other property is taxed, found on page
372. is as follows:
For Amendment-Rep ublicans, Allen,
Barr, Crandall. Dougherty, Day, Eaton.
Glader, Guderian, Hammer, KieSter,
Peterson j. N, Smith E. r., Smith j.
D., Steissgu nth, Janney; Democrats,
Bell. Lienau; Alliance, DOnneliy, La
;Due. Sevatson-20.
r Against Amendment Republicans.
Davis, Petersen S. D., Stevens; Demo-
serats. Brown, Craig, Craven. Kelly.
Erickson, Crate. Hompe. Lommen, Mott,
Nelson. Probstfeld. Woods.
Making it three instead of one cent
per ton would not make it an honest
tax, as it would only bring $4,000 in
stead of S2S0,000. 1t was only all eX-
$cuse to take the curse off. The readers
Sof the Great West will undoubtedly re-
member that l was accused of voting
with the Republicans,and L was dubbed
ICpuuiiSdH Nutb I1OiHpOs WOuiu dom
them how does this agree with the rec
ords? Under this head we might as
well consider few more of the charges
that have been hurled at me. AT the
request Of friend, introduced bill
which was intended to freeze out ticket
brokers, known in common parlance as
scalpers. This, of course, proved me
traitor to TIE Alliance. Yet was not
aware that the Alliance had ever taken
a position on this question.
Now the facts are, whether we like it
or not, the railroads intend to charge
such passenger and freight rates as
shall net them a certain per cent on
their property, including water. The
Scalner is q middle man between the