St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-01
srR. TAWNEY's SPEECH.


There is no Inconsistency between
the appreciative comments which the
GLOBE has made from time to time on
Senator TAwNEY's public career and
its criticisms of his position on the mir
ing tax law.
The GLOBE is willing to admit that he
is an earnest, ambitious, honorable and
capable gentleman. His personal prog
ress proves that he possesses high quail
tiles of mind and character. This paper
never has and never will willingly do
even political opponent ali injustice.
But these things do not Of themselves
fit man to properly represent Mime
sofa district IN the national congress.
He ought in addition to be clear
headed, free from slavish devotion to
dangerous economic theories, intellect
uaily honest, in touch with his constitu
ents and alert in approaching what is
best for their interest.
Mr.. TAwNEY is deficient in all of
these directions. The GLOBE does not
attempt to say what influences have
warped his Judgment. But the fact
remains that he is ready to DO violence
to his reasoning powers, his respect for
truth and his loyalty to the constitution
whenever such course promises to in
crease the profits of some great corpo-
ration monopoly.
Ii any one wants conclusive evidence
of this, he has only to read his speech
on the mining TAX law, which the Pho
neer Press published yesterday morn
ing as a part of his defense. 1t shows
his mental and moral obliquity i'll clear
er light than any critic could hope to
present it.
The subject under discussion was a
proposed repeal of the law eXempting
mining companies from paying taxes
to the state like other property owners.
The government, in the first instance,
gave these companies their mines for
practically nothing. The two of them
which are the most developed are now
valued at from ten to fifteen millions of
dollars, and belong to very rich men.
If they were regularly assessed, their
annual contribution to the general tax
fund would be from one hundred thou
sand to two hundred thousand dollars.
AS IL is, they pay in the aggregate
about eight thousand dollars. This is
less than per cent of their equitable
proportion.
In his speech Mr.. TAwNEY defends
this shameless piece of favoritism. In
order to justify it he claims, first,
that the existing system brings III
greater revenue from these companies
than could be derived were they amen
able to the ordinary methods of taxa
ton. His figures, quoted in support of
this view, are prepoSterously wrong.
But he sacrifices his respect for truth
at monopOly's bidding.
Next he claims that it is the states
duty to assist in the development of its
mineral wealth, and that, were the iron
companies required to pay their taxes
like other people, the industry would
be destroyed. But, if the present syS-
tenn imposes heavier burden on them
than would the application of the regu-
lar methods of taxation to their case,
why would it not be to their advantage
to have the exemption laws repealed?
Mr.. TAwNEY can not answer this, be-
cause he has sacrificed his reasoning
power to monopoly's bidding.
All this is bad enough, but what shall
be thought of a statesman who in addi-
ton says: whether the law is consti-
tutional or not, is not for the legislature
to consider? If there is any higher
duty resting on a legislature than to
take care that its enactments are in
harmony with the letter and the spirit
of the constitution, the GLOBE would
like to know what it is. AS a lawyer.
Mr.. TAwNEY must understand that the
exemption of mining companies from
taxation is unconstitutional. AS man
in public life, he must understand that
the only reason why it has never been
declared so is because no Republican
attorney general has been found con-
scientious enough to bring it before the
courts. But the senator from Winona
county cares nothing for the constitu-
ton when the interests of monopoly are
at stake.
The GLOBE has no antipathy for min
ing companies. 1t wOuld be glad to see
Minnesota's mineral wealth developed.
But it claims that the millionaire iron
barons are no more entitled to receive a
bonus from the state than are the peo-
pie engaged in every other legitimate
line of business. Mr. TAwNEY either
can not or will not see this, and because
he can not or will not he is not fit to be
the spokesman of the farmers of the
First district