St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-06

tax commissions COMPOSED of men spe-
cially qualified both as to the require
ments of taxation, the investigation Of
the workings of similar measures in
other states or countries, and the franz
ing of sound and practical measure
for submission to public and legis-
lative Judgment Such commissions in
many states of the Union have led
TO important and successful i'm
provements in taxation. The first
advantage of such commission
is that it may represent and secure the
confidence and support, not merely of a
section or class, but of the state at
large, and may therefore produce a
measure more nearly fair and just to all
classes and sections, and at the same
time will be likely to succeed in secur-
ing the passage Of the measures which
it proposes. Most of the proposed
changes in taXatinn-such as the inherit
apce tax, the income tax. the corpora
ton and franchise taxation scheme, the
mortgage and corporate bond tax, the
realty tax and personal exemption, the
state, county and local liquor taxes, the
gross earnings taX-have had trial in
various countries, states and localities.
What the public and the legislature
chiefly demand to know regarding these
measures is not some ones theory about
them, but the facts as to their practical
workings. The people and their legis-
latlve representatives realize that tax
alton, as the mainstay OF governmental
existence, is something not to be fooled
with upon theory and guesswork. The
source of revenue must be certain and
definite, and what Is demanded in max
nh EYl1 nd
exact information. This a specially
qualified commission would be able to
obtain and present The friends and
enemies OF given measure could pre-
sent before such commission both the
advantages and defects OF the measure,
and the result would be a sound and re-
liable measure for popular and leglS-
lative consideration. Such a commits
sion would be a salutary check on the
present system Of rushing through the
legislature every year a host OF lmma-
ture and half-made bills which take the
time and labor of subsequent legisla-
lures and the courts to amend and kill.
The appointment of tax commissions
in Eastern states has led to something
like science of taxation. as we'll as to
some important taxation changes"
DOnneIIy Fries Fish.
A committee from the tax reform
convention met in all adjoining room
with a committee from the Alliance
meeting and discussed the resolutions
passed the evening before by the former
body. Most of the resolutions were
adopted, and will be sent in for the APP
prevail Of the convention when the com.
mittee on resolution makes Its report.
President Donnelly made a speech, in
x1,f,i ab m Ell I'd nd al fO Low
their differences and come to the front,
for the great movement needed
strength, and it could not hope for it
if there was squabbling among the
members of the party. He knew there
had been mistakes during the recent
campaign and certain men had not done
the proper thing, but it was charity to
forgive and adjust all differences. He
referred to the campaign and took Occa-
sion to eulogiZe himself and laud the
manner in which he had spent his own
money ana time in making a canvass of
the state. His heart was always with
the reform movement and he had stood
by the ticket and every name of it
through thick and thin. The state
might have been carried, said President
Donnelly, had it not been for the unjust
and unfair treatment the party had re-
organ, the Great West. Fish had
made charges of fusion against
him (Donnellyl which were wholly I'M
true. and these charges had been circu-
lated far and wide, doing incalculable
injury to the party. 1t was noticeable,
the speaker said. that Fish was not
present with his proofs. Fish claimed
treachery, and the people not knowing
the true facts in many cases believed
him, and there was no doubt but $4,000
votes were thus lost the Alliance. Mr..
DOnnelly urged the necessity of Secur-
ing party organ at once, paper that
cOdld not be bought up and turned to
the advantage of the monopoliStS to the
detriment of the people. lie intimaJed
that the r Republicans had purchased the
Great West and its editor.
In concluding, President DOnnelly
said: $50 long as l breathe, and to the
last syllable of recorded time, | am
heart and hand with this reform party.
l believe it will save this country. If
not. then-pardOn my personal alluSiOn
Caesars column will come, and this
land will go down in blood"
Reports and Committees.
The treasurer reported that during
the year the total receipts of the Ali
ance had been S1.914.S2, and the dis
bursements S1,S51.29. The secretary
made his report, and then the finance
committee. The committee on reSoiu-
tons was appointed. consisting of
chairman and one delegate from each
of the sixteen judicial districts, as fol-
lows:
Chairman, R. ]. Hall; First district,
D. f. Aitkin; Second district, Charles
Canning; Third district, j. |. Vermilya;
Fourth district, IL. Ii. Archibalds: Fifth
district, II. A. Swain; Sixth district, II.
D. Dimon; Seventh district, H. E. Boon;
Eighth district, j. H. Huston; Ninth
district, f. Warner Jr.; Tenth district,
7. j. MeIghen; Eleventh district, E. s.
Erickson; Twelfth district, Swan Mel
son; Thirteenth district, S. 0. Taggart;
Fourteenth district J. 0. Cronkheit;
Fifteenth district. 0. w. Wilcox; Six
teenTh district, Thomas Hodson.
The committee on constitution was
next appointed. 1t consisted of one
from each of the seven congressional
districts as follows: First district, II.
&. Nelson, of Freedom: Second district,
l.. &. Long, of Mobiles; Third district,
I. Boshart, of Renville: Fourth district,
e. Powell, of Washington; Fifth dis
trict, G. Il. Graves. of Hennepin; Sixth
district. A. n. Stiles, OF Stearns, and
Seventh district, A. Wall, of Swift.
The meeting adjourned until 9 o'clock
today.
In the evening the farmers met in the
hall and listened to speech by Gen.
Weaver on the general outcome and
issues of the recent political campaign.
He said he was satisfied with the out
come for it evinced that the reform
movement was rapidly progressing and
would soon win. So far as he knew,
there would be no essential change in
the third party platform in the cam
paign four years hence. The financial
question would occupy the fore of the
battle until its ultimate settlement.