St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-02

a portion Of his burden off on to his
brother.
1t was probably a recognition of
this that makes the average pro-
tectionist insist that "the foreigner
pays the tax" we lay upon the i'm
ports of his products. The intelli-
gent protectionists, like Mckinley
and Donnelly, who know better,
assert this because they know this
will appeal strongly to the unintel-
Egent class, whom they can make
believe it. Meanwhile the foreigner
continues to send his goods here pre-
cisely to the extent that we want
them and are able to pay for them,
and no more, and smiles as he gives
us the wink when he hears these
fellows assert that he pays the
taxes.
There is way of making a large
number of these foreigners pay no
lnconsiderable portion of our federal
taxes, and that, too, without impos-
ing upon them any other obliga ton
than they should bear. A partial
list of the holdings of land by for
eign companies, syndicates and in
dlViduals in this country, compiled
a few years ago, shows something
over 2O,000,0G0 acres owned by for
eigners. This did not include the
holdings of Mr.. Sully, Of Dublin.
who owns nearly an entire county
in the best farming region in Hi
nols. SO great has become this evil
that congress passed an act pro-
h1bltlng alien holdings in the Dis
trict of Columbia and territories.
and several states have passed acts
of the same nature.
In addition to these direct hold
1ngs, there are large tracts of land
held indirectly under MORTGAGES.
For several years loan companies
have been getting money in foreign
countries and lending it on Western
farms. OF the nearly 5000 O0G, 900 of
mortgage Indebtedness in Minnesota,
1t is reasonable estimate that near
ly half of it is held by non-residents,
either in Europe or other states
enormous land grants to railways
are held in trust to secure the pay
ment of the principal and interest
Of their bonds. OF these, the greater
portion is held abroad. In the West
ern states there have been within re-
cent years foreclosures of large num-
bers Of these mortgages, and the
fee has passed to the foreign lender.
All Of these immense tracts of
land contribute nothing to the sup
port of the federal government
These foreigners, in their direct and
indirect holdings here, enjoy all the
benefits Of ownership without con-
tributing a cent to the support OF
the federal government that assures
them these benefits. This is a cor
rect application of Mr. Donne1ly's
erroneous illustration of free trade
1t is inviting men to come and own
and occupy and enjoy without bur
den-bearing. There is but one way
to reach them. AS long as taxes are
imposed upon what the people of
is exempted from bearing any bur-
den of the federal government, the
foreigner will continue to enjoy the
returns on his investments here, eX-
e:npt from any portion Of our fed
eral tax. But if the direct is sub
stituted for the indirect system, and
the money derived from customs is
apportioned among the states and
by them levied upon the property in
the state, then these foreigners will
contribute their quota for the main
tenance of the federal government
| that other citizens of this country
pay. To that extent it will relieve
| the citizens of this country Of por-
ton Of their burden, and make the
| foreigner share it with them.