St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-10
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

If a lucid and succinct statement of
the condition of the affairs Of the state
in its various departments constitutes
an able state paper, then the message of
the governor is entitled to that deScrp-
ton. If it is the scope Of such paper
to deal with existing problems rising
out Of changing conditions in our social
organism, and to suggest methods OF
meeting and solving them, then the
paper is not an able one and does not
rise above the commonplace.
The prevailing confusion of opinion,
or, perhaps more accurately, the pre-
vailing lack Of clear opinion as to the
relation of the contests between organ
lied labor and its employers, is dis
played in the recommendation for the
appointment of colorlesS commission
with no other function than TO intervene
with an olive branch and solicit the
privilege Of rendering its advice. The
broad distinction between the strikes
occurring in private vocations, in which
the state has no concern whatever, and
those taking place In vacations quasi
public III their nature, engaged in
public service and in which employer
and employe are quasi-public servants.
who can be obligated to subordinate
their differences to the public service,
is not recognized.
Another question on which all con-
ventions have expressed themselves
with emphasis. the taxation OF the lands
granted to railways by the state. is not
even limited at. We would rather at
tribute this omission 10 an oversight in
the multiplicity Of affairs to be treated,
but the candidacy of the governor for
senator, coupled with the strong oppos
sitlon Of the interested railways to the
proposed taxation aud their supposed
puiSsance in the pending election, leave
little room to doubt that the omission
was one suggested by prudence. Then
there is the equalization of what is Vlr-
tually the taxation of mines, under
which the lesSees of the state mines pay
a royalty tax of twenty-five cents ton
on their output, and those privately
owned pay but one cent ton. Such
discrimination is injurious to the reve-
state operators. The royalty is none
too high, and the tax on the others is
ridiculously low. That the private
mines are now practically all under the
control Of two powerful syndicates,
which are also influential in senatorial,
as we'll as other elections, IS possible
explanation of the governors silence on
l., 10. nv
PLANTATION of the oversight, 1t Is the gov
ernor'S misfortune that his rolitica Ca
reer does not in itself prevent the suS-
picion from getting reasonable ground
for existence.
Another pressing question is that of
municipal government, and on this the
attitude Of the governor is tentative and
nome ommittal. If the legislature is of
the opinion that the better way is to re-
nit the question of charters and govern
ment to the people of the cities, he in
forms them that the plan has worked
beneficially elsewhere, but advances no
opinion except that, in such case, an
amendment of the constitution will be
necessary. With constitution eX-
pressly declaring that all power is in the
people, and with no clause declaring that
that power can only be exercised
through the legislature. this opinion has
no other backing than the customary
assumption of exclusive power by the
state. Granting to municipalities the
right to govern themselves as they wish
is not a grant, but is recognition of a
right that always existed if dormant.
and one that should never have been
surrendered.