St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-21
IS STILL GUESSING.
House Thoughtfully Digest
ing Stevens Radical De-
parture.
REVOLUTION IN TAX SYSTEM.
Each Legislature Would Fix
Rates of Taxation for
Two Years.
REVOLUTION IN TAX SYSTEM.
RAMSEY COUNTY SALARIES.
City and County Officials Of
the Future Will Get
Much Less.

The chief topic of conversation in
the house and Hobbies yesterday was
the fight on the Stevens bill for a
constitutional amendment permitting
each legislature to fix the rate and
manner of leVying taxes and to SUBJ
Stitute any other method for that of
direct taxation. That this kill, the
most radical proposition ever sub
mitted to a Minnesota legislature,
should have been advanced so near
to passage without the slightest sUs-
piciou of its real purpose, speaks
volumes to those who are suspicious
of the measure, and at frequent in
tervals yesterday knots of members
were found discussing it in the cloak
rooms and corridors. When the mat
ter was under discussion in general
orders Friday night Senator Stevens
signified his willingness to accept the
proposed amendments. Speaking in
defense of the bill yesterday he said:
The bill will have no such effect
as is claimed by the opposition. 1t
has been carefully drawn by some of
the best lawyers in the state, with
the intention of avoiding any such
complications as are predicted by its
enemies, and if it passes unamended,
it will certainly allow the taxation
of property which cannot now be
reached, and will affect no other.
The bill passed the senate and house
a few years ago with practical I'M
animity and was only prevented from
10 INV
change which endangered the gross
earnings tax; so, of course, ali par
ties turned in to defeat it in that
shape. This time the railroads have
been excepted. It will reach prop
erty which cannot be reached other
wise and no other
1t seems from this that the sena-
tor has changed his views, and in
sists that the bill shall pass I'M
amended"
The opposition of the iron COM
panies, which are taxed on the
cent-a-ton basis, is easily explained.
The plan upon which they are taxed
is now a fixed and settled one,
whereas if the Stevens bill passed
biennial shaking up as all other
corporations. They prefer, of
course, to be let alone, but the prin-
cipal opponents of the bill say this
is merely an incident of the oppo-
sition, since the mines are only one
of hundreds of corporations which
would be subject to the operation
of this law. The amendment of Mr..
Douglas to exempt real estate SIM
ply shows that every class of prop
erty not specifically excepted would
be subject to the law, and while the
original bill vaguely and somewhat
eQuivocally excerpts railroads from
1t, there are many members who be-
Iieve that the bill was introduced
as one of many eXpedients resorted
to to evade the operation of the
Anderson bill in case it became a
law, which it did
The author of this bill was the
most conspicuous opponent of the
Anderson bill, and these two facts
are taken as significant by that
class who see things (which are
yelled. Members of the house ju-
dietary committee yesterday ex-
planned the favorable recommends
ton of the committee by stating
that Senator Stevens had appeared
before the committee and treated
them to a brief but brilliant display
Of his ability to Jolly them up,"
and that representative of the
Pullman company, announcing him
self as such, had appeared and
made a formal protest against the
passage of the bill. This latter part
of the transaction is interpreted by
the opponents OF the bill as a bluff
to make it appear that Pullman op-
posed the bill, but be this as it NAV.
the representations of Senator Stew
ems were accepted at par and the
committee rested
conference was held by some of