davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
FOR TAXING RAIL WAY LANDS.

Representatives of nearly all sections
sections and classes in Minnesota met in
the city of Aitkin, the other day, to set in
motion the educational campaign for
passing the tao to tax unused
railway lands. The railway companies of
Minnesota have BEEN granted, within the
boundaries of the state, something like
100000 acres of land as bonus to en-
courage railway building. About 3,0O0,-
900 acres of these lands still remain I'M
sold. These lands have heretofore been
tax exempt. Railroads i'm Minnesota are
taxed on their gross earnings in lieu of all
other taxation. These unusued specula-
tive Lands do not contribute to the gross
earnings of the roads, and therefore do
not contribute to the gross earnings tax
nor have they ever paid a dollar of direct
taxes. The legislature submitted to the
people at the last session bill amending
the gross earnings laws, so that the loads
would pay direct taxes on their unused
lands. The companies owning the lands
1t is urged that the special laws giving
the companies tax exemption on their
lands are inviolable contracts which SUBJ
sequent legislatures have no power to
amend or repeal except with the consent
of the companies. But the power of taxa
ton is one of the sovereign powers of the
state as provided for in the constitution,
and it certainly would be strange condi-
ton of affairs if legislative majority
could vote it away beyond the future
power of the state to recover. A legisla-
ture which had such power could by
majority vote ordain that the state should
cease to exist.
1t is urged that to amend the gross
earnings laws by this act will repeal them
and that the state will lose something like
100000 of gross earnings taxes. But if
the gross earnings tax were repealed, the
railroad property would then come under
the general property tax The effect of
this would be that the roads would be
paying more taxes than they do now. The
state railway commissioners place the val
lie of roads and equipments within the
boundaries of Minnesota at 1926, 900 900.
The value of the lands is about SIS 900 900
more, making total of $3.50 200, 900. This
property assessed at only so per cent of
value and taxed at the prevailing % mills
on dollar would yield $2,750.00 of taxes
by the method of direct taxation, which
is three times what the roads pay by the
indirect tax on gross earnings. The rule
of the state constitution is that all prop
erty in Minnesota shall be taxed accord
ing to value by the direct method. The
constitutional amendment which vail
dated the exceptions in favor of the rail-
roads provides that the gross earnings
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
ONE OF OUR ADMIRERS.
We have received the following Il

we nave received the following let
ter:
Mr. Editor-Some friend has been
paying you for The REPRESENTATIVE
and ordered sent to me in hopes l pre-
sumo OF making populist Of me. the
cry of populist is to read and get both
sides of the question we'll l loye to
read and do read. but l can't read
such slush as THE REPRESENTATIVE
contains any longe. l consider the
whole sheet a slushy sloshy mess of
nonsense not fit to be laid before an
intelligent people. please strike my
name from your list as don't wish to
poison my brain by continuing to read
what every sound minded man knows
to ne untrue. [ am Republican from
a way back, and until can see some
thing better l shall stick to the G o
H. A. SHERWOOD
Bird Island MINI Feby 10. 1896
We are sorry that our paper has not
risen to the high mental standard of
a gentleman so "intelegent' as Mr.
Sherwood, as revealed by his letter;
and we should be sorry to poison what
he calls his "brain." We hope he will
send his head to Edison, to apply the
cathode rays to it, and ascertain if he
possesses such an apparatus as a
brain, and if so whe Their it does not
appear like shrivelled walnut at the
top Of his spinal column.
But what strikes us with unbounded
establishment is, that Mr.. Sherwood
does not point out and answer the
matter in our columns (which every
soundminded man knows to be un-
true" There are thousand who fool
ishly believe in THE REPRESENTA-
TIVE; and yet he refrains from unde-
ceiving them. An 'intelegent" man
should be more generous to the poor,
ignorant fools who are his fellow citi-
zens. But he walks off and leaves
them lost in the darkness. And yet
he knows that, just as we have opened
our columns to his abusive letter, we
are ready to open them to the argu-
ments of any one who will show us we
are wrong. 1t is no answer to US to
call our articles ''slushy, sloshy mess
of nonsense" Dissect them; disprove
them; answer them. Abuse counts
for nothing. 1t proves nothing for
Mr.. Sherwood to say he is a Republi-
can from way back" A good many
Republicans and Democrats from "a
way back" are now serving terms in
the st tie prison, or have been hung
by the neck for villainous crimes.
Taylor, the state treasurer, of South
Dakota, who defaulted for $3.50, 900,
was Republican from a way back;"
and so was Harry Hayward. All that
kind of talk is sheer bosh. Argument
must be met by argument and facts
by facts. Such senseless appeals to
party bigotry would be disgrace to
the lOng-eared representative of un-
reasoning obstinacy.
II we have uttered anything in this
paper which was untrue" as Mr..
Sherwood says, we will be obliged to
him II he will show it up. In the
great arena Of universal debate, which
fills the latter end of the Nine tenth
century, it will not do to say,-'I am
Republican from way back" He
might just as we'll say, II am an in
fernal fool from way back" l was
jackass thirty years ago and that
justifes me in being jackass now.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
TO THREE MONTHS SUB
SCRIBERS.

A good many Of our first clubs of
trial subscriptions for three months,
expire next week. We hope the par
ties will all renew at our current,
regular rates. This will be the great
est year in American history. for it
will largey determine the future
status Of all the hundreds of millions
that will hereafter dwell on the soil
of the United States. You want to
hear our side of the controversy, even
If you do not fully agree with us.
We hope those who were kind
enough to get up these clubs will see
the parties and get them to renew il
possible; and If not advise US who to
strike off,.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
NOR WEGIAN EDITION,

: We are receiving letters from all
parts of the state and surrounding
states enclosing lists OF subscribers
for the Scandinavian editions-es-
pecially the Norwegian. Mr.. Jorgen
Olafson, Town Clerk of Skandia, Hast
ings, Barnes county, N. D., sends us
list Of 80.
There will be no trouble in securing
many thousand subscribers; but we
will need moderate sum Of money to
launch the ship. We want all our
friends to help us all they can. These
Scandinavian editions are the key to
victory. l. D.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
GREATER LIBERALTY.

The editor in chief of THE REPRE-
SENTATIVE, speaks on Thursday
night, April I'd, at the second floor of
the New York Life Building, Second
Avenue and Fifth Street, before the
Young Mems Democratic Club, of
Minneapolis, upon their invitation. by
special resolution. This shows how
the walls. Of political prejudice are
breaking down. Two years ago the
members of the club would have felt
more like hanging Mr.. Donnelly than
inviting him to address them. The
world moves. Id,
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
CHANGE OF DATE.

The Winona meeting Of the 4th of
April, in consequence of the fact that
the Opera House was engaged for the
4th. Don't forget that Frank Nye
and Mr.. Donnelly both speak. There
will be big gathering Of Populists.
Free-Silver men and Rights of Labor.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
PAUL FONTAINE.

fany of our friends desire first
class Populist speaker send to Paul
Fontaine, care of L. NJ. Aver, Temple
Court, Minneapolis. We heard him
the other night and he made power
full and most effective speech. He
will do good wherever he goes.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
Twenty Thousand Circulation.

MINNEAPOLZs, Mimi, March 2, 1896.
This is to certify that the total num-
Der Of papers printed this day for The
REPRESENTATIVE is 20. 900 copies.
r. E. LINKFIELD,
supt. Mechanical Dept. Penny Press.
Sworn and subscribed to before me
this I'd day of March. A. D. 1896.
[sEAL. w. LEE MOORE,
Notary Public.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
SPECIAL NOTICE.

No person has any right to incur or
create any obligation, binding on 1.-THE
Representative" Publishing Company, or
make any contract in its name, unless the
same is specifically assented to and ap-
proved Of. in writing, by the President
of the said Representative" Publishing
Company. IGNATIUS DONNELLY,
President
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01
STILL GROWING.

Our new subscribers this week
amount to 1873, but we are too crowded
to give detailed report of them until
next week. I. D.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01

In answer to inquiries we would say
that we are still receiving single sub
scriptions for three months at 10
cents each. Id.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-01

oil l-party men who refuse to advertise
with us on account of our principles.
Let the friends of Reform stand to-
gether. /. d.
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27
A Wonderful Man.

The following is taken from private
letter written by former Maine man
now resident in Indiana. Maine people
generally will cordially respond to the
sentiment and fact of this extract:
Every day am impressed with the
greatness of Mr.. Blaine. do not say
the late james @. Blaine because he i
today living and potential power in
this country. The other night speaker
was talking sound money aud projection
10 an audience of couple of hundred
They We're listening as we'll rs the
sitting heat would permit. lie remark
ed that all the great Republicans had
opposed the free coinage OF silver except
on the basis that the value in the silver
dollar should be equal to that in the gold.
Nearly twenty years ago, he said, ~
great statesman stood up in the Senate
and declared that the coinage of % cents
worth of silver into a dollar would near
~ place this country on a silver basis
and it could pull down to % cent dollars
every 100 cent dollar of money in the
land. This was just before the resump.
ton of specie payments. .Nho was
that statesman" asked man in the
audience. james q. Blaine of Maine
was the response, whereat a round of
applause followed. Aud, yet. doubt if
half dozen persons in that audience
had ever seen him or heard his voice.
You aud will never see his like again.
On al great questions he was ten years
ahead OF others-and SO luminous. 50 com
prehensive. so satisfying. Scarcely Il
week passes that do not for the enjoy
ment OF it. read something that he
wrote. But brilliant and wise as he was
in intellect. the charm of his personality
aud the generosity of his good nature
are best remembered by those he trust
ed. Today his detraetors are dumb j;
but il lived in Maine and George Fred
Williams of Massachusetts. one of the
meanest of them, should come To Maine
TO speak to Maine people, would ask
them not to listen to the man who threw
slime at the great patriot whose memory
every son of Maine should cherish
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27
Stewart In 1871.

Senator William NJ Stewart of Ne vada
the apostle of the free silver movement.
was not always free coinage III TO !
advocate. In ISL he was one of the
soundest of sound tinanciers Of the L. :,
Senate, as will appear by the following
extracts from speeches delivered by him
in that body June II and II. lS74:
The question never will be settled
until You determine the simple question
whether the laboring man j. entitled 10
have gold dollar il he earns il. or
whether You are going to cheat him
with something else.
The only way that we can have homes {
dealing is to use an honest measure.
The only WAY that we can determine
what is the value of a mans labor is to
measure it by an honest measure. Thai
is what the granger needs; that Is what
the laboring man needs. He needs that
his toll shall be measured by no uneei-
tain measure. He wants il measured by
that measure thar will tell him the truth
When he has worked and earned dol
lar, he wants a dollar in money with he
purchasing power Of Il dollar in money
With which he can buy bread. This i
his due. If you give him any thing else,
You give him FALSE measure with which
luggler> can operate and he is cheated.
All your contrivnaces to eyade the uni
Versal measure of value are cheating the
unWary and robbiug the public, aud
leading them to false expectations.
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27
The Maine State Fair.

No citizen of Maine will have cause to
apologize next week Tor what is seen on
the grounds of the Maine State Fair al
Lewiston, and no one can eriticise the
quality or quantity of the exhibits.
NeVer have such a number Of animals
been entered. Over eight hundred head
OF cattle. one thousand of poultry, one
hundred pens of sheep and three hun
dred head of horses are booked. The
Cattle Club Jerseys foot up one hundred
and sixty five. One hundred PAIRS of
tat cattle. score or more Of horses in
the gents driving class, class from
which all are excluded which have re-
cords or have been in races.
In the halls the same condition will
exist, the show of butter alone being
worth long journey to see. The ex-
hbits for City hall are far in excess of
former years and art and fancy work
will fill the tables. The show of
minerals, birds and eggs will he the
finest ever brought out in the State,
The marvellous NitaseOpe will be the
eeutre OF attraction every evening for
its wonders ARE beyond COMPREHENSION.
The ehildrens games, Grange parade
Maine Militia. Floral parade and fancy
decorated bicycle parade will be the fore
noon attractions, while the races must
fill the grand stand daily. The list of
entries exceed any former year. Fifteen
horses entered in each OF the running
races, and trotting and pacing classes as
full, 2G0 or more horses in Is races
The best of the State will be seen here
Assurance comes from every centre that
the crowds are coming to the Maine
State Fair and with special trains and
rates the grounds should be filled. Let
everybody take day for the Maine
State Fair.
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27

Thomaston: ". Il Caa91a. Portland:
Giles .. Bailey. Portland: :. T.. fass
Auoslu Russell u. Woolmaa West
bloo6 ,. J.. NIiken. Richmond. Ed
wara {. Jordan. Portland. Jelu liar
wood, Go@da.nhap; j T.. Pearson. Geo.
II. Weeks, Damatlseatta. Josiah Chase.
York: Wm H. Gardiner. Camden.
The altcrnates were r. Y. Blanchard.
Bath: John H. Beleler Freeport: 4. II.
NIT. saeo: j. : Tme. luterYaIe. L. +.
Coombs, Lisbon Fal.- Wm. Il. Stevens.
Portland, G.. ;. II. Mcdowell. Lewiston
5. q. otis. HaNewell. a. + Noa..on.
semboro: j. + GeritY, Bangor Zion
Wilson. Portland Nathan CLIFFORD.
Portland. Tie meeting was addressed
hy Col. John K. Fellow, OF New York.
The president has appointed COL.
CAas. q. >awtelle. quartermaster geuer-
"a. 7 :. A., vice K. y. Batehelder re-
tired. cen >awtelle is now on duty a
Governor island. View York. Charles
Greene sa@tel.e is Maine man. having
been born IN NouideeWoek. May 10
III. He is liz s9u Of Hon. Cullen
sa~telc Who was a representative in
Congress from tals STATE from Isl u
-. and a4a.n ffom l>}a to ISL The
>awtelie family l,.oue II lie most dir
t.u-ushed If The old families Of central
Maine i,ar ~ayr+.iEa . NJ gfrs5 --4#-.4
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27
SlxoMhegan Orange.

The meeting, Wednesday, P VI. Aug.
l9th, was well attended. Degree work
was conferred on a class of six aud four
applicants were received. The confer
ring of degrees occupies so much time
in the most of our meetings that com
paratively litJlc time can be spared for
literary exercises. The program called
for the observance of "Netpran's day. ..
\. a. Withee gave an interesting des-
cription of the battle of Antietam, Sept.
Il, 1862 and personal "reminiscences con
neeted with the service, and 5. r Emrr-
son followed with II general description
and personal "reminiscences of the battle
of Fair Oaks. May 81, June l, 1862 The
speakers were participants in. aud eye
witnesses of these hard fought battle
field and knew something of the scenes
enacted a third of a century ago.
SECRERAEA-
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27
Everything Political.

Between now aud election time every
reader in New England wants complete
political news, and that is what he is
sure to obtain if he reads the Boston
Journal regularly. No paper in New
England gives such perfect reports of
everything connected with the political
arena as is to be found in the Journal.
and Republican and Democrat alike go
to its columns for the latest information.
Thanks to the Journals special eonnec-
tions with the important cities of the
South ard West, the news of the nation
is gathered in the most complete manner
possible, and the Washington dispatches
of Coolidge show the exact situation of
affairs in the national capital. \ feature
of the journal which is creating univer-
sal talk throughout New England is the
series of bright political cartoons of
Boz who is without an equal i'm his
particular field. Read the Boston
journal
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27
Hartland Fair.

The East Somerset Agricultural
Society holds its annual exhibition at
Hartland, Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday, September :, . and 10. The
first day will be devoted to cattle, sheep,
swine and poultry. The second, horses,
colts and fillies with farm products and
fancy articles in the hall The third
day the fair in the hail.
Races and other contests at he PARK
the two last daTs of the show with $50
offered in purse.
Address :. II. Goodwin. secretary.
IIartAnd. for particulars
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27

indianapolis journal; The treasurer
Of scott county, Kansas, has announced
L. the taxpayers in circular that taxes
viii be lighter next year. for the reason
that the District Court has declared that
Sl1G.000 of county bonds and consider
able amounts of township bonds are
Void--a fact upon which he congratu-
ates the people of Scott county. The
bonds were issued in payment Tor county
improvements. but the spirit of Popu-
lism which has cursed Kansas caused the
county official to offer congratulations
because the puschasers, who may he oni-
GERS of savings banks, will be robbed. .
This sort of thing is very consoling to
people in the east who have invested
money In Kansas.
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27
State and General

tie Five Cent savings Bank ON school
street Boston. died Wednesday after.
noon at o'clock Al Bay-Ide Nantasket.
his summer residence.
Dexter claim, 10 rank among tle first
Of the towns in central Maine a, TO the
number Of voters within its limits WIZ
have passed their allotted three seofe
years and ten. \ little Investigation
shows the number u be -.
Prot ". N. Munson. Of lie Maine
State College, Orono, while in Cherry
field recently. visited the plains and OBJ
tanned quantity Of BURBERRY shrubs
for the purpose Of experimenting on tie
project Of eutiyating this berry
steamer Irene. On Raugely lake, burn
ed Thursday. The loss was nearly
total and is estimated at 5000: partial
insurance. Cause unknown. George
WILDER, engineer on tire Phillips and
Rangely railroad. fell dead while work
ing the breaks On the fire engine.
Nalfred y. Anderson, manager Of the
Boston Office Of y. II. Johnson d 90.
committed suicide during Wednesday
night on the steamer Bay State which
arrived in Portland. Thursday a. m.
The suicide was discovered by his wife.
who came to the wharf to meet him. II
has been found that he was defaulter.
It's reported that an enormous ne
teoreame down in the desert near TuS-
con, Arizona. Saturday last. It came
down red hot and smoking, covering
about two acres OF ground. \ herder
with his wife and three children. and
about loo sheep were buried beneath
the mass. \ party have gone 10 make
an investigation.
The crowd at Hdgbg park. Friday, saw
one of the most remarkable perform
ances in the whole history Of harness
racing Joe Patchen lowered the
world Is stallion pacing record he'd by
John r Gentry, by one quarter Of a
second in fresh wind, making the mile
in 2o5. He belongs to col. John :.
Taylor Of Chicago and his former record
was 2.04
The Portland Press says p. ".
Mclntire, sometime editorial writer on
the Eastern Argus, has resigned III,
post. It is understood that M Nj
lntire is not in sympathy with the
hir1go Dlaffa1,n, III. a,,.a...,.s ,,.;ff
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27

our witch hazel is guaranteed fun
strength, aud We can supply you in amy
desired quantity at "a right price.
sampson, corner druggist.
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27

No work about the farm gives more
solid and lasting satisfaction than a day
or two spent in fixing up the grounds
around the buildings.
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27

During the hscal year which closed
with last month our cheese exports were
only 36,637,637 pounds, against $500.
$50 for the previous fiscal year Butter.
On the other hand, increased from 54o2,
553 10 1885 to t9,2o4459 in 1890. The
total value OF batter and cheese exported
in 1890 was less than in 1895 by s23y.Jsa.
The Somerset reporter., 1896-08-27

During the rush of having there was
little time Ton reading. but during this
month there will be more leisure to think
ahead. Work not well planned i, labor
partly wasted,