The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-10

William Henry Eustis, in his opening
address at Minneapolis, deigned to
leave national questions long enough
to make a most ridiculous charge upon
the Democratic party as follows:
In 1890 the opposition gained control OF the
legislative bodies and increased the previc u !
tax rate az mills) to %. This rate was
again reduced by the next Republican leg
islature to 15, thus saving to the taxpayers
Of Minnesota since and below the appropria-
tions of the opposition on their advent to
power $1.1O5.OOO.
Mr.. Eustis has here, Willingly or
unwitttnS1y, perpetrated a gross fraud
in falling to set forth the facts
Every department Of the state govern
ment, including the governor and, eX-
ceptirg the auditor, was then, and for
thirty years had been, under Republi-
can control. The demands from the de-
partments as we'll as from the people
were, and for a long time had been
extraordinary and pressing. For in
stance, that legislature provided $215,-
600 for a hospital for the insane at
Fergus Falls; $105,000 for the soldiers
home at Minnehaha; SIS, 900 for the in
stitute for detectives at Faribault;
S215,000 for material and machinery for
manufacturing twine, tubs and pals
at Saltwater, and $4,000 for new build
ings at the state university at Mime
apolis. Here are appropriations, new
and extras, amounting to nearly $780,
GOO, and every one of them for objects
the most worthy. Five-tenths Of a mill
on the assyssed valuation of the state
Of about, $600,0OOOOO produced about
100000. Yet that legislature was en-
abled by that small increase in the tax
levy to give to the people Of Minnesota
all these worthy Improvements, costing
more than twice that sum-
DESERVES HIGHEST CREDIT.
Had the legislature failed as it's pre-
decessors had failed before, to provide
them 1T would indeed have been worthy
of the censure which is now attempted
to be placed upon it. Instead thereof,
it has received and is entitled to re-
ceive the highest credit therefor. At
that time the house consisted of forty
seven Republicans, forty-six Democrats
and twenty-three Alliance men. The
latter held the balance Of power. 1t is
true the Democrats and Alliance men
joined in the selection of the chaplain
and speaker, but upon many matters
Of legislation the Alliance men as often
joined with the Republicans as with
the Democrats. In fact, the Republi-
cans generally voted for the general
appropriation bill, while some Of the
Democrats opposed it. 1t was carried
by the vote of the Alliance men.
Doubtless Republicans hoped to cast
censure, as is now being done, upon
Democrats by the increase in the tax
levy, and just as doubtless Democrats
voted against it, solely because of their
desire for greater economy. But neither
party can claim credit for it or be held
for it. Under any circumstances, the
result amply justified the action, and
the cities which have received the
benefits of these improvements will not
now be likely to condemn the appro-
priatiOns. In the senate a like political
condition existed.
LATE FOR POLITICAL CAPITAL.
Mr.. Eustis further claims that be-
cause the next and subsequent legis-
latures reduced the tax levy to IL
mills, then to 1.5, the Republican party
IS entitled to the credit. That was
simply, too, the result of a lessened
demand for public Improvements and
general disposition to hold the rate