Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-10-20
HIS THEORIES PUNcTUReD.
Rep resentative Bricker's Letter smashed
Ionia Sentinel cuts IL Wide Open.

From January u, 1901, w """ '"N''u
ing May 81, in that year, hon wins
r. Bricker sat In the house oil repre-
at Lansing AS the represen-
tative OF the western district OF TINS
county. The journal OF that BODY TAILS
to show that by word or act he did
TO advance the great cause OF
ca ual taxation, to which he pledges
himself in long and interesting letter
published in the columns OIL his home
organs. The subject was as July In
issue then as it Is today, but 1T does not |
appear that Representative Brlcker
had at that time awakened TO It's i'm
portance.
For fifty days he refrained from the
introduction of any bill tending to pro
mote the cause OF which he now swears
fealty. For all the remaining days OF
the session he failed to urge the gov
ernor to send in message that would
have permitted him to introduce the
bill that he had deferred presenting
until the statutory period for the intro
duction of bills had elapsed. In the
special session in the present year he
did vote for the Atkinson bill, and said
upon the floor that it was "a perfect
bill:" but today his sincerity either
then or now is properly questioned, as
his inspired organs declare that there
are serious objections" to the bill land
that il il is passed those charged with
its enforcement "will steal the people
blind"
No representative Of the district ever
had so good an opportunity during any
previous session of the Legislature TO
study the intricate question OF the
taxation Of corporations as had Repre-
sentative Bricker during the session OF
1897 and the special session OF 1898. III
he can ever understand it he should to-
day be walking encyclopedia on the
subject. Evidently he is satisfied that
he has absorbed about all the wisdom
of the sages grave and gay who pre-
scented the subject in so many forms
before the body in which he had the
honor to represent part OF this county.
Having digested the information there
obtained and analysed the arguments
pro and con, he presents his fund OF
} knowledge and his conclusions to his
constituents, as is eminently proper,
and all should give his letter the care
, full consideration to which IL is en-
titled
: The first paragraph of the letter indi-
; Gates that he doesn't think the question
of the state ticket need give the people
: much thought. He knows that the
: Republican state convention was con
! elusive as TO the men who conduct the
! administration of state affairs for the
2 next two years. Neither does he think
$ the county ticket worthy Of mention
e 1.-THE chief question for the people u
!. decide is who to elect to your nationa
= and state legislatures, he says. Ger
!. tainly all thinking men will agree will
o him that this question is one of grea
: moment SO great Importance will tn
voters attach to il that they will insis
: upon electing men who can be trusIe
: to consider the great questions OF tn
' day intelligently, and who will stud
. them receptively il not now sufficient
70 informed. Representative Bricker ha
n not shown by his legislative recor
% that he has been particularly energetI
:, in the matter of tax reform. Has h
,r shown by his letter that he was su
le ficiently receptive to acquire the know
is ledge on the subject that was With
10 his grasp
- The second paragraph in his lett'
ne IS dissertation upon the relations b
Mt tween the state and the Michigan &c
lie trail railroad. In this he does not e
o o tirely agree with the best legal autho
or tiles. and he has evidently not read IL
of recent opinion OF the supreme court {
OF the subject; but this is not importan
- - The really interesting part OF Nj
no Brokers letter is the knowledge
il displays regarding the taxation
n corporations other than railroads. /
"a says:
RI. There are other corporations DOH
as business in the state OF Michigan th
ey are protected by our state law, corpd
W ations that make and pay larger dl'
,s. dends than any railroad doing busine
lie. In our state. First we mention I
ed great Calumet and Hecla compan
on one of the richest mining corporate
he in the state. This company's stock
IN. worth over 400 per cent Then the
ny are many more copper compani'
lite Next we mention the great iron mir
~. of the upper peninsula the richest
de the world. How much tax does t
lp- state receive from these rich corpol
ne tions? Virtually nothing compared
:. the same values on farm property. '
nix have some eight or ten express co
Tx panies that pay tax all told less Tn
IN four thousand dollars per annum. TIE
OF phone and telegraph companies OF