The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-01-13
NEWS OF THE STATE.
TElEGRAPtilC REPORTS OF THE
EVENTS OF INTEREST.

matters Seic ed with an Eye to the
Wants of our Own Observation-Disclosures pal
Happenings in the State During the Past
Few Days Culled from the Reports.
Lansing, Mich. Jan. 6.-The state leg
islature was called to order at noon.
The senatorial caucus at night was
prief but enthusiastic. Burrows was
the only name presented. He was NOM
mated with shout by reclamation. He
appeared before the caucus and elo-
quently expressed his thanks. Mr..
Pack also spoke.
Governor Pingree in his message con-
graduates the state on it's progress and
the era of prosperity which is opening
up before ii. Equal taxation Governor
Pingree treated at length, saying that
II was the most important question in
this state today and that the present
state administration was put in power
expressly to take some action looking
to an equitable system Of taxation. He
argued that railroads and other cor
porations should be brought under the
general tax law instead of being as
sessed upon their gross earnings as at
present. Governor Pingree then rec
commended the repeating of the special
charters OF the Michigan Central and
Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee
railroads so as to bring them under the
general tax laws.
Ofhceholders Criticised.
The attempt at the special session
last spring to pass the Atkinson bill,
which has equal taxation for its object,
Is referred to and the governor severely
criticises some federal officeholders for
alleged lobbying against it. The gov
ernor recommends a moderate income
tax upon all incomes above $1,000 a
year. The progress made by trusts in
recent years has alarmed the governor.
He advocates that congress should
take this matter in hand as state legis-
latures, he says, are powerless, because
corporations would simply be driven
from one state to another by any at
tempt at legislation on the part of the
states. Governor Pingree finds fault
with the present national administra-
ton, saying that "the war was pre-
cipitated by clamor of an INSCRIPTIONS
press, with the cooperation of equally
INSCRIPTIONS politicians, who hoped
that the excitement and hysteria Of war
would distract the popular mind from
the abuses or their miSgoVernment and
from the grievances which our people
suffered and still suffer- greater than
those which any of Spain's subjects had
to complain of
Opposed to Expansion.
Decided opposition was expressed to
the annexation of the Philippines, the
governor claiming that they are in no
way necessary for our safety, or even
useful, as are the Hawaiian islands or
the Antilles. He says: THE scheme of
annexation is simply weak imitation
Of the policy of European monarchies,
conceived in apparent ignorance or in
difference respecting the vastly differ
ent conditions which have forced those
powers into distant colonization"
Relative to public ownership Of rail-
ways, Governor Pingree says: II most
earnestly recommend that this legis-
lature inagurate policy looking to the
ultimate purchase by the state Of all the
railroads within it's limits"
The governor recommends that "a
law be passed providing that all candi-
dates for each elective office from gov
ernor down to ward officers, be nomi-
mated by direct vote Of the electors"