The Irish standard., 1899-05-20
LAME DEFENSES
Put Up By Legislators Who Defeated
Taxation Reform.

Taxation Reform.
Reform Press Bureau.
St. Paul, May IS, 1900.
1t is remarkable how few OF the Re-
publican senator's who defeated the re-
form OF railroad taxation advocated so
earnestly by Governor Lind and the re-
form forces OF the legislature, have
essayed to make any defense for their
act, or effort to stem the tide OF indig-
nation which has spread over the state
The lawyers" have here and there
trottcd out the Unconstitutional
scapegoat, but except Young OF Swift
who was first skinned by the Appleton
Press, ard next blistered by State Au-
ditor Dunn, for defense made in the
Minneapolis Journal, about the only
etl'er senator to peep has been Sen
ator Mccarthy OF Itasca. His defense
going outside OF the lawyers p'ints, y
is attributed to an ambition to be the
candidate for Congress in the Sixth dis
trict, hence the necessity OF squaring
himself at least with show OF defense,
and his may be briefly referred to.
The senator's Firstly" is that because
the railroad tax now paid has risen from
100000 in 1880 to over 81 ZOO 1000 in
1893, and may rise at the present rate
until in time it pays all OF the states
expense, we should have full discus
sion OF the matter before we surrender
our present position. That is exactly
what was proposed by the bill which
merely submitted the question to the
people, to be voted on at the next cleo
ton.
Second. If the roads accepted the al
Tentative method, the outlying counties
like those represented by the senator
would receive but small portion of
the taxes, inasmucf as so small amount
OF property lies in such counties. The
question is begged since every intclli-
gent person should know that there is
no possibility of the railroads taking
the alternative proposition if they know
that there will be an absolutely fair
valuation, which there will be if the
boards OF equalization are removed
from the power Of the corporations to
corrupt and control them, as the people
may be sure they will be under such adj
n'inistrations as this of John Lind.
Next, the view is narrow and selfish
one, and, finally, the benefit would di-
rectly inure to the people of every
locality by the lowering OF the tax rate
oil the state.
Third, to increase the tax would raise
freight rates. This is long and we'll
worked bugaboo, worthy Of no moro
consideration than the overworked
scheme of having railroad employees
protest against railroad legislation on
the ground that it will decrease railroad
wages. But there is certain protection
in the law recently signed by Governor
Lind prohibiting the raising OF rates
without consent of the Railroad Com
mission The point of the same ma
turc. that raising rates would retard
railroad development in the northern
counties falls equally with the other.
Railroads are built where and when it
is in the interest OF those who control
them tc do so, and that they arc inhu-
enced by legal "hampering" is too silly
for attention.
Finally, the senator regarded it GER
tain that the state would be brought to
standstill by the roads refusing to
pay. and "hampcring" it with long liti-
CATION. This was exactly the claim
made for the Anderson law, and still
the wheels have been turning right
along, both railroad and state. And
by the way, the greatest, almost the cx-
elusive benefits of that same successful
law which was unconstitutional" the
same as the gross earnings increase, go
to the same locality of the state for
which Senator Mccarthy makes his
spccious and groundcss plea