Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-05-25
THE DEFEAT OF THE FRANCHISE
TAX BILL IN THE MISSOURI
SENATE.
THE Two VERY MYSTERIOUS MEN
They Make Their Appearances and
Almost Immediately a Motion to
Adjourn Cuts Mr.. Major Of
Fine Work of the Lobby
A Disgrace.



days In both Houses Of the Legisla-
ture. Revision bills, conference re-
ports and roll-calls followed each
other in rapid succession. Every
body was excited and on the run and
everything seemed to be red-hot and
still "a-heating." One reading clerk
went to bed sick and your humble
servant held the fortuntil 3p. M, Fri
day, when he, too, 'sthrew up the
sponge" and surrendered the reading
desk to a new man, who proved him
self a good roil-caller.
Mr.. Pope, of Cole, chairman Of tho
revision committee, had the right of
way and held it fairly well all the
time. The bone of contention here is
franchise taxation and during Friday
and Saturday there were three orfour
conference committees to adjust
differences. The House, by an over
wheIming majority, favors the tax
alton Of franchises. The Senate, by a
like majority, is opposed to franchise
taxation. A franchise. O., the right
granted by law to do something which
no one else has the right to do-ia
property, valuable property, although
1t be invisible and intangible. The
aggregate value Of all franchises in
Missouri is estimated to be about
$500, 900 900. This property has never
been taxed in Missouri. A franchise
has never been declared by law to be
property. There has never been a
law directing a franchise to be taxed.
There has never been q law providing
q method of arriving at the taxable
value Of q franchise. 1t is true the
law is now and has been since the
State government was organized that
s'all property, real and personal"
shall be taxed. But only within the
past twenty or thirty years has this
thing called q franchise been looked
upon as a thing Of Importance, espec-
tally from the standpoint Of taxation,
There are many who have ~contended
and do now contend that under the
law as 1t now stands q franchise a
be taxed. Within the past two years
an effort was made by the State
Board of Equalization to tax fran
chiaes; but a majority of that board,
viz: Auditor Seibert, Secretary of
State Ler-Nur and State Treasurer
Pitts athout ed 1t; Governor Stephens
nd admitted hGeneraI Grow favored
no and y many times a like effort has
bsJn made l can't say. These men
opposed it, because, / suppose, fran
chiaes had never been declared prop
erty, had never been designated BY
law as liable to taxation, had never
been regarded as property; and unless
the Legislature 80 regarded, so de-
clared and 80 designated franchises as
property they would not assume that
power.
This House determined to bring this
matter to O decision. Hence this
franchise taxing clause in the revised
revenue and taxation chapter. A
bill, distinct and separate, called the
Fitzgerald franchise bill, passed the
House several weeks ago and was
sent to the Senate, and, as I have
heretofore said, went into the pocket
of Senator Young, of Kansas City, and
there It Is to this day. He declined to
submit it, as l hear, to his committee
Judiciary, or to report it to the
Senate; and, what is worse, the SEN
ate allowed him-yea, desired him-to
do just what he did. The House then
put In the revised revenue bill this
franchise taxing clause, passed 1t and
sent 1t to the Senate. That compelled
the Senate to do one Of two things
viz; vote or sknlk-tax franchises or
run like towards, meet the issue or
refuse to revise the revenue laws.
Thus far Sunday, May 21,) these dig
nitied and arrogant men have skulk-
ed, have run like towards and have
refused to revise the revenue laws.
What they will do to-morrow between
0 and IL o'clock | cannot say; but ]
will say what the Senate Of Missouri
did last night, and, II l had the power
I would write 1t in living light across
the heavens that every taxpayer in
this State might see it and read 1t and
study It's meaning.
The Senate and House had been al
differences about this matter for sew
eral days. 1t would take more space
than can be given me in this issue oil
the LEDGER to give the history o.
|, these differences. Suffice 1t to say
that Saturday the last conferences
committee was appointed. Eacf
house adjourned Saturday Afternoon
to meet at 1880 for q night hght-it'
out-to-a.fnish. The conference com
mittee majority report (as usual
there were two reports;) pointed Il
an exemption from taxation Of fran
chises. Perhaps that language is to'
strong. I win say that the majority
report was not exactly satisfactory t
those who are determined to tax fran
chises. The minority report wa
"fat-footed" in favor of such tax
alton.
The conference committee was
little late in formulating their report
Each house was in session. Ate
awhile the conference committee wa
ready to report. Before the repor
could be offered and before Senate
Major could move that the minorit,
: report be substituted for the majorit.
a report two distinguished men ap
t pesred in the Senate, walked dow
!, the center aisle, went behind the par
: tition which stands behind the presi
! dents chair, called to them two o
T three Senators Il have not yet learneI
3 their names), held q short consulta
tion, and in q minute q motion to ad
E jouFn was made and seconded, whicl
motion cut Major on from maxim
J. his intended motion. Who wer
i these two men7 Guess. Now, paus
and reflect q moment and you will SCI
quickly, readily easily, the subserv
iency Of the Senate to the lobby an
and Its treachery to the people.
The session was very nea its clos
& halliday more. A report Q