Morris tribune., 1900-10-20

structed by the Republican party il
to them still incomprehensible, anC
their ignorant experiments, if not pre-
vented, may throw the machine out o
gear and work serious injury.
Lind Not the Author.
The Democratic state platform pro
ceeds to indorse what it terms Gov
Lind's proposition to the last legisla-
ture for tax reform, by which the cost
OF state government would be betrayed
| from corporate taxes only. Let me
draw your attention to the fact thaa
this proposition was not original with
Gov. Lind, by any means I find, or
page of the biennial report of this
Republican auditor of state, the Hon
! r. G. Dunn, which was laid before the
j legislature when it convened, in Jan,
uary, 1897, the following recommends
4 ton:
The modern tendency in taxation bs
/ states is to lessen the tax rate upon
realty and derive Increased revenue
from taxes upon corporations, inner
dtances, etc. This, it seems to me, is
! the proper time for our state to make
| an advance toward this system of
! taxation y
And, furthermore, Republican legis-
| latures have acted upon the state au-
d1tor's recommendation, by passing
laws imposing a tax upon inheritances
and foreign corporations. and there is
no doubt that before very long the cost
of state government will be entirely
betrayed by such taxes.
The Democratic state platform con-
cludes by demanding that ..the gross
earnings tax on railroad earnings be
increased to per cent, as recommend
ed by Gov. Lind to the last legisla-
ture."
Not Even Recommended by Lind.
AS matter of fact, Gov. Lind's mes
sage to the legislature of 1899 contains
no such recommendation; but I find OF,
page 20 of the state auditors report,
submitted to the legislature of 1885,,
several days in advance of the govern
or,S message, a recommendation that
the legislature Increase the gross
earnings tax to per cent It is true
that the governor recommended an in
crease in the tax, but he made no such
specific recommendation as is claimed
IN the Democratic platform No one
to-day denies that the plan of taxing
the gross earnings of railroads is the
best and most convenient that could
be devised. The Republican state
platform indorses the plan and urges
that the rate of such taxation be
maintained at such figure as to
make the tax annually collected from.
the railroads equal and uniform with
the taxes imposed on other property
throughout the state.
+ While On tIoic
let me draw your attention to another
matter which I would not be surprised
to hear had also been appropriated by
our Democratic friends. refer to the
Taxation of Mines and Mineral
Lands
in the northeastern part of the state.
Formerly this class of property es-
capped all other taxation by paying
state tax of cent per ton on the gross
output of the mines, and. the total.
of tax for any one year ranged
from $8,930.00, in 1891 to $24, 721.00, in
1895. In 1896 Attorney General Childs
furnished the state auditor with his
opinion, to the effect that the 1 cent
tax per ton was unconstitutional; and
all mines and mineral lands were,
therefore placed upon the assessment
rolls of the different counties, to be
assessed and taxed the same as the
property of other corporations and ir2
dividuals
Prior to that time the counties in
which the mines were situated had not
received a cent of taxes from this
and the burden of maintain
ing the county government, admins
OF 4
small property owner The legislature |
repealed the law providing for the 1 /
cent per ton tax, and in 1896, and since
hat year, the property of the mine
owners has been taxed upon an as
sessed valuation, like other property /
Each year the valuation has been in
,reased. and for this year. the amount
# taxes paid by the mine owners is
lbout $230,Q00.G0, and it must be rel
nemEered that nine-tenths of this tax
,oes into the treasury of the county in
which the property is situatedg the
tate receiving the other tenth. The I
esult is that the burden of taxation /
lpon the people has been decreased at
east one-half in the counties affect
d. I might also mention the fact that
Republican legislature gave to the
tate board of equalization the power
O. raise the individual assessments of
mining and other corporations, a pow
r which has aided greatly in the
quitable distribution of the burdens
f taxation.
Democratic Claim RidicuIous.
] may safely and truthfully say,
here is not and has not been a wise
nd benef1cent legislative or official
ct or recommendation in the interests
the taxpayers of the state that has
OF had its initiative with a Repub-
can Legislature or a Republican state IS
mciaL and as it has been ia the past,
ne people may reasonably expect it 3
i'll be in the future. For our political
pponents to lay claim at this time to
lie credit of initiating any of these
cts or recommendation is not only {
diculous but it is untruthful and dts 1t
onest The question of taxation has i
ways been given the deepest and | t
ost careful consideration by our Re-
Iblican legislatures, and if radical s
etion has not been taken as rapidly t
some may have desired, that is in
y opinion, an evidence of that care. i
il conservatism which should always (
J manifested in dealing with public G
lestions of the greatest Importance Isr
ash or hasty action is but too often r