The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-02
THAT "GROss EARNINGS BILL"


Among other things with which
Gov. Lind attempts to bolster up his
fast failing political fortunes, is an
endeavor to show that he and his
fusion hosts are the great and only
friends of the people, and that the Re
publicans are against the people and in
with the railroads and in support of
this claim he brings up the bill for the
increase of the gross earnings tax on
railroads, and claims that its defeat
by Republican senate is proof of his
claim. Now there are several little
things in connection with this measure
which Gov. Lind forgets to mention.
In the first place there were several
fusion senators who voted against the
bill, and among these was Senator
Schaller, who is now running for con-
gress in the third district, and who is
actively supported by Gov. Lind.
Had Mr.. Schaller voted for it the bill
would have passed. The governor does
not condemn him for his vote but says
he is good man for congress, a
friend of the people, and will carefully
represent them there. Now if he
would carefully represent the people
in congress, it is to be supposed that
he carefully represented them in the
legislature, and that when he voted
against the gross earnings bill, he
also carefully represented the people
But how is it that in voting AGAINST
the bill, he represented the people.
while a Republican senator voting
against it misrepresented the people
Will Gov. Lind kindly explain?
Now as to the bill itself There is
another side to it which Gov. Lind
and the fusion orators fail for some
reason best known to themselves to
refer to. This is so well set forth in
an article in the st. Peter Free Press,
that we herewith reproduce it;
A good deal of fuss is made by
Democratic speakers about the failure
of a Republican state senate to pass
the gross earnings text bill raising the
tax from three to four per cent and
Gov. Lind takes great pains to make
it appear that the measure was de-
feated by the pocket book argument
and the chairman of the Judiciary
committee, a Republican, a principal
in this foul deal Unfortunately fol-
the Democratic orators there is an
other side to the story and one which
not only neutralizes the good points
claimed for the bill, but really en-
dangers the whole gross earnings tax
system. 1t is true the bill was defeat
ed because it was pronounced uncon-
stitutionA by the judiciary committee.
not on account of the increase of the
tax itself, but because of another pro-
vision contained in the bill leaving il
optional with the railroad Companies
to either accept four per cent gross
earnings tax or have their property
taxed the same as any other property.
and this feature of the bill must be
taken into consideration to get at a
fair conclusion in the premises. Bu
for some reason this is studiously
avoided and it is reasonably safe TO
state that the existence of a direct
taxation clause in the bill has never
been brought to the attention of the
voters by Democratic speakers during
the present campaign. Now as a
matter of fact both parties favor the
proposed increase to four per cent.
and if bill had been introduced with
only that object in view it would have
passed almost unanimously, but people
radically disagree when it comes to a
proposition that threatens to wipe out
a system so satisfactory as that pro-