Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-02-12
the TAX. Law FIGHT.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRU'RY.l II, 1902.
{. .s><- the TAX: Law FIGHT W.T.: ).
The legislature: now convened In
extra session has . hard row to hoe.
At least it is hard for the republicans
who have an eye to the future and are
anxious to satisfy the people and at
the same time keep in the good grsces
of the corporations, whose power in
politics every skillful politician knows
full we'll. ~ W.
The legislature by it's act in creating
the tax commission, confessed that the
present tax system ia unjust and un-
satisfactory. BY adjourning early in
order to make way for an extra session
they further confessed that the necces-
sity for reform in thislin was so great
that it would not do to let the matter
go over till the next legislature met.
These Impressions cannot be explain
ed away. The people know that re-
form is needed and they want some
tangible results.
A commission consisting Of three
republicans high in the councils of
the party, was appointed. Thus the
party in power has no excuse for re-
pudiating the work of the commission
on party grounds. There were no re-
calcitrant democrats or ''crazy" pops
there to impede the work or force any
undesirable compromises. If they
evolved good tax system there was
only one party that could claim the
credit for it. Could the majority in
the Legislature ask for more favorable
circumstances for making q record
on which they could appeal to the
people?
But alas, it seems that the instruc-
tions to the commission were only
meant in q Plckwickian sense, while
the commission took them in earnest
and went to work to make a tax code
that would make all kinds OF. property
contribute to the expenses of state and
local government. It is true they
found constitutional limitations that
prevented them from going as far as
they wanted, but they recommended
that the present legislature Oh )uld 60
as far as possible, and then propose
constitutional amendments that, ii
adopted would enable the next legis:
lature to finish the work. In view oil
the urgent necessity for reform indi:
Gated by the action of the Legislature
it seems that this was the only con.
sistent course to follow.
But when the special interests, who
had hitherto escaped. taxation alto.
gether, saw that they were expected &c
fcontribute, and the rich tax dodgers
| SAW the drastic measures proposed
for making them tell the7struths abou,
their property, q sudden change came
over them, and this spell was so DO.
tent that it reached the corporation
organs that had previously been sc
anxious for tax reform. 1t seems nov
That there is absolutely no need Of
haste. They think we can get along
very we'll with the present system TO,
while. The thing to do now is tc
put the proposed tax code on ice, and
adopt the constitutional amendments.
Then if these amendments are ratified
by the people the next legislature car
adopt code to match. They figure
that under the provision of the con.
stitution requiring majority of all
the votes cast, in order to pass an
amendment there will, as usual, be
enough people forgetting to vote on
the amendment to defeat it. Then
there would be q good excuse for
dropping the whole matter. At any
rate it would tide over an election,
and an off year election at that. The
people might be fooled and the cor.
porations would be satisfied, and the
legislators would avoid making enc.
mics of either.
There is great number OF excuses
offered for putting the proposed code
to sleep. One of them is that it puts
q premium on perjury. The paper of.
fering this excuse seems to be labor.
ing under the impression that the rich
taxdodgers would rather commit per.
jury then pay taxes, and that there.
fore the community ought to save
them from the necessity sof committing
per Jury. This is q puerile excuse.
The man who is dishonest enough to
commit perjury to AVOID paying his
honest share of the taxes does not DE-
serve any consideration. The present
law requires q man to swear to his
statement Of taxable property; but it
does not contain any remedial meas.
ures and there is no such close super
vision to see that the law is enforced
as under the proposed law. If the
matter of listing property is to be lef,
to the sweet will of the. individual,
and Q tender regard for the liars is to
make it unnecessary for them to lie,
the whole system becomes farce and
ought to be abolished. II we are to
have personal property taxation the
law should be made IN such q way as
to guard the interests of the no mes i
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