The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-17
REPUBLICANS TRYING TO JUST.
Fly THE a PER CENT GROSS
EARNINGS BILL
CHILDS DENIES HE HAD
ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT
Expert Accountant Employed to As
certain How Great an Increase in
Revenue State Would Realize From
Railroads Under the Jacobson Law
Lac qui ParIe Statesman Still Re-
mains Silent.

There was nothing doing" around
Republican state central committee
headquarters yesterday on the gross
earnings tax discussion.
John F. Jacobson had not been heard
from on the matter, or if he had, his
statement was not given out for publ
cation.
Judge Jamison was away, "out on his
farm" Secretary Wheelock said, "to
get in his crop of potatoes, as his hired
man had quit without giving any no
tice."
Capt. Whitney and Charley Mitchell
were busy preparing a statement which
will be issued later from the Repub-
lican press bureau relating how the
committee has been unable to get any
money for campaign purposes from the
railroads, and consequently every cit
izen should vote for Van SAINT.
Public Examiner Johnson is with
Gov. Van SAINT making a swing around
the southern part of the state and the
figures from his Office, which Judge
Jamison stated would show how the
state was to become suddenly wealthy
Under the operation of the per cent
gross earnings tax, were not to be had.
Report Must Show Something.
Accountant E. III. McGrew, who was
imported from Chicago four months
ago, at salary of $40 per day, to figure
out how many million dollars the state
would get under the Jacobson law, was
locked up in a room doing statistics.
McGrew expects to have some kind of
q DIV tot ioI,
is to be issued by Charley Mitchell
showing that the railroads are in a
conspiracy to kill off President Roose-
welt politically by turning down Van
Sant.
The statements made by prominent
Republicans Wednesday and taken UP
by the party organs to the effect that
the proposed gross earnings bill was an
exact copy Of the one drafted and pre-
scented by Gov. Lind in the session of
1899, were killed by the publication in
T h e Globe yesterday Of extracts
from the journal of the house of the
1899 session and the Jacobson bill as
passed at the session of 1901.
Former Attorney General Childs, who
was quoted Wednesday as having been
concerned in the draft of the Jacob
son bill defining the manner in which
interstate business is to be taxed, de-
MED the impeachment yesterday.
ChiIds Denies 1t.
cit was drafted after had retired
from the Office" said Gen. Childs, land
you might say had nothing to do with
it. I did have a talk with Attorney
General Douglas, in an informal way,
but had little, if anything, to do with
the framing Of the language of the bill
as it was passed"
The editorial in a local Republican
organ yesterday admitting the truth Of
the statements made in r he GIL b e
as to the decrease Of the state revenues
under the proposed 4 per cent gross
earnings law took away the last prop
from the administration shouters, and
caused a sudden slump in the talk
about the great benefits which would
accrue to the state.
The discussion of the proposed law
has brought out the fact that there is
friction between the members of the
railroad and warehouse commission
and Gov. Van SAINT.
The split between the commission
and the chief executive of the state
was Widened by the governor agreeing
to the employment Of an expert in the
Office of the public examiner to Sc
cure railroad statistics, instead Of call
ing upon the commission expert to do
the work.
The pamphlet issued by the Repub-
lican state central committee, with pic
lures of Gov. Van SAINT and President
Roosevelt, quoting extracts from the
more noted speeches of these states
men, urges the voters to mark their
ballots for the adoption of the consti-
tutional amendment cutting out the
state highway commission.
This is a direct blow at the system
of good roads throughout the state
which had been advocated by those
interested in the making of improved
highways.
Attorney General Douglas, at a meet
ing Of the good roads convention held
at the fair grounds last September,
delivered an address in which he said
the adoption Of the proposed amend
ment this fall would be serious blow
to the work of good roads in Mime
sofa, and he called upon the voters
to see that it was voted down.
According to the statements made
by the attorney general, the amend
ment, if carried, would result in the
cutting out OF the state highway COM
mission, and put the plan of good
roads back in the hands of members
of the legislature. The result, the at
torney general stated, would be to give
the members of the legislature the
control Of all money raised, and it
would be parceled out to the counties
where the representatives had the
greatest pull without regard to the
practical results of good roads sys-
TEN.
The campaign book of the Repub-
lican state central committee says:
"All the money raised under the pres
ent law is to be expended under the
direction of state commission. This,
as can be seen, is cumbersome and
intricate. The proposed amendment
means that whatever fund is raised it
is to be appropriated without restric-
lions by the legislature, and the state
commission is cut out"
Since Attorney General Douglas took
the stump for Van SAINT he made one
or two speeches, in which he expressed
his views on the bad results which
would follow the adoption of the pro-
posed amendment. His views were so
opposite from those expressed in the
Republican guide book that he was
called off, and when called upon to ex-
plain the correct method of voting for
the constitutional amendment he
ducks" the one regarding the road
and bridge fund amendment
Like the Back of Hack, Too.
The Saturday Evening Post, in
speaking of Gov. Van SAINT, says:
Gov. Samuel r. Van SAINT, Of Mime
sofa, is built on steamboat lines. In
physique, intellect and sympathies he
is as broad of beam as one of his own
boats"
Quialey Opens Headquarters.
Michael Quigley, the Democratic
candidate for sheriff, has opened
headquarters in Rooms 80 and 80,
Court block. L. N. Aune is in charge
of the headquarters.
Democratic Mass Meeting.
A Democratic mass meeting will be
held Saturday evening at st. Demands