The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-10
HIS NO FRTENnS

The visible effect thus far of Gov. Van
SAINTS determination to fix up his politi-
cal fences at the expense Of the state
is at once instructive and entertaining.
The demand for tax revision along
the lines laid down by the commission
has not been sustained by any over
pcwering representation of citizens. IN
deed, thus far there has not been heard
an intelligent argument either in the leg
islature or out in favor of the adoption.
even in amended form, Of the measure.
The advocacy which it has found among
the members of the legislature has been
quite as effective as the opposition de-
velOped to it, in the direction of estab-
fishing the danger line of even it's serious
consideration
1t is eminently proper that the distin-
guished members of the commission
should be invited by the law-raaking
power, as they have been invited in their
character as private citizens, to offer
any additional apologies they may think
F~SH0A AOA ILC IL OAIS VI IItSlE WOfR, ana,
if they can, to give some affirmative ar
guments in favor Of its adoption. Up
to the present, and, indeed, from the
beginning, they have occupied the po-
sition Of having their work go to lne
lawmakers with some DETACHMENT. Gov.
Van SAINT, as Th Globe has already
pointed out, was not able to offer a
single affirmative argument in favor Of
the scheme, and found it necessary. in
order to secure it hearing at all to
lop off certain Of it's offensive provisions.
But the scheme remains, in the form in
which it was presented to him, as full OF
danger as any device that could have
been adopted, to the material interests
of the state and it's people.
The good sense of those who were at
the beginning even the most advanced
friends of the movement has led them
almost entirely to turn to the plan Of
securing a constitutional convention as
a preliminary to the consideration of the
commissions scheme. 1t is good many
years since the Democratic state conven-
ton urged on the people the advisabilfty
of calling a convention for revision of
the state constitution. That demand has
grown more insstent every day since
That instrument in its present form is
the product of years of tinkering. IT en-
bodies provisions which are even ridicu-
lous, having been rendered so by the
lapse of time and the progress Of IDEAS.
An instrument, for instance, which leaves
the question Of the location of the state
capitol in the position which it occupies
while, as a matter of fact, the state cap
itol is located, and has long been, for all
time, ought to have some intelligent
workmanship expended on It.
The easiest way in which the members
of the legislature can avail themselves
of those provisions Of the proposed tax
code which are entitled to adoption-and
it contains not few separate provisions
which might be adopted with advantage
is to defer action on it until the con-
stitution has been amended in such way
as to enable a comprehensive and just
scheme of levying and enforcing tax pay
ment to be adopted.
The further work Of the legislature on
this extraordinary document will be eff
fective at least in making plain to the
| people Of the state how, through the alb
sence of any intelligent provision either
in the laws or the constitution for
the calling OF extra sessions Of the Iegis-
lature, any politician in the executive
chair may utilize the power of calling
such session exclusively for his own
personal political ends.