The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-05
TAXLAW is NOT JUST
SO SAY SENATOR JULIUS COLLIER
AND OTHER LEGIs.
49, LATORs IR@E
THE OPPOSITION Is ACTIVE
Six Hundred Hennepin County BusI-
ness Men Sign Petition Urging
Legislature to Defer
Action.

Speaker M. J. Bowling may be right
when he says there is very little actual
opposition to the tax BILL but the exc
pressions Of the members Of the legis-
lature yesterday did not bear out his
view Of the matter. The opposition to
the proposed law seems very determined
and very active, and 1T is very general
Just as it stands the bill cannot pos
slbly pass" said Senator julius Collier,
OF scout county, yesterday. cit is not
as good nor as equitable a law as the
one we now have, and it will have to be
materially amended before it can pass.
The opposition to the law is not from the
Jobbers Of the city alone, but from the
farmers and small dealers in the country
districts as well. I have heard some
very stringent criticisms made by farm
ers in my district"
Senator Collier says the board Of control
Dill Will surely be brought up at the
extra session.
A well known Republican senator said
yesterday: Il am opposed to the tax
law both as citizen and as Republi-
can. AS q citizen, because it will be a
dow 10 the state; and as a Republican
because If the bill passes as it now
stands it will defeat the Republican
party"
senator Hitler Horton, Of st. Paul, says
nave every respect for the members
OF lne commission, but they have made
a mistake when they set their Judgment
up as lnfallible. They say that the bill
must go through as it stands, or it's SYM
meCry. and equilibrium will be spoiled.
gut OF the Difference to<the superior wis
dom OF the commission, l will agree to
support the bill as it stands, but Just as
soon as 1t is amended l will fight 1t to
a finish. What is the use of passing it if
Its symmetry is spoiled?
Seriously, think the commission might
nave done better than to copy the law Of
Indiana. Any law student could have
done that. Why didn't they, if they must
copy the laws of other states, use those
OF New York Massachusetts Michigan
or some other progressive and prosperous
states Why copy the drastic in
qu1SltOrIal laws of Indiana?
Governor Is Criticised.
Senator. Horizons criticism did not stop
with the tax commission. He said:
l suppose the governor will ask for
money IN to pay his attorneys. Well, I am
IN FAVOR Of paying them. When such an
array OF legal talent takes two weeks of
Tune to go to Washington and file a.
paper which could just as well have been
sent by mail, l think they ought to be
paid for their time.
There is no need, anyway, for all this
fuss at Washington. That suit should
nave nave been brought in Minnesota. The
an injunction against the secretary
Of state, to restrain him from accepting
the articles of the Northern Securities
company for filing in Minnesota. That
would have made the company an out
law IN Minnesota, and how long would
it last under such a status? 1t would
have to come. into the state sooner or
later to do business, and if debarred from
the state, it would no longer have stand
ing in the financial world.
Secretary L. A. Rosing, of the Demo-
cratic state central committee, favors the
biHesIFe says;
/ regard the. tax bill as on the whole
an exceilent measure. The three able
gentlemen who drew it have evidently
been free from the pressure of outside
influence. / think, however that if it's
QraStlc FEATURES are enforced as intended
1t Will bring the people of the state
around to favor abolishing tax on per-
sonal property altogether.
tnlnk the Democratic members of the
legislature are approaching this question
in high-minded way. If the bin fails
BILE. n ''''''i-
The Hennepin county opposition to the
bill took definite shape yesterday when
the following. petition was sent to the
Hennepin county delegation in both house
and senate:
The undersigned agree with the final
conclusion Of the tax commission that
the amendment of the tax provisions
OF the constitution for the reasons urged
in this report, should be early effected.
In their present form they are an in
superable obstacle to proper legislation.
Until the constitution is amended we
believe it unwise to experiment with
new and confessedIy imperfect system
of taxation. We also think that the peo-
pie should have more time in which to
study and understand the provisions of
the proposed law. We therefore respect
fully request that you use your efforts
to defer action upon the proposed tax law
until the next regular session of the
legislature.
This petition is signed by over 600 lead
ing merchants, business men, lawyers,
laboring men and commission men