The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-14
PLEAD FOR TAX BILL
LEN. CHILDS AND GOV. IVES WARM
LY DEFEND THEIR
MEASURE
THE OPPOSITION Is SELFISH
Auditor Dunn IndOrSes the Bill and
Points Out Its Good Features
Liberal Ideas on
Exemption.

Gen. H. w. Childs and former Lieut..
Gov. Ives, on behalf Of the tax commits
sion, yesterday completed their arguments
IN FAVOR of the enactment Of the proposed
tax code. Gen. Childs advised against
postponement of the bill until after the
people have had a chance to vote on the
constitutional amendments. He said the
people will be swayed by prejudice and
ignorance, and that he is not hopeful of
the required majority in ratification OF
the amendments if they are voted on at
the next general ELECTION. The constitu-
tfon was constantly held up by Gen.
Childs as the chief source Of the commits
sion's worriment and the cause of some
of the proposed enactments to which he
said the commission is not wholly COM
mitted. He said in part:
There is no substantial reason why cor
porations should not be treated exactly
IN the same manner as individuals, but
the members of the commission are not
wholly in favor of the proposed tax for
corporations. If we had been at liberty
SO to do, we might have proposed a gem
eral corporation license instead of the
general property tax.
"The attitude of the commission in re-
gard to the proposed constitutional
amendments does not seem to be clearly
understood. We had to frame law eff
fectiVe under the present constitution
That we considered our first duty and
its necessity urgent. We have comnleted
a work within the limitations set upon
us. The legislature is not given sufficient
leeway, but it is because the constitu-
ton is too rigorous. The law is wrong
but when we undertake innovati tons we
lind ourselves confronted with the most
warmly advocated policies. We did not
expect anything else. We must expect
many advances and retrogressions before
we get a good law. 1t takes time to
popu1arlze any tax law.
People Swayed by Ignorance.
Tn regard to tie proposed plan Of re-
ferlng the tax code back to the commits
sion for another year and letting the peo-
pie first pass on the proposed constitu-
tional amendments l am not hopeful that
the required majority will ratify any
proposition submitted by the legislature
at the next general election. The people
are SWayed by prejudice or ignorance and
will refrain from voting or vote against
the proposed amendments. We have no
assurance that the now apparent enthu-
siaSm over an income tax Will prevail.
The plan to put the bill over to the next
legislature means indefinite postponement
The next regular session will be over
loaded with general legislation. If you
do not enact tax laws there is no reason
to believe the next session will.
why is IT that the cry is SO vociferous
for indefinite poStponement? 1t is as
plain as the hand writing on the wall at
BelSE aZZar'S feast. 1t is because the bill
provides that all, the powerful and the
weak, must go up to Jerusalem and be
taxed alike. The future must work out
the problem, and it can best be done
through a permanent tax commission
The suggestion that the commission
does not approve of the code it has sub
mitted is untrue. Almost the last
words of its report spoken just before the
code was submitted to the governor, say
that the bill is wise, and that it meets
the requirements of the constitution.
MinneSota's opportunities are the same
as other states. We have never wanted
in opportunity, but in popular opinion.
Had the power I would assemble a. con-
But reform is not to be secured for the
asking. If the work is laid aside now,
when will it be resumed?
Ives Answers Objections.
Lieut. Gov Ives occupied the greater
part of the afternoon session of the tax
committee. The burden of his address
was to the effect that the people who are
objecting to the passage Of the code are
swayed by self-interest or the alarming
reports sent out by the opponents of the
bill. He insisted that the people know
nothing of the practical provisions of the
code, except as they have been misrep-
resented by the newspapers, and took a
hand in the theatening business himself
He did not threaten to move out Of the
state If the code is not passed, but said,
"If you don't pass this law the people
may find out what there is in it, and
that YOU have not performed your duty"
Gov. Ives said in part:
I'VE have worked long and faithfully
on this code, and we are interested In
it's passage. We understand how the
people have iIr the very short time since
the report was handed to the governor
received their information about it, and
how they know more about the bill than
we d. who worked nearly ten months on
it. 1t IS your duty to consider the petit
lions against the bill sent you, but it is
also your duty to consider how they are
secured. The people have not seen the
code. The discussion for the most part
carried on by the daily papers has gen
orally been against the code. Statements
sent out by various interests are loaded
up with scare lines, and the people are
beginning to think there is something
wrong with the law. The question has
not been fairly put.
1.-THE code does not propose an fnquis-
itor similar to the Ohio system. There
is no change from the constitution touch
ing the farmers taxes. There is no
change for the merchant. The law con-