The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-26
The TAX BILLS DEFEAT.

There are two ways of looking at the
breakdown Of tax legislation in the pres
ent extraordinary session Of the legisla-
ture after it was begun in the last regu-
lar session with such a flourish OF trump
cts; the way of the business man and the
way Of the party man. The average bust
ness man is a conservative, often a bour-
bon conservative in respect to every kind
of legislation that has a bearing on bust
ness. He breads the dangers he knows
not whereof. He has become accustomed
to doing business under prevailing tax
laws and, on the whole, they are fairly
satisfactory to him or, if they are not
satisfactory, he is afraid that he may ex-
change them for something worse. AS an
academic question he may take ground in
favor Of tax reform; when it comes to be
question of action he is likely to be
content with that timehOnOred maxim OF
conservatism. LET we'll enough alone. "
If questions Of tax reform, or other ques-
lions, were to be settled in the end by the
men who are getting along fairly we'll we
would be as unprogressive as China,
wisdom were climbed generations ago.
Reform proceeds from discomfort. 1t is
mot surprising, therefore, to find that a
large portion of the business community,
in fact the largest portion Of it, smiled
cOntentedly when it learned that the tax
bill had been beaten. Added to these are
the business men who were emphatically
opposed to legislation and exerted them
selve against it. On the whole, from the
business point of view, there will be few
tears shed on account of the failure Of
the tax bill. We may go farther and say
that citizens generally are not painfully
shocked by the defeat of the bill
From the party point Of view the pros
pect is not so placid and comfortable. A
year ago everybody, mostly, was in favor
Of tax reform. Republicans felt that it
offered an opportunity for the party to do
something and accumulate capital of
accomplishment. 1t was admitted on all
sides that there was pressing need of a
revision and codifcation of the tax stat
utes. 1t was the vision Of the hour that
an able commission would draft model
code and that it would be quickly enacted
into law at a special session. The COM
mission was especially Instructed to sub
init complete code for the taxation of
all forms of property, both tangible and
intangible. The commission proceeds to
do as it was told, the legislature meets in
special session, finds that it didn't really
want the commission to do what it told
1t to do, amends the bill as to it's ma
ch1nery so that the taxation of intan gible
property shall remain farce, as it now
Is, develops strong opposition to any
change at all in taxation; and, finally,
yesterday, defeated the patchwork bill
that was amended to please everybody
and succeeded in pleasing nobody, includ-
Ing a number of consistent gentlemen
who pledged themselves to support bill
so amended. Thus does pretty dream
come to naught.
We may now expect a hard. though
possibly secret fight on the constitutional
amendments which the enemies of legis-
lation have used as a stalking horse
whereby to get within deadly range of
the game they wanted first. Their taste
for blood being whetted they may now
take the horse for game. Many of those
who have talked longest and loudest
. about the amendments being the real
thing are really opposed to them as
much as they were to the tax bill.
But as a matter of fact the amendments.
If there is hope of getting the people to
accept them, are the real thing. If they
are passed now by the legislature and
adopted by the people next fall we can
afford to smile at the time and money
wasted SO far in doing nothing The ac-
tion of the legislature on the amendments
will be the real test of the zeal for true
tax reform so ostentatiously protested by
many of it's members. The only true
course before the legislature now is, to
adopt comprehensive constitutional
amendments, amendments that will
amount to something. Half way meas