Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1902-09-12


sImply a. add tIon1I step IS tie evolu.
tion.
sREMEplEs FoR TAX =EvILs MUsr
eE scoNsERv1ATtv q APPLIED.
81 The question sc Importance rs taxa.
ton. This has been the subject Of con.
slant agitation since the foundation sc
I organized society and will continue to
be In the future. It should be ap-
preached In conservative spirit, cur
Ing the immediate evils and attempt.
Ing to make constant progress. So.
cfety does not advance by leaps and
bounds. Questions of this kind can
not be settled by abstract reasoning.
There is an element which enters into
all economic questions that it is hard
to reckon with, and that is human ma
ture. There are so many interests to
be taken into consideration, so many
selfish motives to be met, that the SAT
est plan, it seems to me, would be to
make our advances slowly but surely.
For the past six years the Democrats
Of this state have had a plan for cor.
recting the most glazing evils of our
present tax system, and if the legisla-
ture of 1901 had not been blinded by
partisan prejudice and the desire to
make political capital, rather than to
legislate for the interests of the people,
there could have been no possible ex-
cuse for calling the extra session of
the legislature. ~
The legislature of 1901 authorized
the appointment of a commission
which should present to special ses-
sion the following year complete re-
vision Of our tax laws. The system
formulated by that commission met
with so much opposition and. was so
radical in many of it's features that it
could not receive the approval of the
representatives of the people. The
minority members Of the legislature
presented Il complete programme, in
harmony with Democratic ideas. That
programme our party platform in
dorses, and by it am willing to stand.
1t provided for amendments of orr
present law, the effect of which would
have been to eliminate its. most glar-
ing wrongs and inconsistencies, and it
also provided for simple amendment
of the constitution which would permit
the imposition of state income tax
and the exemption Of such property az
equality G" taxation. It is still true that
our state is exactirg taxes on the little
stocks. tools, implements-tha means
of subsistence-of numbers Of our cit
liens whc are struggling to support
themselves and their families, while
thousands who possess great wealth
escape.
DEMOCRATIC lNsisTENcE
FORCED TAX LEGISLATION.
BY Democratic insistence, the legis-
latuTe Of Minnesota was compel!ad to
pass a bill Tor the increase of the rail-
read GROSS earnings tax, and to sub
NIT that question to vote of the peo-
PIE of the state this fall. So much of
me programme outlined has been ac-
vomplished. The foreign corporations
are still untaxed and do not contribute
to the support OF the state governm ent.
which grants them the right to Go bust
ness, and whose courts of justice they
invoke to enforce their claims and pro
tect their property. That simnle
amendment to section 1890 of the zen
eral statutes of 1894, providing 70" the
taxation of franchises, cid not receive
the approval of the ma iority members
Of the legislature. although this Law
had been submitted to them at tvo SEES
sions. - ~
The difficulty Of ,react '1g invisible
personal property, has convinced our
best thinkers that the only adequate
way Of forcing the persons whose
wealth consists largely of this class of
property to bear their Just share Of the
burden is by means OF the. income tax.
With the adoption of. a 4 per cent
gross earnings tax, a tax on foreign
corporations and domestic franchises,
and the imposition of an income tax
upon the class of persons who escape
taxation almost wholly, the taxes of
the state would be reduced to so small
a percentage that they would hardly
be felt by the people.
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
- HAS PROVED PRACTICABLE.
The Democratic platform declares
that we favor the municipal ownership
OF public service corporations. The
cities and towns of the state, as a rule,
own and operate their waterworks, and
in every instance with better results
than where that ownership is private.
Numerous towns and villages own
their own electric light plants, and
have secured better service at LOVER
rates than under the old system. An
investigation of the subject proves
that in great majority of instances
this public ownership is perfectly sat-
isfactory and public thought is rapidly
advancing along these lines. The mu-
LIBERALIZATION of all lighting plants and
other public utilities, such as street
car systems and telephone lines, will
be issues of the not distant future.
How far this process of state owner.
ship shall be carried and how rapidly
the changes shall be made, only time
and experience will demonstrate. - -
+ The principle of direct legislation is
so thoroughly Democratic and Repub-
ncan that there should be no difference
of opinion in regard to it's desirability.
Why should not the people retain the
power to annul Objectionable action on
the part of those Representatives or to
enforce action along certain desired
lines. if majority is in favor thereof?
With this power in the hands If +ho