The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-23
An Unfortunate Lapse.

The republican state convention
failed to indorse or even mention the
per cent gross earnings bill, which
comes up for popular vote at the
November election
The gross earnings bill is vital IS
sue in this state, and will be till It
becomes law. 1t has engaged a good
share of public attention for five years.
In 1899 it was defeated by railroad
lobby on the plea Of "unconst1tutlon-
atty In 1901 it was fought thru
the legislature by main strength and
a bribery scandal. Submitted to the
people, it failed at the 1902 election,
along with other amendments, because
so many citizens neglected to vote on
these questions.
There was no doubt about the att1-
tude of the party that year. The state
platform contained a declaration say
ing:
1--WE pledge our party to support the
| proposed amendment increasing the
gross earnings tax of railroads to 4
| per cent"
That pledge was carried out in the
campaign speeches and the literature
of the party. The vote for the amend
ment was almost unanimous, as far
as it went, but it was not heavy
enough to carry the bill thru.
Another bill was passed at the ses-
sion of 1908, by unanimous vote of
both houses, and submitted to popular
vote, as the constitution requires.
There is no fight against the bill
Everybody is for it, apparently. The
hope of the railroad corporations this
year, as it was two years ago, is thai
apathy will prevail and that voters
will neglect to mark their ballots or
! this important question.
The only way to pass the bill i
to stir up the people. It is the duty O
both political parties to agitate, ant
4 impress on the people that it is ques
4 ton of over 100000 year in taxes
4 to be gained from the railroads, which
4 have been escaping their fair share o
h the taxation burden.
So it is unfortunate, to put it mildly
u that the republican platform does no
contain declaration for the bill.
Practically all the planks fnall
adopted were drawn by a federal Off
e cial who was not a member Of tn
e committee, and whose chief concer
n was the Endorsement of the senator
h for reelection. He did not preten
j. to submit finished work to the pla
IS form committee, which had the docl
n ment in it's hands for two days. witt
. tho for fiji
20 Their declaration on state issues. M
,e Dunn, who had promised to stand G
=, any platform the convention shou
"a adopt, did not display enough intere
"a in the document to make any sugge
. tons or changes. The only chant
rs suggested by the chairman of tt
!, committee, one of Mr.. Dunn's su
- porters, was the elimination Of tt
antimerger plank, but this was
~ little too bold a move to succeed.
80 Outside Of the Endorsement Of t.
~ senators and Of the state administr
eo ton, the platform is almost barr
- of state issues. It indorses the#go
7'' roads movement, the eight-hour
lie and the union label, and deman
'uI "euual taxation but fails to say ar
e. thing about the only important eql
CT taxation measure now before
'iS public in this state.
ere Newspapers and campaign speak
d must redouble their efforts to get {
TO the vote on the gross earnings b
ort to make up for this omission by
party convention. After all the ye
till Of agitation, and after the narr
to escape of two years ago, the
eat should not be allowed to fail at t
aks alection