The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-03
WHAT OTHAR PEOPLE THINK
oualihcations for.sthe Legislature.

=. Aucl W dSSlSt c1C1ZenS VINO udsS Nv
time for investigation, to decide wisely
for whom to-, cast their votes at the
approaching primary election. To that
END, and for the purpose of starting
such q discussion, will you please pub
llsh this communication?
L notice that in the forty-third dis
trlct no democrat has fled for the sem
the voters must nominate either Ed
ward r. Smith, the present incumbent,
or Carl l.. Wallace, who desires to sue
ceed him, and must elect the success
full nominee, no matter how unfit he
may. be-. It., therefore, becomes very
pertinent to inquire what has Senator
Smith done for the people Of his dis
resented them in the senate and: the
four years he was in the lower house
before he became senator7 Has he
SO represented the people as to Justify
MS return by them as their. faithful
servant, tried and true, or should he
be elected to stay at home9 Let his
acts, as recorded in the journals Of
House lie sp No. SO. session. s any Of " ieos.
was a bill to divide the forty-third
district so as to give the country a
representative by itself. 1t passed the
house and went into the senate March
26. The senate referred it to the Hen
nepln delegation, which turned it over
to Senator Smith. It remained in his
possession until the end Of the session.
On May 80, 1906, in an interview in
clared himself in favor of setting off
the country section of Hennepin county
as separate senatorial district. Will
Senator Smith explain his conversion
and why he would be willing to have
the country portion Of his district set
Off by itself, unless it be that he does
not want to submit his chances of cleo
ton to the country votes. =,
' Senate file No. 81 was an anti-pass
and 2-cent fare bill. The railroad
committee reported it March "a for
indefinite postponement. The minority
report Of that committee favored pla-
cling the bill on general orders. A mo-
tlon to adopt the minority report was
lost, 81 to "a, Senator Smith voting no.
) House file 1858 provided for taxation
OF the franchises of pub lic-service cor
sion. 1t passed the house and was re-
ported in the senate March 90 and re-
ferred to the committee on taxes and
tax laws, of which Senator Smith was
chairman. April IA Senator Rieke
moved that the bill be recalled from
the committee, no report having been
made, and placed on general orders.
The, motion was lost, l6 to 20, Senator
Smith voting no. -
House file 674 provided for the taxa
ton of freight-line companies on 4
per cent gross earnings basis This bill
was passed by the house and sent to
the senate April s., 1905, and referred
to the same committee. on taxes and
tax laws, of which Senator Smith was
chairman. No report was ever made
on this. bill and the freight lines are
I Still practically untayad
House file !6S9 was a bill providing
for the taxation Of sleeping-car"compa
MES at the rate of l per cent on such
proportion of their capital stock as is
represented by the business done in
Minnesota. This bill passed the house
and was reported in the senate April
l3 and referred to Senator Smith s
report was ever made on this bill.
= House file 1856 provided for per
cent tax on the gross earnings of ex-
press companies. This was passed in
the house and reported in the senate
April IS, and referred to the same COM
mittee on taxes and tax laws, of which
Senator Smith was chairman, and the
bill met its death like the others.
In 1903 the house passed bill au-
| thorlzlng the submission to a vote Of
the people Of an amendment to the con-
stitution similar to the one to be voted
| on at the next election, the purpose
of which was to confer authority upon
the legislature to enact laws to equalize
the burdens Of taxation and to compel
| corporations to pay their fair and equal
portion of the taxes. This bill was
reported to the senate and referred to
| Senator Smith s committee on taxation,
| which reported it with an amendment
to the effect that the law should not
tax anything which has not an actual
cash value. This amendment killed the
object. Many good lawyers are of the
opinion that the purpose and effect Of
the amendment was to exempt fran
chises from taxation, as they are the
only very valuable things which have
not an actual cash value. | have no
doubt that the voters Of the forty third
district would like to have Senator
Smith s opinion as a lawyer upon this
proposition.
Can anyone suggest any reason why
these bills, if enacted into laws, would
not largely benefit the people and quite
materially equalize their burdens with
those of corporate wealth. Does a SEN
ator who always casts his votes in the
interest of public service corporations
represent them or the people7 In such
cases, does not he in fact misrepresent
the .people9 In these days when the
people are demanding a return Of their
birthrights and are forced to fight
against further encroachments upon
their rights by incorporated greed, is
a representative with such q record,
and who makes politics profession, q
suitab BILE man to demand and work for
the rights Of the masses9 In his politi-
cal-care of twelve years, who ever
heard of Senator Smith asnonsino tho
people s cause in the legislature, when
opposed to corporate interestsP
Now, Mr.. Editor, it seems to me that
it is up to Senator Smith to explain
his. record and show to the voters of
his district that he has represented
their interests in the past, and not
merely promise that he will in the
future. His record was publicly ex-
posed in the eighth ward a few weeks
ago by James A. Peterson in public
speech. Altho this speech was widely
advertised, Senator Smith did not at
tend the meeting, and l am not ad-
vised that he has ever attempted to
refute or explain his record as there
promulgated. Will the voters support
a candidate who cannot or will not
Justify his stewardship. but who seeks
his nomination and election by the
gumshoe methods so well known to
professional politicians9 If so, then in
deed will popular government become
dismal failure, and the people will
become the slaves of organized capital,
and we may as well return to the days
of barons and serfs in the feudal ages.
In behalf of the voters of the forty
third district, I call upon Senator Smith
to rise and explain. and 7 hope that the
columns of your journal will be open
- b;,o that T1o1rnosn