Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1908-04-30
$3,92O,OOO.OO
TAX STEAL
CraWiord's Violating Of Ills Pledge
Was an Endorsement Of tho
$3.50, 10000 Tax steal

VI insurgency mas dc1gneQ 10 notice {
point brought out In the Indictment
recently issued against Mr.. Crawford
by the Roosevelt-Taft State League
Although the document was sent
broadcast over the state about month
ago. this is the first time that the
subsidized organ has mentioned 1t.
| 1t is really astonishing what a little
incident will constitute the voice OF
the people" when politician who has
| betrayed his constituents and has sold
his birthright for mess of pottage
is listening for some sort of an ex.
cuse with which to ease his con.
| science.
Replying to the charge that Mr.,
Crawford changed front with regard
| 70 the grOSS-eaTnings law, the Sioux
| Falls Press affects to think that II
| Is ceditable to him that he did SO.
and Ii endorses his explanation y
which was as follows:
Il vote for this bill ON the ground
that since voting before I have re-
ceiyed communication from people
OF my district requesting that / vote
Tor this bill. That feature Of the
bin relating to the exempting Of all
the lands OF any railroad company
paying under the gross-earnings sys-
Judgment, but / do not desire to set
up my Judgment against the only ex-
preston | have from my district on
this subject"
Mr. Crawford's change of front is
commended ON the ground thot he
was needing the voice Of the peo-
ple, but what are the facts?
The grOSS-earnings law was enact
ed in 1883. The railroad interests ex-
pended fully 100000 in spersuading'
the legislature that such law was
righteous one, and it seems to have
done the business.
This law was odious to the people.
The Northern Pacific railroad was a
gigantic corporation. 1t owned every
alternate section OF land within a
strip forty miles wide across the ter
ritory of Dakota. 1t objected to
paying taxes on this land. and so it
patched up the gToss-earnings pro
position WHICH EXEMPTED ITS
FfiOM TAXATION.
Honest Abe" Van Osdel, sharing
the feeling against the imposition, in
troduced bill In 1885 to repeal the
grOss-earnings law, but it failed of
pas sage Another bill was introduc-
ed two years later, and it passed the
lower branch of the legislature, but
was stolen before it reached the up
per branch.
This brazen course of the represen-
tatives of the railroad companies
aroused public indignation and every
where In the territory the failure of
the legislature to repeal the gross
earnings law was denounced. The
following year (188S) Mr.. Crawford
was nominated for the council. The
people of his district had taken quite
an interest In the railroad laws, and,
with their minds directly on the
gross-earnings law, the members of
the convention which nominated Mr..
Crawford adopted the following reso-
luton:
Resolved. That all classes Of prop
erty in the territory should bear
equal share of taxation"
There was not the least doubt
about what that resolution meant. 1t
was direct blow at the gross-earn-
ings law, and was SO accepted. THE
LEGISLATURES WHICH CONVENED
THE FOLLOWING JANUARY RE
PEALED THAT Law BY UNANI-
NOUS VOTE.
But the railroads at once got busy.
Their high-priced lobbyists vera
hastened to Bismarck Excitement
ran high. A junketing trip was pro-
vlded for the members. Reports of
bribery and treachery and selling
out" and violating pledges were rife.
For days the tension was at a high
pitch: The columns Of the daily press
were teemfng with reports OF plots
and counter-plots.
The fight against the re-enactment
q the law was fierce. Crawford
w0bbled frst onel way and then the
him. Mr.. Crawford himself and those
who got" him know how It was done.
AS means Of easing his consci-
ence, II Is said that Colonel Bu]lard
VINO then represented the railroe&
interests In Mr.. Crawford'a District.
petitioned" Mr. Crawford during the
thick Of the tight to change front.
hence the explanation" which Mr..
pr0vingly quoted by his Sioux Falls
WHAF DID THE REENAcTMENr
oE THE GR0GHEARNINGS Law
~ mEAM! Veil tell you IA = few words.
lI MEANT THAT a STRIP or
LAND EQUIVALENT TO A CON- /
PACT AREA TWENTY MILES WIDE
AND AM PRACTICALLY THREE HUN
BELONGING no TIM 1 RAIL iS1Si
COMPANY. WAS EXEMPTED FROM
TAXATION-AN AREA AS LARGE
AS NEW JERSEY AND LARGER
xhAM DELAWARE AND RHODE
ISLAND COMBINED. This tracf /
contained about 4.480, 900 acrea
G g s ~ THOUSAND SQUARE
sss oc ssrs q v aHffoN yoS %oR SS
T8AN YHH TOTAL. HATT.RflAn A "a