The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-10-21
FOOLISH VOTING.

the vote on the constitutional amend
ments two years ago. These are not
questions of republicanism or demo-
cracy, as they affect all alike, and
are fully as important as the gov
ernorship itself.
Two years ago two important con-
stitutional amendments were voted
on at the general election.
LIST. The tax amendment.
I'd. Establishing state road and
bridge fund.
Sd. To allow persons to peddle
farm produce in villages.
By far the most important of these
amendments was the tax amend
ment, yet strange to say, it was
largely ignored, while the amend
ment for the peddling of farm pro-
duce carried overwhelmingly. 1t is
very doubtful whether there is a
village in this county which requires
a license to do such peddling, and if
no such license was required the
amendment was useless, as in that
case all persons had such right. It
is doubtful whether there are a doz-
en- persons in Redwood county who
will be benefited in the least by this
amendment, as very few villages in
the state will adopt the suicidal pol
icy of shutting out farm produce.
Yet the vote for it was overwhelm-
ing, while the more important tax
amendment, which meant dollars in
the pocket of every farmer and tax
payer, was largely lost sight of; yet
none will dispute but what our taxes
are in most abominable shape.
Ever since its adoption our con-
stitutionhasprovided that "all taxes
are to be levied on valuation.
AS long as the industries of the state
were principally of an agricultural
nature this was probably all right.
But our state is no longer entirely
agricultural. Times have changed
and with it conditions. Today we
find the Wealthiest iron mines in the
world located in the northern part
of the state, owned principally by
the great u. S. Steel corporation.
While our constitution has been ade-
quate to compel our farmers to paw
tax on their visible real estate, it
has been entirely inadequate to reach
this great corporation, because it's
vast holdings are to a large extent
not Of visible nature, but are hid
den to such an extent that no assess
or is competent to locate them, and
much less to fix a cash valuation.
The result has been that these great
mines have escaped taxation for the
greater part, except that it is taxed
as other real estate.
For number of years now this
great corporation has carried out of
our state never to return 10000, 900
tons OF iron ore per year. What a
pity that this enormous wealth could
not become a common heritage of
our people, but the time for useless
weeping is past and the great COM
monWealth of Minnesota is doomed
to be despoiled of it's richest heri-
tage.
Our voters do not seem to under
stand that our constitution binds the
legislature hand and foot, and that
it is powerless under existing laws.
Possibly when we stop to consider
that the constitution is the measure
of the legislatures power, we will
stop criticising and cease obstructing
all remedies by neglecting to vote
the only remedy open to US.
If the hands of our legislature had
been unshackeled by the adoption of
the amendment two years ago, it
would have permitted our legisla-
ture to adopt tonnage tax, regard
less of cash valuation. And if tax
of only ten cents a ton had been
levied it would haye produced a rev.
enue of $4,000, 900 which would have
been more than enough to wipe out
all of our state tax, and lessened the
burdens of our farmers and tax
payers to that extent. 1t is a ques-
ton that is vital, as it means dollars,
not cents to every tax payer in the
state. know of no particular reason
why this giant octopus should be
favored at the expense of the whole