The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-04-29
AMENDMENTS.
LETTER NO. 6.

IL lHE NJALEIIE. Lie last dIIlGIlO-
ment to be voted on next fall is one
to establish state insurance against
losses, by the farmers, from hail and
wind, but before we proceed to its
examination we must have yard
stick to measure by, for no person
can reason correctly without solid
foundation on which to base his ar
gument any more than builder
can put up good house without a
solid foundation.
Our political beliefs are based on
President Roosevelt's platform, "A
square deal for everybody. and the
big stick for transgressors, so our
views of proposed legislation are
based on the rights of citizens as laid
down in our national and state con-
stitutions and the decisions of the
u. S. Supreme Court. We shall
measure the proposed amendment
by the above yardstick. Art TX,
state constitution now has 16 sec
lions to which it is proposed to add
another section 90 which reads as
follows: "The legislature may pro-
vide for the payment by the state OF
Minnesota of damages to growing
crops by hail and wind, or either and
to provide fund for that purpose,
may impose specific tax upon land
the owners of which at their option,
have listed the same with county
auditors for that purpose, and no
payment shall be made of any such
damages except from the fund so
provided"
The milk in the above cocoanut
appears to be as follows; LIST that the
state legislature shall authorize and
direct the state auditor to act as in
surance agent for certain class of
its citizens. I'd, that certain class
of the states citizens may list their
lands with county auditors to insure
against loss by hail and wind, or
either, on the same principle as
other insurance companies OF the
state. Sd. that a fund is to be ere
ated for this purpose by taxing such
lands and that this fund is to be
used exclusively for this purpose.
There is no gainsaying the fact that
much damage from wind and hail is
done to Minnesota's growing crops
every year and this proposition looks
on the face of it rather alluring, but
do not hail and wind do damage in
cities and villages by taking off
roofs, smashing windows, blowing
railroad cars off the track, and in
numerous other ways? Then why
confne the benefits of any law to
one class of people in the state?
Now suppose we apply our yard
measure to proposition No. l. Can
it be said to be "a square deal for
everybody" Is it not special legis-
lation for certain class? Article
~, section 33 OF our state constitu-
ton says: The legislature shall
pass no local or special law granting
to any corporation, association OF
Individual any special or exclusive
privilege, immunity or franchise
whatever. Now, if the amend
ment above enumerated is mo-
special privilege | fail to see what
else it is. The national constitution
is also in accordance with this view
of the case. Article XIV. section
t amendments says: No state shall
make or enforce any law which shall
deny to any person within its juris
diction the equal protection Of tn,
: laws" It looks to the writer a
/. though the application of the proper
! measuring stick completely dispose
! Of this amendment proposition No
! l, and as the other two hang who'll,
on the first, we pronounce the who'll
thing invalid, it constitutional Law
already existing is any authority.
To this we will add few word
from the U. S. supreme court
''Neither the state nor national gov
ernments can exercise the taxin,
power in aid of enterprises strict,
private for the benefit of individu
ais, though in remote or collatera
way the local public may be benefit
ed thereby" On the strength o
the above argument we shall be com
Iv,n11n1 ~, xrnfra ~ ~, kl.., - -.