The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-04-30

I8llULE 0Xyy& NJ
as.,,.a $500. -. r..-e-s,
$3.50 $500 ~. -"
~ the Aoosevedts1alt Sta&e League
Although tho document ~ pent
over the state Abust month
ago. this liz the hrst time thaa the
alhs;dfxad n.pnn haa monf,n,,.a q
~. -s.,,,. 80,
!. - lily astonishing y nttse
incident will constitute the Voice or
the people, when q politician who has;
hetra vad hio corattt,,art. .na ~. s.,s
nis .osas'lsuen.s ano niss sot s
mas 9 g mess g. puttage,
Is listening for some sort b "A ex.
cuse with which to ease hts con
science.
Replying to the charge that MI.
Crawford changed front with regard
Falls Press affects to think thaf Il
Is creditable t him that he did 90.
and 1t endorses his sexnlanation :
which was as follows:
! vote Tor this bill on the ground
celyed a@comInunication from people
sot my district requesting hat vote
Tor tnis Dill. nat feature II The
OH Ieta!lng 70 the exempfln8 Of all
tns anus q any nllroaA c0npnny
Payihs SundeT Lne gross-e8rAiA&g Sys-
cem, from ta1allon. Is a6RaN6t my
ludgment, put I do not desire 70 net
up stno q ex-
RTesslOl I nave my district on
lnls subject
Mr. Crawfordss change ~ frnnt IL
conmended IN the gTnaini the he
was aheeding the voice OF tIa nan-
ple., but what ara tha facts
The grossrearnines law was. enact
ed in 1883. The railroad interests en-
pended fully 100000 in apersuadinss.
the Ie~giglatI,re that sa1ch a law waa =
rfehteous one. and Fl seems Ia have
done the business.
This law WAS ndin,,a "a tha nan.s>
q Northern Paciic railroad was
EgAntlc orpolatfon Y oWnea ,every
aitsrnale seeIlon OF iAnN sWlLnln q
ritory Of Dakota. 1t objected to
paying taxes on this land. and so 1t
patched up the groes.earnings pro-
position WHICH EXEMPTND IT'S
ENTIRE HOLDINGS OF REALTY
FROM TAXATION.
Honest Abe Van Osdel, sharing
troduced a bin in 1885 to repeal the
gross-earnings law, but it failed Of
passage. 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-
tatiyes 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 (1888) 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:
.peeo,uaa nh.+ az a,a.a
erty IL Sf the ter tarri ito gias aho,, "a p hsar
equai snale u aAation.
There was not the least doubt
about what that resolution meant, Il
was a direct blow at the gross-earn-
ingS law, and was SO accepted. THH
LEGISLATURE WHICH C0NVENED
p pHHI.F FoL 443 = 4 4 ~ RI
NOUS VOTE.
But the railroads at once got husv
Their high-nriced Iobhyists vera
hastened to Bismarck, Exciternent
ran high. A iunketing trip was nm
vided For the members Remorts ~
bribery and treachery and Selling
OUT anO VlOlaylnR DI0dGGS were rife
For days the tension was at a hirh
pitch. me columns Of the daiIv rressa
were teeming with b az NOS
and counter-plots.
The fight against the -re-enactmant
Of the law was fierce. VIZ
wobbled first one way and then fIss
other-but the railroads finally aepf"
him. MT. Crawford hinseh and thnsa
who "got" him know how It was =
AS a means of easing his corasrd-
ence, 1t is said that Coionol B,,Ilaya
who then represented the yaiIYet
interests in Mr.. Crawford'a distr1ct.
"petitioned" Mr.. Crawford durtnR the
thick Of the fight to change front.
hence the Explanation" which ME-.
Crawford offered and which is an.
provingly quoted by his Sioux Falls
newspaper organ.
WHAT DID THE RHENACrNEnrT
OF THE GROSS EARNINGS Law
MEAN? Wen tel YOU In a few words.
1T MEANT THAT "A STRIP OF
LAND EQUIVALENT TO IA COM
PACT AREA TWENTY MILES WIDE
AND PRACTICALLY THREE HUN
DRIED AND FIFTY MILES LONG.
BELONGING TO THE RAILROAD
COMPANY. WAS EXEMPTED FROM
$500