Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-08-26
He TRIES 70 EXPLAIN
Hon. Jas. II. Monroe's Wretched
Attempt to Exonsrate Geo.
G. CoveII.
IS MISLEADING AND UNTRUE
Article in Traverse City Daily Eagle
OF August 18th Does Not De-
ceive the Voters.

In the Daily Eagle, published at
Traverse City, Friday, August I4th,
Mr.. James NJ. Monroe INDUCES in a
lengthy discussion of the record and
career OF Mr.. George G. Covell.
In order to show how deceptive
the statements of Mr.. Monroe are, we
quote from his article, as follows:
"The claim is farther made that Mr..
Covell opposed the repeal of the
Michigan Central charter, and | hnd
from an investigation of the records
that this bill did not come up for
consideration at any time during the
time that Mr. Covell was a member
of either branch of the legislature, but
was in the hands Of the committee on
railroads up to the time of the final
adjournment of the session of 1897.
This is a startling disclosure. Please,
Mr. Monroe, why don't you tell why
the bill came to die in the hands of
the committee? Why did you not
tell the public that Mr. Covell was one
of the senators who voted to kill it
by leaving it in the hands of the com
mittee?
Quoting further from Mr.. Monroe,
he says:
Il find from the records that the
only action that had been taken by
the senate with reference to this bill
was on the day prior to the day set for
the final adjournment of both houses.
A motion was made to discharge the
committee on railroads from further
consideration OF this bill, which mo-
ton was lost by majority vote of
the members present"
Lost by a majority vote Much
obliged to you for telling US that it
was a majority. Some weak-minded
fellow might have thought that it was
lost by a minority vote.
Mr.. Monroe why don't you say that
George Covell was one OF that ma
jority who voted not to discharge the
committee on railroads from further
consideration of this bill and thereby
prevented the consideration of the
most important measure of the ses-
sion of 1897?
The way in which Mr. Monroe at
tempted to step over the rocks must
have made him dizzy.
MIR. Monroe, why don't you tell the
public that Mr. George G. Covell and
his eighteen colleagues. by voting to
kill this bill in the committee, delayed
ad valorem taxation of railroads four
years, and with each year of this de
lay was a loss of about two million
dollars to the primary school fund be
cause the railroads were not taxed at
their cash value instead OF on their
earnings?
Why don't you tell them that by
reason of this kind of taxation, under
the Merriman bill that George voted
for, that in the year 1900 the farms OF
Michigan paid tax OF S2IT3 on a
thousand dollars valuation, while the
railroads got off with S665 on thou
sand dollars valuation; See report of
tax commissioners Of 1000 page I53.
Mr. Covell and his eighteen coll
leagues were sworn as members OF
the senate to protect the interests of
the State OF Michigan. Why did they
not commence early in the session and
secure an early repeal of the Michi-
gan Central charter, Why did they
not al the same time provide for
state tax commission to assess the
railroads at their cash valuation as has
since been done? 1t was as much
their duty TO protect the interests Of
the people and the primary schools as
any other senators that belonged to
the senate OF 1907
They crawl out now and say that
the bill came up SO late that it could
not be considered They could have
passed all. necessary legislation for
the ad valorem taxation of railroads
il they had tried
During the session of 1907 Mr. Gov
ell and his followers voted for hun
dreds OF unimportant measures. such
as bills TO prevent the spearing of
suckers. bills TO protect FISH in in
land lakes. and bill to widen Mud
Creek. but when it came 10 the matter
OF making the railroads of this state
pay their share OF the taxes, Mr. Gov