The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-03-18
BIG POLITICAL GAME
IN TONNAGE TAX BILL
Governor Elberhart' s Boss Wants
Ubiquitous Measure to
Pass Both Houses.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY HONOR
INVOLVED IN BOTH PLANS
Reapportionment Also Considered
in Scheme to Get Control
Of State Senate.
Special Correspondence.
BY w. E. MsENen.)

NJ. PAUL. Mar. 1o.-IOOdy Is a
| big day for St. Louis county. In the
| house the tonnage tax bill is up on
a special order, and re-apportion-
ment claims the attention of the sem
ate. At this writing the outcome
seems uncertain in either case.
Strange stories Of two we'll studied
! political schemes are going the rounds
Of the Capitol building. It is COM
| mon talk that both bills are to be
| used to boost the personal interests
of Governor Eberheardt. If the
| tonnage tax passes both houses and
is put up to- the governor. political
scheme No. I, will be used. If the
tonnage tax bill should fail to reach
the governor, and in the event of the
defeat of re-apportionment, political
scheme No. 2 will be worked.
| Political Dopsters.
! The political dopsters down here
have it studied out pretty we'll. There
are still a few of the old school Of
| politicians left, and they seem TO
! play the game in the same old FASH
toned way. with just a few slight
variations.
Edward E. Smith, Governor Eber-
hardt's political manager, astute at
times, and just like any of the rest
of us at other times, is not always
mute. Mr.. Smith has never liked the
way st. Louis county treated the
candidacy of Governor Eberhard last
fall. But that is not all. While dis
appointed in not receiving the usually
Republican majority for his candidate,
he is more than vexed to think that
! the ranges are represented in the
senate by such free lance as Jimmie
Boyle, and the city of Duluth by such
a consistent Democrat as Harry
Cheadle.
1T is the limit Of ingratitude,"
thinks Smith and his allies. So the
big leader became talkative one night
! last week. THE st. Louis county fell
| lows will have to come to me be-
| fore the session is ended" he is re-
ported to have said. That was all,
! but it was sufficient, fer few words
from Mr.. Smith have world Of
! meaning.
| Scheme No. 1.
| This IS scheme No. 1; Ed Smith
wants the tonnage tax bill to reach
| Governor Eberhard. AS q matter of
| fact the people of southern Minnesota
| care nothing about a tonnage tax.
Only the politicians down there talk
about it, and they use 1t largely for
| political effect, not because ton
mage take is popular, but for the rea-
son that trust is unpopular.
The effect of a tonnage tax on the
people of st. Louis county receives
little attention in any. discussion Of
the question, but the fact is made
much of that the tax is to be paid
by the greatest Industrial organiza-
| ton in the world.
| Because of this condition Gov.
Johnson was not condemned by the
people of the southern portion of the
state when he vetoed the tonnage
tax bill of two years ago. AS mat
ter Of fact no one seemed to care
anything about it, while the people
of the north lauded our lamented
governor to the skies. :.
Ed. Smith we'll knows that Gov
ernor Eberhard can follow the ex-
ample Of his illustrious predecessor
without politically injuring himself in
any portion of the state. For this
reason he hopes the legislature will
pass the tonnage tax bill.
Of course it will be just as easy for
I
will be for him to veto it, and this
is where he will be strong. Delega-
tions will pour down upon him, but
he will maintain a sphinX-like sill
ence, save to say that he will be
pleased Ito give the plea of the citi-
| zens of st. Louis his most earnest con-
sideration.' Then will come down
| Lee Willcuts, Eb Hawkins, Odin Hal
den and the rest of the big guns.
These experienced political war
horses will know better than lose any
time on the governor. They will go
further up. a council will be held
with Ed Smith and he will be urged
to use his Influence with the gov
ernor to veto the tonnage tax bill.
can see the big fellow now sit
ting back in his chair waiting to
turn the trick. Last falls campaign
will be reviewed, and a promise will
be exacted that st. Louis county will
be for Eberhard two years hence
and Senators Boyle and Cheadle are
to be supplanted by men who will
help to restore Smiths lost power in
| the senate.
Scheme No.2.
! Scheme No. 2: Ee-apportionment
stands very poor show of passing
the senate today. Two or three St.
Loui county citizens ABOUT here are
accusing me Of defeating re-appor-
| tlonment, for no other reason than
that the Labor World has exposed the
Ubiquitous method of the politicians
up north in gerrymandering st. Louis
! county to continue themselves in
power. am not worrying about
such q charge. When the legislature
shall have adjourned the true story
of this attempted re-apportionment
will be known to every citizen of
Minnesota.
Should the re-apportionment bill
fail to pass the senate, the governor
will be called upon to make good
the promise he made at Brainerd last
fall to the effect, that If the legisla-
ture did not pass an honest reap
portionment bill he would convene it
IN special session, and keep it in ses-
l a