The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-04-11
TONNAGE TAX THE STUMBLING
BLOCK

BLOCK
Is the tonnage tax the rock upon
which the National Progressive party
is going to split in Michigan Since
the conference of progressives held at
Lansing a few days ago. that question
has been uppermost in the minds OF
many.
Senator Vinegar, when here last
week, stated that the sentiment in
lower Michigan Is for the progI vssiVe
party TO adopt the tonnage tax as one
of the planks of its platform. The
party heads. from the rural districts
especially, are seeking to nail that
plank to the mud sils but the members
from the city sections and from the
upper peninsula seek to stall sucp
action and defeat il If possible.
Senator Vinegar made tour of the
peninsula purposely TO test cut the
temper OF the upper peninsula bull
moose on this point. He found every
prominent member of his party above
the straits very antagonistic to such
action and he wired the members Of
his party, then in conference at Lans-
ing, objecting to any-action seeking
to make the tonnage tax an Issue in
the next campaign.
IL is learned that the progressiyes In
conference seriously considered making
the tonnage tax a part of the party
program and such leading light al
Herb Baker of Cheboygan was free
TO announce after the conference that
the time is not far distant when that
issue will be adopted by the progress
aives
On this point the Marquette Mining
journal, the real, strong mouthpiect
of the progressives in upper Michigan
says:
Sdch course would be ruinous tC
the party in this part OF the state.
where the opposition 10 the tonnage
tar Is by no means confined TO the
mining interests, but where n ost vot.
ers who have no direct association
with the mines are persuaded that II
is fallacious In theory and not capable
of being worked out In an equitable
manner in practice. III Whitney Wat.
kins should be nominated for govern or
by che Progressives on q non-sectional
platform he would poll considerable
vote north OF the straits. But II he,
or any other candidate, should be
nominated on a platform that played
up the tonnage tax he would fare but
indifferently well. and perhaps the
set of the voters To Governor Ferris
would be considerably accented
The ProgressiS6s can we'll afford to
lose in Michigan and IN other states.
Defeat for a period frequently is but
tn, forerunner OF success But the
Progressives cannot, either in Michi-
gan OF In any other state, afford to be-
come mere opportunists, catching up
an issue merely because 10 may have
a certain ephemeral popularity. The
tonnage tax is such an issue IL sounds
we'll enough and it affords opportunity
10 bait miner barons and 10 promise
no end OF things on the score OF taxa
ton 10 uniformed voters outside the
mining districts, But &c is not sound.
No first.class man who has ever in.
vestigated II thoroughly can be found
who rs willing 10 stake his reputation
for sane economic thinking on the
statement that il is sound
The Mining Journal hits right at
the vulnerable point in the armor Of
all third parties, in their activity 10
pick up any old doctrine that has mo-
mentary favor sufficient 10 promise
electing some OF all of Its Office seekers
20 office History has proved such 70
be the cases In the past and IL looks
as If the Michigan progressivss at
least, cannot stand any turning away
from the short cuts to the flesh pots Of
party success