The Butte daily post., 1917-02-03
REPUBLICANS OF BUTTE.
TAKE A POSITIVE STAND
ON MINE TAX QUESTION

The following resolution passed by |
the Lincoln Republican club of Silver
Bow county at its meeting Wednes-
day night has been forwarded TO the
Fifteenth legislative assembly at Hell
ena:
ITO the Honorable Senators and
Representatives of the Legislative As
sembly Of the State of Montana, in
Session Assembled: We, the members
of the Lincoln Republican club of Sill
Yer Bow county, do hereby protest
against the passage of that certain
measure now before your honorable
body for consideration, wherein it is
proposed to levy a discriminatory tax
in the form of a license fee upon the
mining industry of this state.
I'VE unhesitatingly declare our firm
belief in the broad and just principle
of equity and fair play, and having
this in view we feel no scruples in ex-
pressing the candid opinion that the
proposed license tax upon the mining
| industry of Montana is one so per-
nicious in its aim, and so foreign to
the tenets upon which the American
government is founded, that its enact
ment into law will cast a serious re-,
| fiection upon the fair name of the
state of Montana. and lend the as
sumption that the people of this state
are unfair and heedlessly unmindful
of the Just principles of popular gov
ernment which is best represented by
the practice of equal rights and equal
justice.
I'VE are firm in the opinion that the
lpeople of Montana-rrespecti of
their vocation in life-are not in SYM
pathy with any movement which tends
to penaliZe any legitimate Industry of
this state. That they will not be will
ing to bestow their approval upon
any attempt which aims at the curtail-
ment and possible destruction of any
lawful industry within the borders of
Montana. And that they will not sane
ton any effort which Is made to re-
tard or restrict an industry so i'm
portant as is mining, and upon which
so many thousands of Montanas In
habitants are dependent for their
livelihood.
"Nor do we think that the people of
Montana are willing to demean their
sense of honor by levying an unjust
; tribute upon an industry which has
conquered adversely and made it pos
sible for the people of our state to en-
Joy the bounteous opportunities which
has disclosed, as direct result of the
mining industry which has been de-
veloped upon a scale which has at
tracted the attention of the investor.
from the great money centers to th'
: manifold opportunities contained II
Montana for the safe investment o
capital.
I'VE respectfully submit that it will
require no great effort to delve iron
;, the history of Montana the indisput
y able fact that it was due to the stron
belief in the permanency of the min
i. | eral deposits of our state which wa
u displayed by the representatives o
:, the mining industry that Montan
a owes its present great distinction
o That 1t was the representatives OF tn
IS mining industry of Montana that In
:. spired the needed degree of confidenc
10 in the minds of the investors of capita
n to invest their money for the purpos
of developing Montana's agriculture
and mineral possibilities and its lum
her and manufacturing industries
That it was the representatives OF tn
y mining industry who prevailed upo
y and convinced directors of the grea
N transcontinental railroads that Mon
tana was a remunerative field to oper
y, ate in and one which offered possibili
u ties second to no other state in tn
Union for the settlement of commu
mites devoted to the development c
agricultural pursuits. cattle and shee
!, raising, and lumber and manufactur
- ing and mining industries. And that
was the same factors, too. who agai
"a demonstrated their confidence an
!. faith in Montana's greatness and VIII
&c ventured their all and induced the in
;. vestors of capital to furnish the need
g ed money that would be required
In provide the state with a much
40 electrical power by constructing lare
70 water-power projects for the develop
SIS ment of electricity that can be utilize
ne for domestic, manufacturing an
ce transportation purposes.
.ir ''It cannot be denied that Montana
greatness and the mighty developmei
which 1t is undergoing Is. primaril
due to the determined and unswer,
ing confidence Of the representative
= of the mining industry who unfaltel
na ingly exploited its many opportunitie
q. by implanting the same confiden,
-, and faith in the minds Of the investo
y. of capital to an extent which h;
az made Montana one of the most env
In able and richest states of the Unio
AT I'VE maintain that justice demand
that no legitimate industry shall