The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1918-05-30

i shoulders OF others. The proposition
is not a new one. It has been UP at
every recent session Of the legislature.
Admitting that such measure would
be constitutional, would the farmers
be greatly the gamers by its enact
ment into law? The heaviest taxes
are always the local taxes school dis
trict and township. .. III
There is so much to be raised on the
taxable property in a school district or
township, and exempting one class Of
property simply means higher rate
of taxation on other classes Of proper
| ty in that school district or township.
But law exempting farm improve
ments from taxation would be invalid
under our present constitution, for sec
ton one, article nine, of the constitu-
ton expressly provides the classes Of
property that shall be exempted from
taxation as follows: Public burying
grounds, public school houses, public
hospitals, academies, colleges, univer-
sites, and all seminaries of learning,
all churches, church property, and
houses of worship, institutions Of
purely public charity, and public
property used exclusively for public
purposes, and there may be exempted
from taxation personal property not
exceeding in value $500, for each
household, individual or head of a
family as the legislature may de-
termine."
Tonnage tax on ore production"
the second plank in the platform, has
been before the legislature for years,
and the only really meritorious ton
mage tax ever proposed In addition to
the ad valorem tax it proposed a super
tax of five cents per ton on the output
of the .mines-was up at the last ses-
sion Of the legislature and passed the
house and was defeated in the senate
by close vote. The writer voted for
the measure.
| Plank No. favors rural credit
banks operated at cost" We are free
to confess we do not know what this
plank means. Too many banks now.
Plank 4 would require aschange in
our constitution before the legislature
could make any Of it's absurd, socialis-
tic provisions effective. We do not be-
lieve that the intelligent farmers of
the state, and especially those in the
vicinity Of Milaca, would ever vote to
turn over their prosperous co-opera-
tive creameries to gang of collared
state officials to run. Heaven knows
we have state officials enough. now
without adding ten or fifteen thousand
more to the list of pap-suckers. To-
day Is per cent of the creameries Of
the state are owned and successfully
conducted by the farmers, and the
largest and best Of them all is located
at Milaca.
| Plank five favors state hail insur-
ance. That proposition has been sub
nitted to the voters of the state
three successive times and failed to
carry.
Plank siY has been favored by all
political parties. 1t is claimed that
Minnesota has the best system of grain
inspection Of any Of the states. But
if the system can be improved upon
let it be done; every fair-minded man
would favor such improvement.
|
Everybody wants the corporations to
pay their share of taxes.
Plank eight, state owned paper
mills, is in the same category with
plank four, and is a sop to country
publishers.
Planks nine and ten are patriotic
and highly commendable, but no more
so than like declarations of other polit-
ical parties. The skinfint who would
take advantage of one Of our soldier
boys should, in the language of Frank
Day, be shot before breakfast.
We have just hastily touched the
highspots in the Nonpartisan plat
form, but later on will go more into
details.
In conclusion we will say to Mr..
Thilquist, we have not questioned your
loyalty or the loyalty Of your brother
farmers who are affiliated with the
Nonpartisan league, but we do ques-
ton the loyalty of your imported
leaders, and with good reason, too.
We do not believe the .'higher-ups" in
the league are philanthropists. We
believe they are a gang Of mercenary
demagogues, whose sole object is to
feather their own nests at the ex-
pense of the farmers of Minnesota. We
believe that their only interest in the
farmers is the SIG per.
I. w. w. in the Nonpartisan League.
Milaca, May ~, 1913.
Editor Union: