The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-08-20

Benson, farmer-labor candloaIe LOT
governor of Minnesota, opened MS
mouth and promptly put his foot in 1t.
The candidates. tactics were good
but his technic was bum. Seeking to
nut Martin A. Nelson, his republican OPP
ponent, on the defensive, he issued a
challenge based upon two assertions for
which he has no authority whatever
except perhaps his overweight imag-
nation or perhaps a deliberate fabr1ca-
ton, "for," to use his own expression,
political reasons"
It may be doubted whether Martin
A. Nelson will consent to be drawn into
a campaign of correspondence with the
Farmer-Labor candidate for governor.
Mr.. Nelson has been discussing Mime
sofa issues of government frankly and
freely, in a common sense sort of way,
in all parts of the state for more than
two years. He will at the proper time
fully amplify his position upon every
issue Of the campaign.
Mr.. Bensons flat assertion that the
republican party advocates the Young
quiSt tax amendment" is wholly I'M
true. The republican platform advo-
Gates reduction of the property tax for
state purposes as rapidly as possible, but
makes no mention whatever of the
proposed tax amendment. Mr.. Ben
sons charge that the republican party
proposes to substitute a sales tax for
the state real estate tax" is made out
of whole cloth. The republican party
in Minnesota has made no such pro-
poSal and it's leaders are furthering no
such plan. If Mr.. Benson has Every
definite information" of such re-
publican proposal, as he fatty says, he
should give it to the people OF the
state at once. If he cannot or will not
give it, he will stand convicted of max
ing baSeless charges " for political pur-
poses"
The farmer-labor candidates letter
to Martin A. Nelson contains one Of
fering which the newspapers, in re-
porting it, charitably concealed from
the people of the state. Most people
will find it hard to believe that per-
son of ordinary average intelligence,
grown to manhood, could think up
and sit down and sign his name to any
thing so silly, but there it stands in the
Benson letter, over the Benson name.
It consists of a number of questions
propounded to Martin Nelson as fol-
lows:
do you propose to put the closed
sign on the doors of the various state
departments, including the Office OF
Governor which you are Seeking?"
DO you propose to close down the
State University"
do you propose to cut off the state
aid to schools?"
do you propose to close the Still
water State prison and the st. Cloud
State Reformatory, thereby turning
bank robbers, felons and murdererS
loose to prey upon the pubIc?"
do you propose to close the Gillette
Hospital for Crippled Children, or the
home for the predetermined and friend
less at Faribault and Owatonna?"
do you propose to abolish old age
assistance and widows pensions?"
do you propose to abolish the State
Department of Health?"
do you propose to abolish the State
Bureau of Criminal apprehension"
This list of queries is one for the book.
Outside of the last, which is some
thing to think about, and probably got
into the senator's list by mistake, it has
got anything else in Minnesota politi-
cal history beat for childiShneSS. One
of the most amazing things about it is
that after he propounds these queries,
the senator himself naively confeSseS
that they are utterly absurd" The
State Historical Society should grab
these queries and exhibit them in its
museum of freaks.
Your silly symphony QUESTIONABLE ir-
reSistably compelS some observations
Mr.. Benson. If you keep up the record
of the last six years in turning bank
robbers, felonS and murdererS loose to
prey upon the public" you yourself will
have the penitentiary and the reforma-
tory empty. AS to the Gillette Hospital
for Crippled Children, if you want it
closed, all you need do is to apply the
farmer-labor department of education
policy now enforced in the division for
rehabilitation of disabled persons to the
hospital, and the trick will be turned
The senator must have slipped this
piece of strategy over when his secre-
tary, Jimmy Johnston, wasn't looking
Johnny would never have been guilty OF
anything so puerile.
Candidate Benson'S letter also puts on
another stunt of rushing in where
statesmen fear to tread by dragging out
into the political spotlight farmer
labor's ill-Starred homestead exemption
law. Lately the party has been pushing
this law back into dark alleys and hid
ing it around shady corners. 1t care
fully omitted even to mention the mat
ter in its 1886 platform. The senator
however, heedlesSly hauls it out as Elk
hibit A for his claim that he is in favor
of a reduction in the property tax.
The homestead exemption law was
enacted by the 1888 Legislature. Its
very first application shot tax rates ur
to stunning heightS-the tax rate II
Minneapolis, for instance, skyrocketeo
from II mills to 80 mills. Somewhat
similar increases in the local property
tax rate occurred wherever the law was
generally applied. Owners of smaller
homes apparently saved some money
but the owners of most homes had tt
pay more, and the evils of an excessive
property tax were increased. The net
result was injurious to everybody, ever
to the man who thought he was saving
something when he called at the county