Askov American., 1943-06-17
Will The COwles Give
Us Both Sides?

Charles B. Cheney, one of the faith
full writers for the CowleS news
paper dynasty in Minneapolis, had
an article in last Sundays Tribune
praising the work of Clifford l.. Hill
ton as assistant, deputy and attorney
general and as associate justice of
the state supreme court.
Mr.. Cheney gives credit to Mr..
Hilton for writing the iron ore occu-
pational tax law while attorney gen.
eral, and speaks of how a tax on
the occupation of iron mining had
been delayed for years because the
proposed laws had not been properly
written.
It might be we'll to remind Mr..
Cheney and the Minneapolis daily
newspapers that delay in the inaugu-
ration of taxes on wealth has taken
place more than once on the grounds
of unconstitutionality. 1t is an old
delay game.
Remember how the state income
tax on individuals and corporations
was delayed time and again, the ex-
cuse being that the constitution would
have to be further amended in order
that such tax, based on ability to
pay, might be constitutional. Yet in
1888 under leadership of the lib
erals, the income tax became law in
Minnesota. And it was upheld in
the courts. How much, by the way,
did the conservative newspapers do
fn n Of To-
There was, however, no delay in
putting over the special reward" act
for Mr.. Hilton.
An attorney general is certainly
expected to know and understand
the constitution of the state. Is it
too much to expect of an attorney
general that he should be able to
write law under which an occupa-
tional tax could be collected in a
legal and constitutional manner?
Should the attorney general be paid
by the state if he did not have the
ability to write such a bill for the
legislature? Let it be recalled also
that the conservatives had to promise
iron ore occupational taxes in the
1920 state campaign if they were to
win that election. That tax had
been delayed too long and thousands
of citizens were angered Further de-
lay was unsafe.
The Mining companies have been
taking a natural resource from the
state. Mr.. Cheney cites the millions
of dollars they have paid in iron ore
taxes the past 20 years and there
fore concludes that Mr.. Hilton de-
served retirement at full pay of
$4,000 annually for the balance of
his term up to January, 1947, and
half pay for the rest of his life
Mr.. Cheney has written several
articles of late referring to the state
constitution. For his assistance, arti-
Gle 6, section 6, on the pay of judges
is here quoted:
"The judges of the supreme
and district courts shall be men
learned in the law, and shall
receive such compensation at
stated times as may be prescribed
by the legislature; which COM
pensatiOn shall not be diminished
during their continuance in Of
flee, but they shall receive no
other fee or reward for their
services"
The Minneapolis Tribune and Star
Journal have said nothing about how
well Mr.. Hilton has been treated by
the taxpayers of Minnesota during
the "a years he has been on the
payroll of the state. He was paid
approximately $4,000 in the last
25 years.
Why did not the Star Journal and
its Tribune and Times publish the
article released to the Associated
Press and published in the Askov
American of May 27, as did other
dailies? Had they been open-minded
enough to do that, then we could
have had a free and open discussion
on the whole affair. In that article
it was stated that the associate JUS
tice had been ill and incapacitated for
several years, that due to his condi-
ton he should not have been can
didate for reelection in 1910, that
the 1943 act was special legislation
"a ''reward"-and that there are
many other citizens who need help
far more.
The Star Journal-Tribune-Times
newspaper combine may try to brush
the whole thing aside by stating tina,
criticism of the law "looks like rather
small business" But we challenge
these newspapers to publish the May
27 article and bring the whole thing
out in the open, constitution and all