Let Us Have A Special Session

A special session of the legislatura called to consider the problema of railroad trafflc and general taxation, índ honestly devoted to those purposes, will be a luxury in which the Ieople of this state eau well affod to indulge. It ís a notorious íact that the Ordinary tsessitns of our state legislatura are almost wholly givaii over to the considei-ation of legisltion of a private and oí a local 11atnre, aiid the incident to this species of law-making precludes more than the most superficial consideration of nieasures of a general chairáeter. But, in an extraordiuary sesaloa ea.lled for the considera lion Oí eertaiu problems of grave, public importante, and into the de'.i'beialions of which no other issues can be rightfully injected. the distractiois of an ordinary sesslon will be wholly removed and no legitímate bar will be placed upon the e-areful and delibérate eorskleration of the subject iu hand. Though nolhing should be aecomplished the educational results of an extended oficial discussion of the subject of taxatiou would lie of inestimable valué. The question of taxation comes directly in touch with the everyday aft'airs of the people. It has always been a fruitful theme for rel'ormers and the occasion of ïmich experimental legisiation. That the sul)ject has not been exhausted nol a satisfactory conclusión reached, tlie universal dissatisfaction with existins trethods and the acknowledged inefflcieiicy oif those methods to secure an equitable apportionment of the cost of governmeut apon all classes of citizens and all species of property, should afford conclusive proof. While the methods pursued in the severel stat'js are by no means uniform, the same complaint of iujusttoe come from them all. The theory in eacth instauce is the same. It professes to pnoceed upn the assumption that the chief aun of political society is the protection and seenrity of the instltutiön of private property. that the lenefits aceruing therefrom to the citlzen are in direct propoi-tion to the property in liis jiossession, and that he shall contribuí-.' to the mainfenance of that protection in direct propcrtiou to lus posstssions. Ver. jiicisui -ü by rhis standard, tlic tax laws of the present day aic latuentabïe faiiures and the great weight of taxation falls not upon those who have much but upon those who have Httle. It is not our purpose at this juuctirre to discuss remedies, but to point out the fact that remedies are needed and offer it in justification of a special session of the legislature to consider this and allled swbjects. While the political visión of a ínajority of the prent legislature may be clouded they are not, on the whole, a set of chumps. There are a aamber of men in that body whose abilitiis are of the rirst rank aud l'rom l'otii we shall expect a Tational treatment of the question to be saibmitted. hould the discussion aecouiplish nothirtg more it wlll bave the effect of crystallizing public opinión upon a settled policy. it wlll be urged, and not 'without n show of reason, that a special session at this time would become a mere prelude to the tug-of-war whicli is to decide whether the governor or his political enemies nre to domínate the g. o. p. in M'iehigan. Bat this nnfortunate strife ned iiot necessarily obstruet the business of the session. The governor has the makiug of the issues. He also has peífest control of his following. Should he con line his forces to the work in hand the burden oï proof will bc placed upon the other fellows and - well, it's sonietimes worth a great d(al to the people to know. beyond peradventure, who's who and where they are at.