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Will Taxpayers Permit It?

Will Taxpayers Permit It? image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
September
Year
1902
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

THE ARGUS DEMOCRAT

AND

YPSILANTI WEEKLY TIMES.

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PUBLISHED BY

THE DEMOCRAT PUBLISHING COMPANY

D.A. HAMMOND, President.

S.W. BEAKES, Secy. and Tres.

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PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY

for $1.00 per year strictly in advance.

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Entered at the Post office in Ann Arbor Mich as second-class mail matter.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1902

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DEMOCRATIC STATE TICKET

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For Governor--

      GEORGE H. DURAND, Of Flint.

For Lieutenant Governor --

      JOHN F. BIBLE, Of Ionia.

For Secretary of State--

      JOHN DONOVAN, Of Bay City.

For State Treasure--

      W. F. DAVIDSON, Of PORT HURON.

For Auditor General--

     DAVID A. HAMMOND, Of Ann Arbor.

For Land Commissioner--

      ARTHUR F. WATSON, Of Cheboygan.

For Attorney General--

      W.F. McKNIGHT, Of Grand Rapids. 

For Supt. Public Instruction--

      W.N. FERRIS, Of Big Rapids.

For Member Board of Education--

      CHARLES F. FIELD, Of Hastings.

For Justice of Supreme Court--

      BENJAMIN J. BROWN, Of Menominee.

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For Representative in Congress--Second District--

      FRED B. WOOD, Of Tecumseh.

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WILL TAXPAYERS PERMIT IT?

In his speech as chairman of the democratic state convention, Chairman Lucking called attention to the impending suit of the Michigan Central railroad against the state of Michigan for a sum variously estimated as high as $27,000,000 for the surrender of its charter. Now this sum of course is the high water mark of the claims made, but the sum will undoubtedly be large enough. It may be $15,000,000 and it may be $10,000,000. That it will be a sun stupendous enough when considered as a tax to be laid upon the people, no one needs to doubt. Even at the smallest sum that is has been mentioned, it means an enormous addition for the already heavily burdened taxpayers of the state to carry. It is well understood, too, in the connection that Governor Bliss is under binding obligations to the Michigan Central for contributions to the campaign fund. The amount contributed to his expenses two years ago is said to have been $50,000, and the other great railways of the state contributed in a similar liberal manner. Now, any citizen versed in modern political methods understands that these gifts are not made without quid pro quo. Let no thinking voter believe for a moment that the state will in the end escape paying back this gift with interest, if the present administration is continued by the people for another two years. 

It will be said of course that the governor will not have the settlement of the claim in his hands, that it will be passed upon by the courts. It is true of course that the courts will have to pass upon the matter, but nevertheless it will make a very material difference with the result whether there is a state administration in power at Lansing that favors mulcting the state, or one that will fight away any such claim to a finish. Everyone will remember how extremely difficult it was to get that charter repealed. Efforts in that direction were continued for years without result, not because the repeal was not in the interest of the people, but because the influences in favor of the railroad in the legislature were stronger than the claims of justice to the people were upon the members. Governor Pingree finally secured the repeal of the charter by calling the legislature in special session just before election when the members did not dare to go on record against the proposition. But it must not be thought for a minute that the railroad in accepting this repeal intended that the matter should end here. It still expects to receive its reward for this surrender and the same influences which have always been able to secure for it its desires, will continue now, unless a change is made in the directive policy of the state government.

Taxes are already increasing very much faster than population and much faster than wealth, and the heaviest part of this burden is laid upon those least able to bear it. The great corporations are always favored over the individual in such matters. They are never taxed at the same per cent as is private property. Equalization of taxation is always prevented by the same influences which for so long prevented the repeal of the Michigan Central charter. And in whatever sum the state is mulcted in this suit, the private property will be forced to pay more than its proper per cent. But in justice the state should pay little, if anything, on account of the repeal of this charter. For more than thirty years this road enjoyed the large profits of its special charter privileges, and at the time of the repeal its main line was being rapidly paralleled by electric railroads and it would this have been compelled to lower its passenger tariff. If the people are wise, they will place an administration on guard when this suit is being tried that is not owned by the railroads. 

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Two years ago there was as there is now a strong demand for primary election reform. The republican party stood pledged to that reform. But the legislature with the connivance of the elective repudiated those pledges and refused to heed the demands of the people for a law that would bring the nomination of candidates nearer to the people. It was well understood that such a law would do much to overthrow boss rule and make the people themselves the controlling factor in the naming of the candidates for the various offices. Again this year, the republicans in their state platform have framed such a  plank relative to this insistent demand of the people as will enable them to again thwart the wishes of the people, if that party is again returned to power in the state. The surest way to secure prompt action on this issue and a law that will be effective in restoring to the people the nomination of candidates is to elect the democratic state ticket and a democratic legislature. The democrats gave the state the Australian ballot law and another two years of democratic control at Lansing will give the state an effective primary election law. 

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Judge Durand was not a candidate for the nomination for governor on the democratic ticket, but was drafted into service by the rank and file of the state convention. No explanations are needed or required from him, therefore, on any subject. He is the people's candidate, he is a man of the highest character and the peer in ability of any man who has ever occupied the governor's office in Michigan. He is running on a platform which demands common honesty and decency in the administration of state affairs a sopposed to the methods of the present state administration. He deserves the support of every citizen, therefore, who would place good government, government in the interest of the people, above partisanship. State issues alone are involved in his candidacy, he will have nothing to do with shaping any national issue and should be supported wholly upon what he stands for instate matters. The people who prefer clean state government rather than boss control and ripper legislation will make no mistake in voting for Judge Durand. In fact it is not clear how they can vote their sentiments in any other way. 

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The following is an item of news published in the New York World of April 9, 1901:

Mr. Charles Thulin, a Pennsylvania contractor, recently secured a contract to supply rails for Russian's great Siberian railway. He asked the leading Steel Trust companies here for bids. They all asked him about $35 per ton with freight to be added. Mr. Thulin went over to England, sublet his contract to an English firm, and one of the same companies that had asked him $35 per ton, plus the freight, here, sold the rails at $24 per ton delivered in England to the English subcontractor. 

As Mr. Babcock, the erstwhile tariff reformer, and now chairman of the Republican Congressional committee, observed last year, "It will not do to say that this is but a marketing of a surplus product."

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With the United States selling $400,000,000 worth of manufactured products in markers where it has to compete with the whole world, why does its manufacturers need a protective tariff? It we can ship our goods to foreign markets paying the cost of transportation, and then undersell the whole world, how in the name of reason can there be any danger of competition in our home markets?