The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-07

lowing communication was handed Us pJ
a gentleman of this city, which, while it
is not precisely as we would have written
it, probably expresses with more force
and clearness than we could have done
the principal ideas we desired to convey.
Omitting our own article, therefore, we
publish in full that of our correspond
ent
DICTATIoN AND MISREPRESENTATION
A more rare combination of assumption
and misrepresentation OF facts is not
often seen. than in the leader of the In
tpYliqencer of Monday, under the heading
of Equal and Uniform Taxation
He SAYS, (alluding to the Bill reported
for his favorite purpose,) that the Leg
islature will not, OF course, permit a
measure of such vital Importance to be
debated or postponed. We, be says, (al-
luding to himself showed two months
aoo. that the valuation of real estate,
was not half what it ought to be, and
that personal property pays double as
keary tao as real property does: In
the three last years he says the stare
has lost hundreds of thousands OF dol
lars, for the want Of honest legislation on
the subject. When, I,would ask, did
this, my Lord Editor, become such
master OF honesty, as to authorize him
thus 60 lecture the Legislature. But
this is not ALL Again, he declares that
his measure is so just it Wil take no denial
it mast come Just now-tO go on with
ont it, is Ubiquitous and outrageous
This is very modest and very softly per
suasive-is it not But our dictatOrial
editor is philosopher also He
sagely tells us that experience proves
that what everybody expects, is just
what nobody realizes" which interpre-
ted into plain English, means, that the
many are asses, and we. the few, are Sol
onions
But let us now turn to the only real
fact there is in this long, pictorial leader,
from which we have made few extracts
1t is, that personal property pays double
to what real estate does, according to
value. This I deny. 1t is, at all events,
a total and radical mistake, so far as the
Panhandle is concerned. | affirm, that
in Ohio county, and, believe, so far as
Brooke and Marshall are concerned, the
reverse is the truth
The proper measure or standard OF
property is its annual productiveness::
Household and kitchen furniture, and
mere ornamental chattels, are of course,
unproductive; but the same is true OF
larger proportionable amount OF real
property. But loans aud stocks and
money, and personal property used in
manufacturing, merchandise and trade,
in word, in buying and selling gener-
ally | affirm, IL largely more prontablo
to the owners than farms and houses and
lots. These last named three items EN-
brace most if not ALL the real estate
which has any value other than mere
c0ujscturul and speculative one Farms do
moi. mon an average, pay npoA cost
over two or three per cent. net in Ohio
codRty, and with the exception OF few
choice aud valuable sites for business
town lots and houses pay but little ii
any better, though they require a
much larger share Of the owners
personal attention, than money loaned
or put in stocks, does The lowest form
of profit on personal property IS that OF
money loaned ct siS per cent on certain
time. But even such loans, with the ex-
ception Of this year, yield an annual in
come net profit Of three or four percent.
But we know that money, as Il fact,
brings large profit when it is essentially
loaned. though not so in fOIm MOneyed
men know how to buy and sell notes,
bills and bonds. They also know what
EXCHANGE is. Stocks, what do they
bringl Not less than ten per cent after
having taxes See the reports of the
Banks, Savings Institutions, Insurance
offices, Money Brokers, &c. Look at the
merchants - what are their annual
profts-2O, 30 and 100 per cent.
/ wish to increase no mans taxes. |
am sOTry that we are compelled 10 pay
So much; but fair play is a jewel. / do
affirm that the real estate owner is and
has been The pack horse for men to ride
who have axes of their own to grind
Where is the farmer who grows rich !
Are they millionairesl do they make
their one, two, three and four hundred
dollar fortunes If they make hun
bred or.two dollars year, and with
fine farm OF three or four hundred acres
of land, and after long life Of hard la
Dor and harder economy, they happen
to die leaving ten or fifteen thousand
dollars, it is looked upon as a rORder;
and as the exception to the ten thou
sand who leave behind them but their
farms. thankful if some money
grinder has not got his deed of trust upon
It Away with this stuff about rich
farmers, who go scott free of public bur
dons The reverse is the truth. They
are the burden bearers the world
over of your fnanciers, business men
and smart fellows, who are up to snuff.
who know how Ito turn red cent in a
year, into a yellow gold dollar, by SIM
ply turning it over and over aud over
again If we must look out for new tax
es let us look aud see if something can
not be made for the State out of these
smart gentlemen, by taxing them some
thing for er0y time they fW1, tke cent orer-
Uncle Sam has tried it in the way of
stamp duties, and made a handsome
thing out of it. The actual transac-
tions Of men are no fiction. They are a
certainty, AMI respectfully urge that
of all subjects for taxation they are the
most proper ores. The tax is equal and
founded upon no mere Prescriptions or
coniecturaI assumptions. Such taxes
are lightly felt and cheerfully paid Is
it not true that the propriety of taxing
the real business transactions of men
has been too much overlooked whether
we regard the Justice of it, OF the ease,
cheapneSs and certainty of the collec-
ton or tue willingness OF men to bear