The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-21
The Taxation Hobby In West VIr-

Really, it appears to Us, that our
Conservative friends must be scarce Of
timber with which 10 eleciioneer
against the Republican party. when
they continue 10 harp SO persisIently
upon the subject OF Stale and county
taxation, as being apparently the card
upon which they have 10 rely. Il Is
paying very poor compliment 10 the
Intelligent portion OF their readers; or
pTesuming very much upon the igno-
rance OF the non-Teading and rejecting
portion. Everybody knows, thaT knows
anything, that no party in particular
il responsible for the high taxes that
have prevailed and that any admins
tration would have been pOweTIess 70
prevent them. They were lneuTGeu
during the administration OF the ne.
publican party, bat that party was hot
responsible for the clFcuthsJ nSeS la y a
rendered them unayoldAo IneS
grew out of The uee=sSities o. , 1nT 81,
which war was brought on largely oy
the EnisLnanagemenI OF their pTedeces-
s,T- Had any other set of men been
ia authority other than What was.
the case would not have been
any better, possibly worse high
taxes are general all over the nauon'
ana not less in Democratic communl-
ties than in the most loyal and Rspub-
Iican. Complaints about high taxes are
equally prevalent without regard to the
parties charged with being responsible
for them, and n desire expressed TO be
rid OF them as quickly as possible, Is
0y no means confined TO the members
Of the party, which Is SO unfortunate as
10 be in the minority
The Republicans party has No desire
To shiTK any responsibility with which
it Is fairly chargeahlei is willing to de-
Tend the war, and the principles upon
which il fought the war triumphantly
through, and for which, the bottom
dollar, il necessary, would nave been
well aud willingly spent, but, TO be
charged exclusively with being the au
thor OF all the financial Irou bles afflict-
ing the country, Is unjust, snd men
who are not blinded to The truth, must
see IL. Those who expect TO get rid OF
high taxes any sooner by change of
administration are bound to be mis-
taken. The Republican party will be
far more apt to legislate to that end,
than any new set OF men who may be
put in power.
a great deal of the complaint we
have is nothing but clap-trap. Sup
pose the Weston Luna.ic Asylum has
been mismAnaged and proven n sink
hole for money, who is responsible for
It. 1t was an incumbrance we receiy-
ed from the State Of Virginia, com
menced under purely democratic in
huences, and Governor BoFeman's Ad-
ministTation had little more authority
or power TO remedy the evil than the
ADMINISTRATION OF the uian in the
moon. What they could do, WAS done.
So with the PenTtentiary. After the
separation, we were Obliged 10 have a
PenitenIiATy-GoveT Foreman nor
the Legislature could avoid the necess-
ity-prOpOsals were advertised for the
building OF one, and though it does not
fairly appear that any unnecessary eX-
travhgance was peTPetTaied, suppose it
did SO az pear, has that not been the
case with every large public building
since the creation. We believe the
PenitentiaTy has been az economically
managed, Notwithstanding all the
Atrictures, AS any other set OF men
would have done ii, or as any other
public building would have bee done.
1t is likewise, We think, rather small
10 be harping so persistently upon the
expenditure oil few hundreds of dol.
lars In the way of bringing up the sal
aries Of our Stale officials to something
like figure that would support them
and their families at the seat of Gov
erument. The Legislature had an I'M
doubted right to pay their house rent
II n majority saw titI and II was only u
question OF expediency. Their salaries
were fixed on n gold basis, when a dol
lar was worth dollar, and il was not
in the contemplation OF the makers of
the Constitution to pay their officials
with paper, at IA discount of $50 per
cent, or to pay them anything less
than II reasonable and decent compen-
saIion for their services. In endeavor-
ing to meet the case in the manner they
did, the Legislature were only acting in
accordance with the spirit OF the Con-
stiIution, and not by any means in
cOnITaventiOn OF its letter.
The complaints on this head grow
rather out OF captious disposition TO
find fault than out OF anything else,
and will hardly amount TO much with
men ofredection and liberal ideas.
So with our county expenditures. In
our county there is, fortunately, very
little room for party criticism. All our
liabilities have been contracted with
the full knowledge and consent of all
parties, and they charge the other with
being responsible. The bounty tax was
not particularly Radical imposition;
neither was the Poor Farm purchase,
neither is the School tax, the heaviest
OF all our taxes, at least the other side
is not willing TO charge this latter as
being "A Radical sin; neither are any of
our local burdens chargeable upon the
Radicals" as "a party.
The truth is, and we wish TO impress
this fact upon me minds Of all who are
in the habit OF pondering the prOduc-
lions OF our heavy writer's on finance,
and allowing themselves to dwell upon
the oPpressiVeness of Radical rule, that
the most OF these documents emanate
from IL class of sore heads, who have
never had the opportunity of doing the
State much service themselves. II the
opportunity was afforded them of hand
ling the public funds no doubt II would
be most properly done. and ii the peo-
pie would only appreciate their talents
and disinteresledness, in a style COM
nensurate with their own opinion of
their wisdom and deserts, we would
very soon have pause in their mourn
ful jeremiads over the public corrup-
ton. Whether public corruption would
then ceaseis another question-we very
much doubt II.