The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-08-29
At'hesliug Rsgister.
r.ur.aay Morning.. angus, 20


~, are sratified TO note that OuI
,s,rhhor of the IntelligeRcer, evidently
,opyipced by our reasoning on the sub
,.,t backs Down completely and as
sr,ceinlly rs could be expected under
m, circumstances, from the PROPOSE
,iou made by him last Friday. Our
r.,J.rs and his will remember that,
de,pairisg of being able to elect a ma
,,rity of the next legislature by adher-
M, to the old.fashioned party clap-trap
ahonr loyalty" &c, &C., he proposed to
mike an issue in the fall elections upon
rbe question oftaxing the property of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
many. On last Friday, he said, in an ar
,irl. headed IAN Issue in the Elections
This fall; =
There is All issue that has been before
the LEGISLATURE at its last two sessions
which il seems to us might properly be
srftled bv the people during the canvass
his fall. and Thus save distraction and
waste of time when the Legislature
meets in January.
", refer to the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad fax question.
W,at We propose therefore is this /:
That those in favor of enforcing the tax
nrnyision of our constitution nominate
their candidates, and those opposed to
.nch enforcement match their men on
the other side. Let us have an open,
souarr and fair fight on the stump in the
pre>encc of the electors of the State,
and thus settle the dispute in advance
nt the next session.
They east divided vote in the Legis-
lature last winter. Let us see if they
will not be more of unit next time.
We venture to say that if an active
canvass is made OH this issue this fall
throughout the fifty-twO counties of the
state, that an anti-taX member OF either
house will be something of rarity
next winter.
1t is evident from the quotations We
have made aud was SO understood by all
who read the article referred to, that 1t
was the desire of the LntelligeRcerto TO have
the two parties now struggling for the
mastery in this State divided upon this
question. The radical candidates for
the legislature were to favor taxation OF
the B. y 0. Railroad and the opponents
of the continued rule of that party were
expected to array themselves i'll favor of
excmpting the railroad from its proper
taxation. To this nice little arrange
ment prepared by the IptelligeHcer we
gently demurrcd. We argued that the
present exemption ofthe BIS o Railroad
from taxation was one Of the counts in
the popular indictment against the rad
zeal party, and that the conservative
people of the Stare were not quite green
enough to permit themselves TO be plac-
ed in the position of apologists for and
defenders of one of the most tlagrant
wrongs commi ted by their political ep-
ponents. Seeing that the thing won't
work, the IHtellgeRcer now withdraws
the proposition, and concludes that the
Legislature has nothing to do with the
qrcstion whatever. This conclusion was
announced in yesterday mornings pa
per as follows:
The question can be argued and set
tied Oh its merits, for it has legal and
constitutional status. 1t has been in
III ilu mn Tn
the Court of Appeals, whatever may be
the decision of the Legislature. We
should be glad if it could be confined to
the COurts altogether. .
We see no prospect of settling 1t In
The Legislature on satisfactory basis.
Ii is question for the courts to de-
eide whether il is amenable to that
clause. Aud il is question that the
Legislature cannot settle. Then why
bring il into that body at all Why
not resolutely keep it ont until the
courts shall render their decision Once
they decide the points raised by the
company, the latter will probably feel
prepared to offer basis of settlement
cOnfOrmable to the constitution. Mean
while the usual course of proceedings
~ the Legislature need not be distract
ed, nor its time wasted by repetition
Of the last two years experience.
Ii is question that the courts will
adjudicate, and we propose to leave IL
TO them and keep it ont of the Legisla-
ture
The proposal to make the taxation Of
the b. 4 o. Railroad an Issue in the
fall elections being thus summarily
withdrawn by its original mover, here
ends the discussion. Proposed on Fri
day; abandoned ON Wednesday; the ep-
Itaph of the tissue" may very appropri-
stely he,
Since so quickly am done for:
wonder what was begun for,
We have but a word or two more to
add IN reference to the taxation of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and, when
these are said, will drop the question,
for the present at least. The conserva-
tive men of the State and of the nation
~ iai &c arc ll idNOl VI . duoii6AoS e"NS
ton. They are not in favor of placing
upon other classes of property the bur-
dens that should rightfully be borne by
railroad stocks and United States
bonds, while, at the same time, they
would tax neither the bonds nor
the stock at higher rate than is
borne by the people at large. The bills
offered at the last session of the Legis'
lasure for the taxation of the property
Of the b. & o. Railroad Company were
Objectionable in many of their features
but still the radical party had the whole
thing in its own hands, it could have
imposed just and proper tax upon the
railroad if it had virtue enough to dc
so, and for its failure to do so when the
opportunity was offered it is justly
responsible to the people. To that
.r- n A. 4 =. - -