The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-18

Creasing business, you may exempt IL
Now il is as perfectly well settled as any
thing else in the world, that you cannot
pay that price for public prosperity, for
increased population, increased business,
No matter what business you may desire,
or what advantages may result from any
business you may desire, you may encour.
age it at any other price but you cannot
exempt its capital from taxation. BE.
cause the result is that when you exempt
capital from taxation you charge the eX.
pcnse Of government on labor. Every
dollar yOl exempt from the taxation Of
capital is thrown on your poll tax, or on
the property tax Of the poor man, That
is principle you cannot live by and sus'
tain Tor single hour,
Let me make another suggestion in this
connection, and see how this would work
out in its practical results. This Hemp.
field Railroad Company while it was not
able 10 pay taxes and had scarcely any
thing to pay with, you taxed to the utter.
most farthing, But now that It has fallen
into ;hands able to pay and recovering
profits from the property, that moment
you propose to exempt II from taxation.
1t is proposed to exempt the property Of
the Baltimore IL Ohio Company from
taxa ton. trust, and have no doubt, in
two years from this day you will have
railroad depot on the Island coming in
from the North, through the State OF
Ohio. II you exempt the property of
the Baltimore IL Ohio Railroad Company,
you must exempt the property OF that
Company, whateverit may be, situated
in the limits Of the city, because you can
not make fish OF one and flesh oil another
You must put them all on the same loot
ing. II that railroad company brings its
road across Back River and makes its dc.
pot on the Island, the Cleveland u Pitts.
burgh Rallroad.COmpany, in seli.delense,
will also be compelled to cross and Cs-
tablish its depot on the Island. lit does
that, we must exempt the property OF the
Cleveland IL Pittsburgh Company, be.
cause you exempted the others. Then
you will have railroad property within
the territorial limits Of the city, within
the next twenty years which may DO
worth five millions Of dollars. You are
now driving the entering wedge for an
exemption Of property from taxation
which in twenty years may be worth five
millions OF dollars. You cannot escape 1t.
Again, il il be proper and Legitimate
mode Of acquiring population and bust.
ness within the city to exempt the pro.
perry Of railroad company from taxa.
ton, want to know lift Is not equally
legitimate and proper to invite every other
description Of business which increases the
prosperity, adds to It's population and en-.
largCs It's wealth; II itlsnOt proper to hold
out to 1t the same inducementsH The
manufacturing establishments of the city
of Wheeling arc worth twenty times more
to the city, rs source of prosperity and
wealth and population, than tho Balti.
more IL Ohio Railroad Company. pray
you, then, WHY shall not that property be
exempt from taxation on the same princi.
plGg And allow me To say that II you
will proclaim 10 tho world TO day that all
the manufactures of iron and OF glass that
will come into the city and establish them.
selves shall DO exempt from county and
city taxation, you will add millions to
your manufacturing capital in the course
Of the next five years. Why not do III
Simply because you cannot Afford TO In.
vite them at that price. n you invite
other manufacturing establishments hero
by eXempting them from taxation, then
OF course you must exempt those already
here, because you won't give interlopcrS
and persons who come how an advantage
of one or two per cent over existing manu-.
featuring establishments. You will be
compelled to exempt them 30 as TO put
them on an equality. Don't everybody
sec that If you adopt the principle on
which you arc basing this you sap the
very foundations of your prosperity and
deprive yourself Of your essential source
Of revenue No man can fail to sec IT,
And If you cannot afford IL invite manu-.
featuring Cstabllshments-glass works and
nail mills by Gxempting them, how can
you invite population, capital and business
Of any description on the same termsY
You see the tendency Of the principle Is
TO relieve capital and throw the burden
upon labor; and that has been tho origin
of ninC.tenths Of the revolutions with
which mankind has been cursed. The
French revolution owed It's origin 10 pre-.
Ciscly this state OF things The clergy and
nobility were exempted by France from
taxation. The taxes were thrown on the
third estate, tho laboring population; and
the third estate was crushed and ground
into the earth until II threw Off It's burdens
by overturning the government. That Is
the tendency OF all these exemptions of
capital. II Is TO impose on labor the bur.
dcns that properly belong to capital and
must DO borne by capital In every commu.
nifty. ....
II Is said by one gentleman we must do
this or they will take these shops to Bel.
lairo Itcll you, gentlemen, they wont do
any such thing, for BGllaire has no power
TO exempt them and they will pay double
the taxes in Ohio they pay here. No
question about II. | know something
about taxes In Ohio. II II Is for theft
interest to establish their shops in the city
Of Wheeling, they will do II and they
wont take them away ior trivial tax Of
so cents on the hundred dollars, which Is
all you have any power 10 assess. And II
they should take them below into Marshall
county they will still be for all practical
and business purposes part Of The city.
A population added 10 the city anywhere
between this and Benwood is for all praC.
tical purposes city population. Its bust.
ness will be done here, It's population will
be added substantially TO the population
Of the city and It's increased wealth will
be substantially an increase in the wealth
of the city.
Now, 1 submit, gentlemen, these arc
considerations that ought not 10 DO over.
looked. should be gratihed, confess, for
the fair fame of the city and It's interests
II II should show itself capable of resisting
the Establishments which such corpora
tion is capable OF using. l understand
that any man who takes the stand | have