The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-18
Another PoInt Of Danger.

ratious Of the leaders Of that movement
The danger thus threatened is so grave
for this quarter Of the State thatit would
be difficult TO exAggerate II. |
We are, however, menOced by another
danger even graver than that. There Is
another provision in the present cons'itu'
ton, even more important more lunua'
mental, more general and enduring IN us
operation than the Ono referred 10, WhiCn
Is threatened by this movement, and 50
plainly threatened that the danger needs
only to be mentioned TO DO perceived Dy
all. 80,
The most admirable because equitable
rule for taxation to be found In any stale
ia that TO be found in the present Oonsu'
tuition Of West Virginia, 1t Is that
"Tszatiop shall be equal and uniform
throughout the State, and all property,
both real and personal, shall be taxed ~
nronorliOn TO lis value TO be Ascertllnel
as directed by law, No one species o.
property from which tax may be col
iected shall be taxed higher than any
other species Of property Of equal value
The proposition embodied in this is so
obviously just that the reader may be in
clined to say no other rule would be adj
missable at all, and to doubt that any
serious attempt would ever BIO made TO
change It. But II we call q Convention
an attempt will certainly be made TO
change this rule, and II would not be
very surprising II 1t were successful
Among individual taxpayers, whose in
teress arc pretty well equalized, no
objection will ever BIO made to
this rule. But where there are
very large interests of any sort these
will always seek to escape some part Of
the burden of taxes. There are some In
terests Of that kind in this State, OF SO
much wealth and influence, that they al
ready bend the State legislation TO their
purposes. The Baltimore s. Ohio Com
pany, as our readers are aware, re-
sisted the payment Of all taxes to the
State until couple Of years ago, and
have since been paying, on very light
valuation, under protest. The chesapeake
s. Ohio do not pay anything at all, their
charter, in utter defiance Of the constitu'
ton, having exempted them till their mel
profits shall DO ten per cent; which Is prac'
tically complete exemption. The Balti
more s. Ohio Company In preventing
decision by the Supreme Court Of the Uni
ted States in the Marshall county case
have kept the question Of their liabillt.
open and making their payments unde
protest, IL they should at future day
get favorable decision, land when W
get Democratic State Supreme Cour
who knows but they may the State woul'
have TO refund every dollar. OF cuurs
the attempt to exempt the Chesapeake q
Ohio, by legislative act, In violation Of tn
constitution, lisa nullity In law, though tn
unlawful act receives effect and no take
are levied or collected. The Legislator
last winter Ia Democratic Legislature
and therefore necessarily model Of wis
dom and purity enlarged the privilege
of this Company in an extraordinary dc
gree, allowing them 70 hold vast bodie
Of land, lay of and own cities and carr
on every kind Of manufacturing. {
course all the land, manufactures an
other property now hold or hereafter al
qulred by this Company will be put int
the capital stock and will escape taxation
while other people who hold land {
town property, or who seek to compel
with this favored corporation In mania
turing, will be taxed alt the heavier /
reason Of It's exemption, and will Their
fore be the less able 10 compete with 1t.
or course the Baltimore & Ohio Cor
pany, now paying its taxes under protes
and the Chesapeake & Ohio, PRACTICAL
though not lawfully exempt and liable
have the constitutional rule enfOrct
against them by the Courts, would BOZ
desire 10 have the constitution 30 chang
o. TO allow the Legislature to exem
them. Is It likely Convention won
acccde 10 their wlsheSH Answer enoul
may be found In tho action Of the ID
Legislature IA Democratic Legislature
It. remembered) One Company secur
the election Of its confidential agent
United States Senator, and the other Q
tanned pretty much oil The privileges
chose 10 ask and more than the Legis
ture had power TO grant,
Legislatures are made up of men-ma
OF them needy and some venal. SO a
conventions; and what has been proven
aLegislature may be confidently premis
ola convention. These two great corr
ratlons would certainly be able TO car
any measure they wanted through &C
vention, and what they would want in |
chapter on taxation is easily apprellendt
They would have the aid Of brood
new railroads about TO be organized unt
the auspices Of State aid and with the c
tatnty Of abrogatlhg the present prohi
ton on that subject, these embryo com
mics would be 80 many that a combinat
Of them TO promote a scheme for til
common interest would be irresistible.
We see no reason to doubt theret
that while the enlistment Of q State d