The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-17

Assessments 1853, 1869, and lS7O.......s5, 500
Total taxation payable in three
...........s' ,oo-, ooS
To put it in another shape, the taxes
collectable in three years are very near
" twice a. much as the whole Of the
State debt at the breaking out OF the
war.
And while the State Treasury is
empty and without credit, the County
Treasures, or many of them, are no
better off. These County Treasures
have received the enormous taxes levied
for county purposes. In Charleston
county the county tax for 1869 alone
was 100000. And yet Charleston
county pays not cent of large claims
outstanding and overdue. Colleton is
bankrupt. Other counties, doubtless,
are in the same impecunious condition.
Taxes are levied sufficient to pay the
honest expenses Of the State three and
four times over, but the money does not
90 to the public creditors. The hard
earned money OF the people IS wasted
given away, and stolen.
This Is the situation and we see but
one practical defensive measure which
the people can adopt. That is, TO re-
fuse 10 pay the State and county tarss, n0m
f1LFaq tue, urhl tr1lst,corthy erh'6H as
mate ot tie entire liabilities Of the STATE,
and until, furthermore, satisfactory guar
antics are qi;sea that the moneys OF the Pe0-
PIE uW, hereafter, be hoaoraby spent.
We cannot, at this writing, explain at
length the reasons which lead US to be-
lieve that the withholding of taxes Is a
practical measure, which will bring out
the truth. expose to the people, without
1iscuise. the financial condition OF the
State. and protect them, in a large
measure, from further extravagance
and fraud. We can, however, lay down
these propositions: |. The State is
without money and without credit.
. Financially, the Stare is so rotten
that the State officers cannot sell It's
bonds. (it' ana are held '0hich are not
fraudulent IN charactsr,) and cannot
borrow money upon their security.
2 UyrIreds of State officers, OF high
or low degree, are bowling for their
nav. and when the Legislature meets,
at the end of this month, the
members (to all of whom per diem Is
due for the latter part of the last session
vII ;oin in the mornful cry. t. The
collection Of taxes cannot, under the
letter of the law, be enforced before
January l., up to which day there is
no penaltv for non-payment. >. The
taxes under the law, may be paid up
TO February Is, with a penalty Of
twenty per cent. 6. Governor Scott
stands pledged to the people of the
State to defer the collection OF taxes.
without penalty, to March l, 1877, and
the people, having made arrangements
accoriinglv, have the right to act upon
that pledge. !. Before the coming OF
either February or March, large liabllI'
ties of the State, for interest and for
cnrrest expenses, will fall due, and the
creditors-especially the lawmakers
NAV be induced by their necessities to
come to terms with the property-noId'
ars and taxpayers Of the State.
THIS is the outline of the plan Of
campaign. 1t can be carried out sue
cessfullv and without injury to any
honest man, whether in private or puo'
iic life We shall, hereafter, indicate
what general measures ofprotectlon the
people may demand as consideration n, u,
for the resumption of the payment o.
taxes. Aud we do believe that the ras
caIitv of the Ring may be the means O
rsdeeming the whole people, rich and
poor, from the clutches OF PACK o o
rascals, under whose rule no GIass o
honest citizens can prosper and be safe