Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1876-09-23
DEMOCRATIC RETRENCHMENT
In WEST VIRGINIA,

LIN uDI t1hd1HIAs
from the Preston County Journal. !
Over $4,000 were in the State Treas
ury when the Democratic party came
into power in 1870. Three years after
we have Jonathan Bennett laundering
in the Senate that the State is bankrupt,
and the State at the same time borrow
ing money of Hon. G. M. Bishop and
the banks.
The figures in the Governors message
transmitted to the Legislature that as
sembled in January, 1875, show def
cit in the treasury of SO, 72e Is. In his
message to the adjourned session which
convened in Wheeling last November,
the Governor said the expenditures were
$28,745,41 more than the receipts of
that year.
few days before the adjournment of
the last session, Mr.. West, the Demo-
cratic nominee for Treasurer, said de-
felt of 100000 would show itself at
the end of this fiscal year. We know
not how that will be, but we do know
that the $4,000 appropriated at the
last session, to pay criminal charges was
exhausted over m0ntA ago.
The Democratic party saw in 1878
that something must be done, or else the
State would be bankrupt, sure enough.
More money was necessary, and must
be had. There are three ways to ac-
complish that: First, increase the rate
Of taxation; second, increase the amount
of taxable property, and third, increase
the value of the taxable property. 1t
would have cost nothing to have issued
the first two methods; but, with its
usual blindness, the Democracy decided
to adopt the latter method-a very cost
ly one; and they passed an act at the
session Of 1928 providing for the re-
assessment Of all the real estate in the
State. Instead of giving this job into the
hands of the regular assessors, whom the
people have elected, and VINO were &C
quainted with the business, the act pro-
vided that the Auditor should appoint
as many Commissioners as there were
assessors to do the work.
Well, what did this job cost the tax
payers The last session of the Legis-
lature appropriated $2O,75O to pay the
Commissioners, and the printing of
books, de-, dc. will cost, at least, &c.,
900 more--so the total cost to tax pay
crs Of the State is not less than $50, 000l
But there was no call for the expendi-
ture of this sum-it was absolutely
wasted. The former valuation of the
real estate was made in 1866, we believe,
right in the time when prices were in
flated. And sure it is that real estate
was worth more than it is now-consid-
erably more.
Again: This expenditure was useless
because the revenues could have been in
creased by simply raising the amount
of the levy. If the levy of 80 cents on
the 800 valuation was not enough to
run the State, it could have been in
creased to So cents without it having
cost the people $4,000 to do it, And
why was not the latter inexpensive
method adopted? Simply because that
would have been increasing taxation
directly, while to raise the value of the
article taxed is to do it indirectly.
But what is the effect of the re-assess-
ment upon the revenues? The real es-
tate of the State is increased in value by
this assessment, to the amount of SILL
219, 457,37. The State tax is, and has
been ever since the State was organized,
30 cents on the 800, or mills on the
dollar. AS the value of the real estate
is increased $11,213, 357.37, so the taxes
are increased to the amount of three
hundred and thirty-six thousand, four
hundred and three dollars and seventy
two cents.
And remember, too, that this is the in
crease on the state tax alone. There are
the county levy, the poor levy, and the
school levy to be calculated yet, and not
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