The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-08

MINUS must Itst Wle uGSttuS hAu
perpetuity Of free government.
be argued that the constitution
Of the State has provided that taxation
should be equal and that the Constitution |
81 the State, which oil the members were
sworn 10 support, contemplated that taxa
ton for any public policy should be so
imposed that d citizen should pay inpro.
portion 10 his property. He asked how
can this principle be reconciled with the
policy OF the free school statutes Of the
State upon that subject. He brought up
In review the operations Of the present
school law, which he insisted was themost
unjust and unrighteous law that ever
graced q statute book. He insisted that
no man could justify Law that imposed o
tax oil citizen In one part OF the State
ten times greater than that OH q citizen OF
some other part Of the Stnte. He insisted
that the Law now imposing a State tax oil
ton cents on the hundred dollars worth Of
property. which with q State capitatlon
tax Of ono dollar on tho head, together
with the State distributablc school fund,
shall be distributed to the various coun'
ties In proportion 10 tho population Of the
youth, prOvidedthe counties or school dis
tricts 10 which the same Is distributable
will tax themselves with local tax sutti'
Gent 10 carry on the school for four
months In the year, and upon failure to
charge themselves with sucll local tax, tho
dlstributable school fund which in part
has been collected from them shall be
withheld. He argued that this law IN o
great many Of the counties Of the State
operated unequally and witllgrGati injustice
that in many instances II imposed local
tax OF 80 cents on the hundred dollars for
educational purposes, AMI that with this
enormous lax they were even then i'm:
able TO carry on their schools four months
In the year, but that they were compelled
10 collect from the citizens this enor-
nous tax TO entltlc themselves 10 the dis.
tributable fund, while the wealthy anil
more favored portions Of tho
State did not have to levy II
local tax exceeding Is cents on tho
hundred dollars, and enable themselves
with that small tax TO carry OH their
school ten months il che year. lleinsist-
cd that this was not equal taxat:2n, he
insisted that certain gentlemen in the
House, under the law as II existed, had
been enabled to cut themselves or III In
dependant school districts, which enabled
them to impose q small tax by which they
carried on their schools for eight and ten
months in the year, while ii imposed up
OH their neighbOrs, not so fortunately sit
nated, q tux 81 forty or fifty cents OIL the
hundred dollars to get tlielr school for
four months, He appealed to the mem
beers 10 know where the justice OF the law
was, or how 1t could be supported by any
honest man.
lie argued That many Of the counties
who complained Of tho proposition to in.
crease the State tax were now receiving
large appropriations for the purpose Of
maintaining theirmidsthigh schools, &c.
Dl. LcoAS's REAARRS.
DR.. Logan called attention 10 the con.
stitutional provision, which requires, that
the free schools shall be sustained by local
and district levies, Us we'll as by a general
State levy. Tho ayowed purpose OF the
supporters OF this bill Is 10 abrogato praC.
ticaily the local levies, and increase 100
per cent the general State levy. Such leg.
islation was not intended by the trainers
Of the Constitution, and is In violation Of
Its manifest spirit and instruction. Had
tho framorS OF tho Constitution foreseen,
that one Of Its provisions would be used
by selfish and grasping majority to in.
jure and Cypress q minority, they would
doubtless have placed u limit upon the
power to tax for State school fund.
The provisions Of the bill are unjust to
such counties, as in good faith, and In pur.
suanee Of constitutional provisions, have
for years made heavy local assessments for
school purposes, and have nov placed
themselves in position, where extreme
local lcvies are no longer necessary. The
friends Of this bill are now quoting these
comparatively lower levies in such coun.
ties az an argument In favor OF increased
State taxation. Where is tho Justice OF
such an argument? Would il not be more
honorable on tho part Of these gentlemen
to withhold their demand for this extreMe
levy until they had made to greulCr cx.
tent than now, the sacrifice Wh,rh Ohio
county for instance has made year after
year. and by which she is now enabled to
reduce her local cvics for school purposes.
Tho patrons Of this bill have much to
say about equal and uniform taxation, and
have cndeavored to create tho impression
that We, who oppose It, are OPPOSED I'd
equal aud uniform taxation. There Is no
such issue before US, and the gentlemen
know It, Interpretations not to change
the mo0e OF assessing taxes, It is n plain
proposition TO Increase tho Stats school
tax 10 cents OH the 500, aud this increase
OF Tux is to fall upon all alike, the poor as
well as the rich. egcntIcmcn have been
careful, however, to say nothing about the
manner in which the State school fund il
distributed, They withhold from YOU the
fact that It Is distributed accord.
Ing to population, and that tho
effect Of this bill will DO to
take thousands OF dollars from poun-
ties which are already bunlcnetl with taxes
and struggling with debt, aud distribute it
In other counties of the State, whose pop.
ulatton is large in proportion to the valu.
alton Of property tbGrGin, Aud herein
We have an explanation OF tho zeal which
some gentlemen manifest in support Of this
bill. 1t Is, as they calculate, money in
their pockets. II its effect was TO impoy.
erish their counties for the benefit OF
Others, as it certainly does many Of the
counties Of this State, they would not mp.
pear here ig its advocacy.
The Legislation contemplated hy this
bill, is especially inexpelicnt 1t tits TING
Of general financial depression. Our peg.
pig In all parts Of tho State, find great
difficulty inmeetIng existing taxes multi.
tubes Of them arc struggling to save them
selve from insolvency. Manufacturing
towns and cities, especially feel the pinch
Of the hard times. Municipal debts con.
traCted in mere prosperous times, bear
down now With crushing force, while our
Industries arc. almost paralyxed; while
thousands Of our artisans are out Of cn.
pIoymont; while thousands OF men in
humble circumstances arc struggling to
save their homes, tllreatepel ~ debts
contracted TO bridge oyer the hard times;
Is 1t wise, Is it just, to subject them TO This
enormous increase Of taxation, tho pro.
ceetls OF which arc to DO expended for the
benefit OF the rich rs well as tho poor in
other rarts.of the State? -
The friends OF this bill have had much
TO say about taxing the wealthy for tile
benefit pf the poor. They do not tell YOU,
lNh,AA T., ~