Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-10-30
COMMUNICATED.
THE RAILROAD TAXES.


We have said that the county court,
in direct violation of its duty, made an
illegal arrangement with the 3. & 0.
r. r. whereby the tax payers of Jeffer-
son have lost upwards of $4,000 annu-
ally. This arrangement was made SIX
years ago and if it was illegal we are
out of pocket largely upwards of S12,-
900. Whoever is responsible for this
robbery ought to be exposed and held
up to public condemnation.
1t is easy to suppress the truth and
to rattle off rigmarole that sounds
plausible enough to those who are not
informed of the facts and who do not
stop to reflect; but the politician who
plays this game may rely upon it, that
sooner or later The people will discover
his imposition, and when they do, he
will be crushed by their righteous in
dignation; not only so, but he may rely
upon it, the solid, thinking men of the
community are neither hoodwinked
nor deceived and sooner or later the
great mass of voters will come TO
right understanding. II is easy 10 fool
the people, for time, but the day of
reckoning is sure to come. Men Of
truth, of conviction and of principle are
certain, in the long run, 10 obtain pub
lie confidence, but men of talsehood,
expediency and policy must lose the re-
spect of the people; the success ofdema-
gogues is short lived,-they fail first,
among those who know them best.
Vainglorious buster and impudent pre-
varication may, for brief season, ex-
cite the crowd and create applause, but
when the noise subsidies, thinking, solid
men, (who exercise psrsonaiinhuence,
because respected and trusted,) come
back to FACTS and figures. We dare
any one to contradict either OF the fol-
lowing propositions:
First. The property ofan individual is
valued for taxation by the Assessor, but
the property of railroad IS valued by
three commissioners, who are appointed
by the Board of Public Works.
Second. II the land of an individual
is rated too high, he must apply to the
county court; if the railroad complains
of it's valuation, it must apply to the
Board of Public Works.
Third. "The county court shall not
compromise or remit any portion OF the
taxes assessed against the railroad. i"
Fourth. The commissioners valued
the property, 10 this county, Of the b.
e o. at $500, 900; Mr.. keyser induced
the county court " reduce that valua-
ton to 100000.
These are facts; no one dare contra
dict them. 1t is evident, the county
court was induced TO do thing, which
the law said it should not do. 1t is also
evident this county loses every year,
the tax on 100000; the tax on $500,
900 would average $4,000.
1t is impossible to blink the fact, our
court has made this corporation a pres
ent of $4,000 year. 1t is poor, pitt
full, paltry excuse 10 say they were
afraid of the erpenes of lawsuit. Such
nonsense deceives no one; the amount
saved in single year would pay for
half dozen lawsuits. Again. 1t is
no palliation to say that the justices OF
certain other counties along tie line OF
the road were also seduced to betray
their people; of course, tax payers are
plundered whenever an instrument is
found to perpetrate the wrong.
We cali on the next Legislature TO
raise a committee to investigate ard
publish all the facts concerning this
most Ubiquitous robbery, and mark our
words if the matter is examined by
fearless and competent men, it will be
found that free pass and similar faUors
were used to warp the judgment of
those justices along the line OF the road
who made these illegal arrangements
whereby the corporation escapes It's
tax. JEFFERSON.