Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-09-25

not be published Until tue Resembling OF The
legislature rext winter. The foregoing, how
ever. are sufficient to dem)ns,ra,e that our hee
school sysJem Is AZ 4 healIhfGl and prosIsaive
condition"
RAILROAD CORPORATIONS.
The Republican leaders charge that
the Democratic party has not restrained
and limited railroad corporations to the
legitimate sphere Of their corporate pow
ers, and has not held them to a rigid
accountability for the exercise Of their
rights for tue good OF the citizens OF the
state.
Our Republican brethren must GER
tainly have madea mistake when they
Incorporated such language in their
platform, or else they intended at the
time OF its adoption to nominate some
body besides George e. Sturgiss, for
Governor.
Ii they mean by such language that
Railroad Corporations enjoy privileges
which are rot accorded 10 individuals,
such as exemption from taxation, they
are respectfully referred 10 the Act
passed by a Republican legislature on
the first day oil March, 1866, incorporate
I'M the C~ovingtnn aud Olio Railway, in
which it was provided that the Compa-
nv should be exempt from taxation un-
I'll its profits should amount 10 ten per
cent. upon its capital. They are further
referred TO all act passed Oy a Democratic
Legislature in 1879, which seeks to re-
peal such provision and which requires
an assessment oil the property ot the
Railroad Company to be made for the
purpose OF taxation. And ii they will
90 further, they will fnd that under a
Democratic administration such assess
ment was made, and tina. the Com
PAW claiming exemption from ali
taxes under its contract ruth a
Republican, lcgisLoiars has e%njolned the
proceedings to collect such taxes ana
the matter is now in the Circuit Court
NhAF
vi OhiO county.
Ifthey mem by such language that
certain railroads are aud have been
making unjust determinations against
our citizens in the natter ot rates Of
ireiybt and travel, We will, without rais-
ING any question rs to the merits oil the
case. put Mr.. GEo. &. SrCRGis', The IF
u,,JLctn candidate for GOrernor, on the
sta nd aud hear what he says about 1t.
Mr.. SrrRGiss was a memOer OF a JOINT
committee OF the Legislature OF West
V r..nia, appointed to investigate the
alleged illegal charges Tor passengers and
fir .iynt imposed by the Baltimore and
| Ohio K ulroal CJmplny. Ga the 10th
day OF February, 1871. he, on behalf OF
the CON uitL.e mulea report to the
Legislature, which may be found in the
| Journal oithe House OF Delegates for
1871, on page l7j. That report con-
cludes as follows:
The reasons are patcn, to every one, why To-
cal freight, ctuuo: DE transported ~ chetply rs
thrOu, n itcights, aud are ably stated al great
length in the accOI' pIuytug letter and reporter
the proceedings OF the c0mmittec, which are
herewith Suhm rei. An ,Xtmiuau01 "i the
printed tariff, Of TIC company shows TIM; IN no
CO, is the Iuct rate tom Baltimore 10 any way
station n tbs state greater than {" "arr'ins'
and r.rs rsr.I, bU. Il was stated hat reducti"IS
were daily made upon the rates To Wheeling
aud Parscrsbuy. aud frequently to local sta
lions. for the - Dous set forth in tho sttIcment
md letter above r.forrci {, which, It SS con
tended. did MT In point Of fact cunstiIu!ca Vio'
htion OF the act oflN7.
The committee were hlyO-ably impressed wi h
he evident is7uS ito To fairly Discus, and al
lust uppu Nh equitable basis, the grievances Of
cpmpIainsu :. exh bitgi by the company aud
its agents. although il re,pe fully d med the
authority 81 the Lcsi laturc 10 control or tn
terfere with IL, rates rs long as rs charter rates
sud priv lescS oyc not violated.
In conclusion. yOurcOmmitee are OF Op!nion
tn. ans changes m the existing laws AMI rDgu
ls,ions gny,Iuirg the c mpauy, would mt
only be prod Ct.yo OF n beneficial results, and
aaor, no relief 10 the corpl inants, who e
grievances ART .shtiDdecd, computed with the
Immense adv n,-gcs douyc by them IRON tnct
| proximity 20 tn rOtd, but ON tue tnuliaIy
YOU q result in greater compile uinus, ncw and
more Formidable appeal, for relief from thO,c
sections 81 he State, UuOu whom the prop Iscd
change would bear hardest, AL tend greatly to
destroy that cJmmuu.'y Of iuicre { which
should suh.i,J b tween tho Cit2sV,Ot the tate
AMI their grct m iium OF transportation
TNNE-.
Another n OF the false statements
male by the L .publiclas, is that the
D .mocratic party since it has had con.
troll OF the affairs OF tho State, has in.
creased the axes.
VIII n the Democrats TOOK charge OF
the atleirs OF the State the rate oil State
taxation for all purposes was thirty five
cents on each one hundred dollars oi
valuation OF property. THIS rate vas
soon afterwards reduc ii to thirty cents.
During the six years from 1860 to
1870 inclusive, the Republicans dis
bursed from the Treasury for all pur.
poses, the sun Of $ .2iS.9 81, in which
IS included school tax returned to the
counties amounting to SIPS, l+S n.
During the succeeding six years the
Democrats d.sburssd from the Treasury
So SSO,9J4.5i, OF which the sum Of
81, 366,GS7 was returned o the counties
as school tax.
TIE average number of persons as.
sessed with a capitation tax during the
six years OF Republican rule was 1862
Il IS therefore easily ascrrtalned that in
I the six years from 1865 to 1870, inclu'
Siye, the average amount pal by each
person who was assessed with a capita
lion tax WAS S42 - for all State purposes.
During the succeeding six years the
average number Of persons assessed with
A capitation tax vas -, 7g9; so that it
will be seen that during that time the
Democrats only expended S392S for
each capitation tax assessed. OF the
Si2.l5 expended during the six years OF
Republican rue the sum OF - II was
| returned to the counties as school tax,
leaving a net amounto OF sell expended
during that time for each capitation
tax assessed. Oi the S39.2S ex.
pended during Democratic rule,
the sum OF SlS,S3 was returned
to the counties for school tax, leaving
the net amouut expended Tor each per
son assessed with a capita;ion tax of
s25 Is.
Therefore il in the six years Of Repub-
lican rule the expenditure for each cap
itation was So Il, an the expenditure
during the follow n;sX years OF Demo.
cratic ri = Tor acl person assessed with
a capitation tax was 50 Il, there is a
differ nc in iavJr OF the Democrats of
s. 26 for the whole six years, or 81 2l
for each arf1re 1cbpsrSoH wb1 wIS assessed
nth a cGpitlijOR tar.
Ii our Republican friends think these