The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1883-04-11
One Man Power.

things in the system Of taxation, in
this State, and give as authority for
this new departure a decision Of the
Court Of Appeals, in the case Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
against the Auditor The decision
having been rendered in April, 1882,
the Governor should have called the
attention Of the last Legislature to
the subject, and so radical a change
asis now proposed, emsnating from
the law making power Of the State,
might have been received with some
small degree Of satisfaction. As the
Governor had TO borrow 30 largely Of
the school fund, to keep the wheels
Of government moving, it is a little
remarkable that he should have for.
gotten in his message these new sub.
jects Of taxation. He had approved
the assessment law Of 1881, and
seems never to have had any Consti-
tuliOnal scruples to overcome until
this new light was shed upon him
by the Court Of Appeals. Governor
Mathews in a message called the at
tention Of the Legislature to that
provision Of the constitution, and
recommended that this same depart.
ure be made under his administra.
ton, but the recommendation was
unheeded, and that too, because it
was no new subject, but one thathad
been thought over and discussed in
oil its bearings, time and again, our
people having settled down to the
conviction that such exemptions
could not only be made under the
Constitution, but were demanded by
every consideration Of fairness and
Justice.
We remember well that Judge
Woods, in his able review Of the
present constitution, said, "by COM
pairing the first section of article eight
of the existing constitution with the
first section of article ten Of the new,
it will be perceived that no change
Whatcvsr (the italics his) has been
made in the system Of taxation.
The Judge evidently sought to
make the impression that none would
be made under Democratic admins.
tration. 1t now being too late to
discuss the subject Of taxation, we
shall content ourselves with saying
that when such lawyers as Judge
Ferguson, Judge Lamb, and others,
could consistently with the oath they
have taken, enact law under the
constitution Of 1868, making the ex.
emptions referred to, and when the
same law bas been on the statute
books from that day to this, and when
the last constitutional convention
after a terrible wrangle upon the
subject of advalorem taxation, con-
eluded that it would be the part Of
wisdom to leave the subject where
they found it, with the recognized
construction that had been given the
old constitution by our lawmakers,
1t is not remarkable that complaints
are loud and deep. The Wheeling
Register cannot place the Democratic
party in q false position upon this
subject. The party is in no manner
responsible for the mistakes Of indi.
vidual members, but will continue
to live long, long after Governor
Jackson and Auditor Miller are for.
gotten. The complaint is that the
Governor was a little too willing.
We take no stock in any such pro.
ceeding, feeling that it smacks too
much Of the spirit which prompted
Oliver Cromwell to dissolve the Brit.
ish Parliament. With a little more
sympathy FIR the taxpayer, this de.
,cision Of the court, so obnoxious to
tbefarmer and mechanic, might have
been easily disregarded. The Gov
ernor has simply amended a Law,
practically speaking, which tho Leg.
islature has persistently refused TO
do, and that no longer than last win.
ter. The Democratic party will Sc.
lect a Governor in 1884, who will ex.
eCute the law as he finds it, and dis.
regardany such precedent as is sought
to be established.
There are too many interests at
stake to suppose that our people will
remain quiet under this state Of
things. Tho poor man who by in.