The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-12

Senator Donehoo's resolution reciting the
constitutional requirement that taxation
shall be equal and uniform throughout the
State, and directing the Committee on
Finance to report remedy, has drawn
from that committee report and bill
The report Is not so intended, but it is in
fact q singing rebuke OF Bourbon admin
istration in West Virginia. The committee
finds
That our existing assessment laws fall very
far short OF meeting the plain requirements
OF the Constitution; that taxation is not equal
and uniform throughout the State; that many
items OF property which should be taxed are
not assessed ut all. nor do our present laws
make any provision for their assessment
Whether this condition OF affairs Is attriouta'
bic to original defects 10 the law (which IS
SUBSTANTIALLY the same as It was in 1868, be-
fore our mineral wealth was at all deyeloped).
or due 10 the changed industries OF our peo-
ple. is scarcely profitable inquiry because
H Ia yery certain that these defects may be
corrected here as they have been In other
States
largest and most profitable industries OF our
State were entirely unknown 10 us prior 70
the war. Much the largest part OF the de-
yelopment within Que territory OF coal. iron;
oil and lumber has occurred since 1850, and
chiefly since 1870 The extent to which these
new industries have increased our weaRh
cannot be accurately ascertained ifom any
data now accessible to this committee, but It
Is a fact ayouched BY the personal ooserya-
ton OF every citizen, that our increase 10
wealth has kept pace with our increase In
population. We see around us In every part
OF the State evidence OF thrift and prosperity,
which are conclusive OF the fact that we are
equally advancing In wealth and population.
And vet our attention has been called by the
Governor to the remarkable fact that THE
ta1sbles values according 10 the assessmenr
OF the State have not increased In proportion
to population"
The assessed value Of personal property
for 1871 WIS 0,642,06l, for 1881, SS7 ,562,-
STA falling Off Of more than three mil
lions in ten years. Nobody believes this
to be true showing; and the committee
proceeds by analogy to show that # can not
be true. A comparison shows that accord
ing to the returns there was a heavy falling
of in the rich counties Of Hardy, Jefferson,
Kanawha, Ohio and Wood, and only q
slight increase, from 100000 to s27l 900. in
the rapidly developing county OF Fayette.
The committee quotes from the census
bulletins to show the great increase in ag-
ricultural wealth, and declares that our in.
crease in that report "has been at least
one.third less than our increase in mining,
manufacturing and commercial wealth"
But the growth Of taxation has fallen on
the farmer, while these other interests have
largely escaped their due share OF the bur
den OF government.
The committee is good enough to re-
mark that "the present law was passed
many years ago, and before our mineral
wealth was developed" 1t appears, there
fore, from the report Of committee Of the
Democratic Legislature, that in its twelve
years Of power the Democratic party has
taxed the farmer out Of all proportion to
his fair liability, while property and en-
pigments far more remuneratiye have
been allowed in large measure to escape.
The blame cannot be put upon the Repub-
lican party, for this great growth and ac-
emulation ofpersonol property is OF COM
paratiyely recent origin, as the committee
is particular to say. The responsibility is
clearly upon the Democratic party, and We
are glad to see it facing the music even at
this day. u..r tft.. be-.
The bill OF the committee provides for a
Commission Of three "proper and discreet
persons" to be appointed by the Governor
to take the whole subjectinto consideration
with view to the revision and amend
ment Of existing laws. Each Commissioner
is to receive four dollars a day and ex-
penses, The question ought TO be met,
and perhaps the Commission plan ia
the best way to get at it. But every
thing will depend upon the kind Of
men who compose the Commission. There
Is no provision in the bill for minority rep
resentation. As 1t stands now the Gov
ernor may select three Democrats, and
that will satisfy the requirements Of the bill.
There ought to be one Republican on
the Commission. Unless Republicans insist
upon aud secure such an amendment there
is no guarantee that the Tax Commission
will not be solid"