The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-23

Some Of tho Salient Points Noted In tn
Mn iorjty Renprt. .-.

SotnO OF tho Snlieut IOintS Notcu IN tho
NInjority Report.
Tho Tax Commission has published its
second report, which treats Of Estate De-
%velopment." The following extracts and
head lines indicate the character and COM
pass OF the present paper:
ut is a mistake to suppose that this
State is prospecting as much as she ought
to do. A State is prospecting when, and
only when, those who permanently reside
within her limits are increasing in wealth;
4 State is prospecting only when her citi-
zens are accumulating property. A State
is unprosperous when the wealth is being
absorbed by a few individuals; q State is
doubly u%nprospcrous when the property is
rapidly passing from her present popula-
ton or home people into the hands Of
non-rcsidents."
SHALL DUR WEALTH PASS TO STRANGERS.
"The wealth OF this State is immense;
the development OF this wealth will earn
vast private fortunes far beyond the
dreams even OF u modern Crrsus; the
question is, whether this vast wealth shall
belong to persons who live here and who
arc permanently identified with the future
Of West Virginia, or whether it shall pass
into the hands OF persons who do not live
hero and who care nothing for our State
except to pocket the treasures which lie
buried in our hills?
Ii the people Of West Virginia can be
reused to an appreciation OF the situation
We ourselves will gather this harvest now
ripe on the lands inherited from our an
c~estors; on the other hand il the people
arc not reused to IN understanding OF
the situation in less than ten years this
vast wealth will have passed from our
present population into the hands OF non.
residents, and West Virginia will be
almost like Ireland and her history will be
like that OF Poland"
The following topics are also treated:
"All Progress is not HeaIthy"-"Emmis.
saries OF Injurious Schemes"-"The Three
Stages OF Railroad Enterprise"-"County
Subscriptions 10 Railroads."
PRESENT OWNERS SHOULD GATHER THE
HARVEST.
"lIcrc is a matter which, in our judg-
mcnt, is not sufficiently understood BY the
public. We frequently hear persons ad-
vocating enterprises which arc based on
an idea that property now owned by our
home people have developed after such
property has passed into the hands OF
strangers, viz: the present owner will sell
at a sacrifice and some stranger will gather
the harvest. The writer Inns no sympathy
with any scheme Of development which
will not benefit the present population.
It has unfortunately become fashionable
to depreciate the capacity Of our own citi-
zens; there arc persons who delight to
describe West Virginians as ignorant,
thriitless. and incapable Of utilizing tho
advantages OF their situation and who
predict that this State. will not be-
come prosperous until the bulk Of the
present population is oustcd from their
property and q nov set Of people with
moro energy and capacity are brought in
TO occupy IL places. The writer does
not tolerate such suggestions; no cares
nothing for the prosperity OF West Vir-
ginia except in so fur rs her present pop.
ulation or our children will participate in
the benefits OF that prosperity. This coun.
try is richer than it would have been had
the Indians remained undisturbed--but
tho Indians are not better off. 1t is the
part OF Statemanship to accelerate the
prosperity Of III present population and
it Is a gross pervcfsion Of Statccraft to en-.
courage methods whereby strangers may
acquire our lands for a string OF beads"
The following subjects appear in the re.
port: ut is difficult 10 arrest public at.
tention."-"An agency needed to publish
the fucts. "-"Tl:e resources OF our State
n basis OF credit. interested to
prevent publicity. "-"Legislation aptto DO
hwarted."-"Capita afraid Of railroad
securitics."-"Publicity in railroad man
acement will attract capital. "-"Shall
West Virginia be outstripped by less
favored localities" @
THIS COMMISSION las FAILED TO PERFORM
lTs Work.
1.-THE writer has had his attention called
to numberless matters which demand in.
and publicity, but it was abso.
lutely impossible within the time ut his
command to accomplish moro than has
been done. Persons who have not dealt
with these subjects, which arc foreign to-
our ordinary pursuits, can form no idea OF
tho amount OF labor involved or the
Of reflection TINT is demanded be-
lore n writer Is prepared to commit his
conclusions to the public"
"Mlr. Bell, OF tho Commission, states
That he is not ut present prepared to con.
cur in certain OF the views expressed in
ropnrf " f1asrF rl-E