Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-02-23
rHE STARE ADnINIsrRArIoN.
Temperate Criticism by n Farmer
The Assessnent order aud the Tax
Commission The Morrison Tariff


Inc Assessnent oruer auu the ERN
Commission The Morrison Tarin
Bill.
To the EI',or Of The Register.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, w. Va, Febru-
airy 2l.-National aud State affairs at
present have a direct bearing on the
welfare of West Virginia, and | am
sorry to say that the tendency of both is
to prevent the development of her re-
sources.
I'm national politics We are confronted
by the, Morrison bill, commonly called
a bill for the horizontal reduction of
duties. AS a farmer understands it, its
result will be q reduction on the duties
of the raw material disproportionate to
the reduction on the manufactured ar
ticle.
Take wool for example. You have q
reduction of 20 per cent on the raw ma
teIlal and reduction of 20 per cent on
the manufactured article The duty on
wool is small, and the duty on the man.
ufaetured article in many cases great;
the result Of the operation Of the law,
if passed, being additional protection to
the manufacturer and additional extor-
ton against the producer.
The determinations of the parent
government are, however, in my judg-
ment, Insignificant, when we take into
consideration the action Of our State
authorities in regard to local affairs.
1t has been assumed in the past that
our State had three coordinate branches
constituting the whole Government
the legislative, judicial and executive.
The mission of the legislative depart
ment being to pass laws looking to the
public welfare subject 20 the funda-
mental laws.
The mission o: the judicial Depart
ment being to determine finally con-
tests between individuals, and the con.
stitutionality of all laws passed by the
legislative body, when properly brought
before them by legal process.
And the mission OF the executive be-
Dg to execute both until the constitu-
iiODality Of each law Was determined by
such process
1t is charged, aud it appears to me
with justice, that Governor Jackson has
srrogated to himself the powers and du-
ties of the three coordinate branches,
" bile, If acting in conformity to the
practice and teachings of our govern
ents, Safe and National, he is but
he executor OF the popular will as ex-
IIessed by legislative action until such
ctiOG is determined unconstitutional
V judicial tribunal. .
His friends place him in this attitude,
that, because a decision Of the Supreme
Court has been rendered in regard to
railroads, he determines judiciaIIy the
same question in regard to all kinds of
property, and by his action every farm
II g industry Ia the State is crippled.
Nor is this all about which the people
have the right justly TO complain, aud
demand an explanation from their
servant, the Governor of The State.
A tax commission has been ap.
pointed, a member Of which is James
NJ. Mason, who for the last two years
IS been publicly bOasting that he was
he employee of syndicate who were
4 lleeting certificates of Indebtedness
gainst the State of West Virginia, the
sumption of such Indebtedness being
Iedicati d upon the only basis that VIr.
Sinia used the argument that, being
3esEoil,d Of on -th.rd 0s her territory,
hat third ought to be held responsible
rr one third 0f the debt, and this
NitnOut regard To the question as to
Mhetl er West Virginia was or was not
= brIC tiCiary of the expenditure for
ahich the deb: was created.
| am informed 10y parties who ought
to know that Elk hundred thousand dol
srs will cover every cent expended for
.ublic improvements ny the State OF
Virginia in our territory, and still
James NJ. Mason, a State officer,
clothed with official authority by Gov.
Jackson, and paid by the State for his
services, has been in the city Of Rich-
mond attempting to secure the weight
Of Virginia legislative authority to
prosecute q debt against our State
which aggregates over Sl5,O0O,0OO.
There are singular features about this
whole transaction. The people of the
State would like to know the causes
that created this commission, and would
like to know, after its creation, how it
happens that man Is appointed State
officer to regulate assessments who rep
resented, IS lawyer, 3 bogus claim OF
fifteen millions Of dollars against the
State, paid by the State as an official,
and at the same time paid large COM
pensation as the representative Of the
syndicate to collect the debt?
voted for Governor jackson, and
have known him from his early man.
hood, and have taken an interest in his
welfare, on party IS we'll ss personal
grounds. His father was one Of my
best friends, and l hope and believe
that his Official action will bear just
criticism. With great respect,