West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-03-21

PSPoasJ III WHO oldtes W iieI OH hlo
property aud make oath TO it's verify
and value; and any Assessor failing
to administer said oath to each per-
son 80 assessed, shall be guilty Of a
misdemesnor, aud 6ned not lees than
go nor more than $l00--one- half to
go to the infor mer.
Sec. SO provides that If any per-
son whose duty it is by law TO list
his property, refuse to do so when
called on by the Assessors or re-
fuse to furnish the Assessor a proper
list thereof, or to make such oath
thereto; or if any person refuse 10
answer. or answer untruly any ques-
ton lawfully asked by the Assessor :,
or refuse TO be examined under oath
when lawfully required by the Az
SCISSOR; or fail or refuse to deliver the
statement required by the 81 Sec. he
shall forfeit not less than $40 nor
more than 800. and this forfeiture
may be recovered by indictment.
And now we isel that We have
quoted quite enough of said Act, and
Of the Consttption,to sstisfy any fair
minded, honest inquirer after truth,
what his duties in the premises are,
both as regards to assessor and the
assessed; and if any still refuse to
govern their acts by the laws, of which
the Constitution 10 supreme, they
should not copplsip yhen they meet
the fate OF other transgreSaors of the
law.
And lot none forget. thst tho law
requires the court. the prosecuting
attorneys and grand juries to dill
gently prosecute all violations 81 the
revenue laws OF the States and how
can parsons violating the plain letter
Of the supreme law as construed by
the supreme court. and with their
eyes open to their duties and the
consequaS ces Of it's violation, hope o
escape ?
A sale Of a single gill OF whikey
in violation OF the reyenGe laws of
the State, is zsalously and diligently
searched opt by the grRud juries,
Prosecuting Attorneys and lovers Of
lSw genersl!y.and the offender in
dicted, and put on trial or defaulted
at the sane term CT the court, be-
cause the ofenas ia a violation of the
reve12ne Jaws Of the State. And why
shall not the Prosecuting Attorneys
and grand jurieS be equally diligent
in searching out and putting on trial
Offenders OF the assessment Jaws also2
This latter violation az compared
with the former ia amount or magni-
tude to the people Of the State j. as
a mountain il TO a mole hill, and yet
we are informed that Prosecuting
Attorneys who seem TO love and Gloat
In the prosecution OF the one, not
only c0nnive at, but actually advise
tax payers to violate the order, and
thus incur those fearful forfeitures
and penalties, which they may be
compelled to prosecute. Let us hope
this information is not true.
Why should they do 80 ? Why
should one Law, that has the sanction
OF the Constitution, be more sacred
than anotheri Why should any
map, or set Of men, object to pay
their proper proportion Of taxes
measured by the value Of tne proper.
ty they OWN
Why shall ons such law command
obedience and the other not ?
Why shall we not, each ard all,
obey the law whether we like it or
not ?
There is but one. 30 called law.
that is not entitled TO obedience, and
that is an Act in plain conflict with
the Constitutions aud that bscsuse
such Act is not lay ct all.
Aod Why, let us AJAX, sbould one
kind or class Of property BE- exempt
from tsXation rather than another ?
Why throw a burden on one, that is
not put on the othsr7
Why pbsll beesruingu or products
OF nay farm, or my mine or salt veil,
or OIL well,or factory be exempt from
taxation for one year aud not for
snother7
Or, why sb4l the last years earn
ings Of all Of these be 10 exempt and