The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-02-24
MAsoN.ANDTHE TAX BILL.
An Interior View Of Very Fine Scheme Ii
Which W. Va. Tax.Payers are Interested.

An Interior View of Very Fine schemo In
Which W. Va. Tar-Payers are Interested.
To the Editor Of he Iatelli0aoer. NJ. ,s4aIlf
StR:-Mr. Mason speaks on the tax
question in this mornings Register and
makesit evident that the failure Of the
Legislature to rush his tax. bill through
causes him to feel keen sense Of personal
disappointment. q & ~
His deep private interest in the passage
| OF this bill prompts him to say things in
connection with the subject which will
not bear examination: They very first SEN
tence OF his talk contains an impudent
Misrepresentation, viz: that the pending
bill is q bill TO equalize taxation :
II is in no sense such billand It's effect
would be Just the opposite.
It might properly be entitled % bill to
compel the enterprising poor man to pay
as much tax as II he was rich." Il Is
not to be believed that it was intended to
equalize taxes. The purpose is to make
revenue, regardless OF the welfare Of the
people practically toraid the property and
capital Of the State, so as to make taxable
values look large. ~ n
There Is big money in this for certain
persons, and that is why all this pretended
interest in e1uaiizihg taxes and the effort
TO protect the agriculturist from paying
more than his share of taxes. $3.50
He speaks OF putting on the Assessors
books twenty millions Of commercial
property Which now escapes. Why does
he come down to twenty millions? His re-
ports as Tax Commissioner names as the
least sum fifty. millions. He might just as
well stick to the fifty, as no Intelligent
person acquainted with commercial affairs
believes in the existence OF any considera-
bic amount OF untaxed property. The
idea Is pure delusion, Il Is common, for
ignorant persons to believe that every
well dressed person or every one carrying
on business has plenty Of money, the Idea
being sometimes held that they have
boxes and bags Of money, Every one
who has had experience Of the trials. and
tribulations Of commercial affairs knows
how foreign these notions are from, Tie
truth. The Auditors !. supplemental in.
struction was enforced upon commercial
property last year and hereafter will likely
produce less revenue. rather than more.
Merchants and manufacturers will natur-
ally shape their stocks SO as TO have MOI
more than Is Indispensable on hand, and
will use their means in paying debts rather
than keep it in shape subject to two per-
cent tax. ~ Z. N .,,I,, s5t,
Perhaps the most Objectionable part OF
his talk is the demagogical assumption
that because the farmers pay the largest
percentage Of the taxes that therefore /
they are paying more than their share.
The, property Of West Virginia is mostly
In lands and farms. The towns are few
and almost all Of them very poor. This
being the case as the most OF the property,
is country property 1t naturally has, to pay
the largest portion Of the taxes. I, I'D n
nmaking his statement on this point |
Mason does II with his usual disregard OF |
figures, the fact being that less |
than rs percent OF the revenue Is paid by |
the agricultural classes instead Of 50 per.
cent as he states 1t.
Mason's article is as Objectionable for |
the insinuations II makes as for the mis-.
IL contains; Tor instance
in the paragraph in which he says: 81 am
70 say that no man who has
heretofore honestly listed his property
would ever srnmble about the new law"
The instnuation Is made that any person
who disapproves Of his newlawihas not
heretofore honestly listed lhiaproperty,1I
thus trying 10 friRhten Oh nil opposition,
He leptpFes considerably Iaboiit commer.si
rial CLASSES interested parties, ahteWd and
ldrolt Lobbyists, 10, and proclalmat thstil
u ~ N.