Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-04-04

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only should pay the tax who vote it;
and taxes wrung from the people
otherwise, become plumber. More
over, an assessor must show statu-
tory authority for all he does.n The
people Of West Virginia must vote a
tax, through their legislative repre-
sentatives, before it can be collected
from them.
A glance at the second charge
against this bill shows the utter USE
lessness of this attempt at cruel op.
preston that seems to be contem-
plated in sections four and FIVE. No
exemptions protecting agricultural
and manufacturing interests being
Permitted, what could be tne use or
enacting these sectionss But one
answer can be suggested and that is
they are to sustain the executive
powerin wrongs already done against
the right Of the people.
SERIOUS EVIL OF THE BILL.
The whole subject of government
should be to distribute all burdens,
that they will bear as lightly as pos.
sible on the body polite, and not to-
pursue an ideal, that serious injury
will be done to a a great class. Here
is the serious evil in this bill, and in
the views Of all those who oppose
exemptions; the burdens of tax
alton fall more heavily still on those
who already bear the greater part of
them. Is this equal and uniform
taxationf The effect of laws pro.
viding for taxation not the ideal con-
tanned in them, is what should be
considered. That which declares it.
self to be just and yet is not so, is
but mockery. A man might have
his eye fixed on the infinite dome
above him, and yet tumble into a
pit. Obstacles in a legal pathway
must be considered. So to carry ont
the very spirit of constitution in this
Instance, it is necessary to remove
the instructions otherwise in the
way, and to do this exemptions are
necessary. This is to say, there
must be exemptions 10 order to Sc
cure equal and uniform taxation.
Some of the burdens that already
fall too heavily must be removed,
and not others added. This is the
whole situation, and be who wilfnlIy
blinds himself to it must not expect
to be held blameless when he STUN
bles and falls.
Finally the third count in the in
dictment is reached. The guilt Of
the criminal is too apparent to JUST.
fy an argument at length here; yet
let the matter il not deducting cred |
its from liabilities in assessing per-
sonal property, be illustrated for a |
moment. Suppose man owes ten
thousand dollars, and has the same
sum due him in good paper; and
that is all of his standing. What is |
he worth? The answer, apparent
to slx-year-old child, at glance, is |
nothing. Yet this proposed bill would
tax him on ten thousand dollars.
This question is vital, not only to
the great wholesale men of Wheel
ing, but to almost every merchant,
mechanic, and farmer throughout
the entire State. What business in
West Virginia but what has some |
liability, and at the same time some. |
thing due hims Is this the great
sum of concealed property in the
State about which SO much has been
saidf Ifso, the revenues will never
be increased by tax on it. The
whole idea is simply a contemplated
monstrous outrage, that needs only
to be known to be condemned.
1t does not matter that the judg-
ment Of the people has been fore
stalled few weeks; simply, justice
was done. The Republicans in the
West Virginia Senate promptly ex-
ecuted Senate Bill 119. Under their
oaths, as they viewed the matter,
they had the right to do this; and
did 1t. p. w. MORRIS.
Hnrrjsriue w Va