The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-08-27
rAxATIos 'REFoRM.


taxable personal property on the books
thanthere was fourteen years ago itself
shows that there ID something wrong in
our system Of taxation, for II Ia doubtless
true that there is Of least one-thifd more
personal properly inthe State than there
was fourteen years ago. This mater
ought TO receive the earnest attention q
the people without regard 10 partisan pol
II was hoped thst the tax commission
would have gathered facts that would
have enabled the Legislature 10 reform
me tax laws not only radically but we'll.
ipstea,! q this the majority Of the COM
mission engaged in warfare against rail-
Yotda. mRnuiactories, and in wild specu-
lations about invisible property, and the
minority expended Its. ability In ,combats
fling the yagaries OF the majority. So no
good came Of the tax commission.
The Republicans in the Legislature Of
1885 are accused Of having defeated tho re-
formation Of the tax laws. II ianot clear
TO the writer, though he tsa Democrat,
how the minority would defeat all tax re.
formation unless the majority like the
Wheeling Register would Lave the Mason
requirement or nothing. According TO
tl1e b|qitsr's own I'D iasion during the seq
aion OF the Legislature, 1t received an ar
ticle OF, taxation from Judge John Bran
nor. hut though The article came from so
distineuished a source, the Register didnot
publish Il .ior want oil epacc,n although
nearly every dayit had space for an afti-
ole from j. M. Mason, or some one with
his views Of the tax question. lobject TO-
the Republicans opposing all tax reiorma-
tion, and Iobject to the Democrats insis.
ting on the Mason extreme measures,
which, Il enacted, would certainly retard
and irjure the business interests OF
the State. as patriots aud good
citizens without regard 70 party pohtlcs
we ought to be in favor Of awise and Just
tax law, and to secure the enactment oil
such law there will have 70 be con-
cessions. Let all parties work together
to make the best Law tnst can DO enacted.
Ihope the 1SrHLI1GEScGR will adyocate
a inst and Wholesome tax reformation and
that the Register will inot coufine Itself to
publishing tho aerratic jim Mason tax
ideas, but will allow such conservative
and intelligent citizens as Judge Bran
NON q, expfels their ideas to lis readers.
This matter ought TO be fully discussed
from every stand point and should be
maturely considered by our Twill be" law
makers, and our next Legislature ought
to enact q good and just tax law that will
be suited 10 the varied requirements Of
our State. I. Z,
The present anomalous and tyrannical
system Of taxation ought 10 be abolished.
IL Is remarkable that the Legislature
should say, and has often said, that GER
tain property shall not DO taxed, but the
Governor Gays it shall be taxed, and 80 it
Ia taxed by command Of the Governor,
moi only without the consent OF the Leg
islatute but against the Legislative enact
ment.
In prescoH's Ferdinand and Isabella,
the corrupt age OF King John, while under
the controloi Alyoro de Luna, the constable
Of Castilels described. The people were re.
duced to the most seryile submission.
Prescott says Attempts were made to
impose taxes without the Legislative
sanction, and yet incur State taxes. are
imposed not only without the Leeis-
latiye sanction, but in Wild disfe-
gard Of the Legislative command. Our.
patriot foreiath in the declaration OF in
dependence arraigned the king .for i'm.
posing taxes on us without our CONSENT,
and Sstak ed their lives, liberty, property
and sacred honor to sustain this PROPOSE
tion, while their craven offspring allow
taxes to be imposed on them against their
consent, expressed by their representa-.
lives In Legislature assembled, and be-
cause It was shined Chat q Democratic
administration ought not to be eensured
by Democrats the Democratic. press Is
muzzled, and no one, not even o Demo-
crat, Is allowed 10 express his dissent and
dissatisfaction in the journals. If the
Governor Is right and the Legislature Is
wrong, and the people dare not oppose the
Governor, why retain the exemption
clause on the statute book cannot I'M.
derstand why the Legislature dare not OPP
pose the Governor, and and yet:will not
repeal the exemption. Z. Is
iT is curious that In. Spain in the fl
teenth century the King ruling by
divine right could only = tempt to im-
pose taxes without legislative sanction"
and in 1910 the people OF the dependent
colonies arrayed themselves against the
King for imposing taxes on them without
their consent.n While in our. State inthel
wear 1885; in the enjoyment Of our boast
ed freedom, having o Republ ican form Of
Governments the people by their represent
tatiyes in, the Legislature assembled say,
certain things should not be taxed, but
the Governor Gays they shall be taxed.
and directs the Auditor to require the AS
SCISSORS 10 disregard the expressed will Of
lie i legislature, and our supreme Court
az 5Apneals say that under our system of
government this Is right, that when the
will of the Governor comes in conflict
with the win OF the Legislature
inthe naiterof imposing taxes that the
will OF the Governor 10 supreple,and the
assessors must obey the command Of the
Governor and disobey the command Of
the Legislature. In our State according
10 our system OF government the Cover
nor "a doing what King George failed to-
do Ia tho thirteen little colonies, and
what even King John Of Spain could not
successfully do. Our system Of govern
ment needs reformatio 20 that the power
10 impose taxes may be limited to-
the Legislature. Taxes should not
be Imposed by the Governor under any
pretext. constitutional or any other.
Surely IL would be better TO limit even
constitutional questions about impoaing
taxes, 10 the representatives Of the peo-
Die, Who are ss1 Intelligent, as honorable.
as patriotic, as the Governor. They, like
him. arc sworn to support the Constitu.
ton, and ifthey by error Of judgment inn
nose taxes III violation OF the Constitution,
Inc courts will grant relief, but ifeyen by
error ofjudement they refuse to impose
taxes in contraventon OF the Consttu-
lion, it Is much better that this should be
than that the Governor should have
the power to impose taxes.
Parasite OF tho Apple.
RiFat Ma fotta.
This parasite OF the apple prevails in It's |
greateet abundance in years having, at the |