Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-03-14
partare in Ne thus issususssd may prove
. most happy and lAsing sae.-Gssfson
Eagle.
THE ASSESSMENT RnL.
A Response From Mr.. nIasoa Co Mr. Bor's
Card.

- hc5Do1te EIO" mEs hAnoOu ~ ny ooA =
Card.
70 tAs Easor Of ts Reg,acr.
Mr.. Bells card Is calculated To deceive.
The Senate Finance Committee passed q
resolution that Bell and Mason be re-
quested to attend Its meetings and make
suggestions" Mr.. Bell attended the next
meeting; discussion was not restricted and
be had IS much 10 say a. any one. Suisse
quently q subcommittee Was appointed,
which also requested our presence. This
committee me- nearly every evening. Me-
Bel was frequently present; he was present
and did express his views upon the only
points which divided the committee, viz:
hrst, whether the State should make e1-
euptions in order to foster private money
making e~uterprises2 and, second, whether
debts should be deducted from credits and
inveStments2
Messrs. Bell and Dawson wished to con.
iinue the present unconstitutional exemp-
lions Of manufactured articles, products of
mines, &c, McCreery, Byrne and myself ia
sisted that EXEMPTIONS should be restricted
to the seven classes named in the Constitu-
ton. We say, that it is a gross peryersion
Of It's power for q government to prostitute
the taxing power Of a State in order to tos-
ter such private enterprises as may be able
10 influence legislation; We say. that the
trifiDg exemption to the farmer is delusive
and that it is largely his interest to abolish
the unconstitutional exemptions.
10 regard to dedCctiDg deb's Bell and
Dawson wanted 10 deduct all debts from all
property, o proposition which the Pr-ini-
nary Report shows 70 be utterly impractical
bic and which was never pracnced any
where. McCreery and myself insisted that
debts should be deducted from credits but
lot from investments Byrue agreed With
Us as 10 the policy, but doubted whether our
Constitution permitted any deductions.
In this connection i; is proper to saT that
on these points | consulted the following
Senators, who agreed with McCreery,
to wit: Price, of Mineral. Price,
Of Marshall, Lo5ban, Sommerville,
Gwinn, Flournoy and Floyd. Probably i
consulted others, but my memory is no.
sufficient to warrant a positive assertion.
Mr.. Bel says he IVES not consulted about
The "odious festurcs which distinguished
this bill" Will he mention which features
Of the bill as prpsTed BY the subcommittee
be regards as odious? And will he state
which 'odious feature was advocated by
me?
Come, Mr.. Bell, deal frankly. This tax
question touches the most sensitive organs
of the body polite 1t is almost criminal to
distort the facts in order TO manufacture
party capital. The tax question should be
kept clesr Of politics. You know perfectly
well that McCreery. Byrnc and the others
who advocate the changes proposed BY the
sub committee nave no motive except to
discover the property which now escapes.
You well know that nv report recommends
q method whereby the tax rate will be re-
duced as toe basis Of taxation is increased.
Itis easy to mlslead and deceive a care.
less or superficial reader by insincere and
indirect statements. But an indirect state
ment which is designed TO make a false i'm
preston is unworthy 3 man appointed TO
equslize taxation.
You say: The chairman of the sub com
mittee as well as other leading members of
the majority seemed TO the public eye to be
GnueT the leaQ OF ar, masOn duu tO Ne SAUL
rated with his extreme ideas respecting tax
alton. Hence it is not surprising that such
q bill Should be reported" You were pres
ent st the meeting when / argued in favor
Of deducting debts from credits: you were
present when | insisted that the Legislature
should make every exemption warranted by
the constitution. You well know that |
never advocated any extreme idea; You
we'll know that the difference between us is
only this; You believe that the tai laws
should DE so shaped as to foster private
enterprise, while | believe that the govern
ment should not discriminate for or against
anY class or any individual.
Again. you say hat the chairman and
members ofthe committee seemed 10 the
public eye to be under my lead Why do
you use the expression, seemed to the pub.
lie eyeT' Would it not be more fair; would
it not be more sincere Tor you to state that
Mr.. Mason c~ombstted, and generally with
success, the extreme views Of gentlemen
who had not given to thesubject Of taxation
as much investigation and thought as he
had bestowed upon it,
j. n. Mason,
CHARLEsTOwN, W. Va, March llth.