The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-05-08
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY
About Governor Wilson's Assessment
Order.

sons famous Supplemental Assess
ment order.
The Register Democratic says:
"Gov. Wilson's request to Audito
Duffy, to revoke the instructions t,
Assessors under which they hav
been operating for the past fou
years, as published in yesterday
Register, was town talk all day. II
the opinion Of the Register it was ;
mistake on the part of the Governo
to resnrrect the old issue. TIL,
question to most people in the Dem
ocratie party and outside of it az
well, was virtually settled. Thu
tendency of the decisions of thu
Court of Appeals indicated that the
law under which the wholesale ex
emptions had been made was con
trary to the Constitution of the
State. The Legislature at it's last
session certainly did not mean that
the statutory clause referring to the
exemptions should prevail when il
passed law that assessments should
be made on the first day of April in
stead of the first day of January as
heretofore. The general talk on the
subject when the bill was under con
sideration was to the effect that by
April first nearly all the feed would
be eaten up by the stock, and there.
fore not assessed twice. The Regis
ter does not impugn the Governor s
purpose in making this remarkable
order at this late day. No doubt he
has been acting eonscientiously and
deemed it for the best, but neverthe-
less, the Register differs with his
excellency, and in due time will give
ampler reasons for doing So
The InteUigencer Republican
commends his action, saying
Does anybody think Gov. Wilson
is losing any points in the game?
He is a promising young, man and
the Republicans may have to adopt
him yet.
The Governor having decided that
the other Governor was wrong in the
matter of the supplemental assess
ment, and that the exemptions must
be respected, are the taxpayers to
get back their money that was un-
lawfully taken from them? This is
practical question.
Gov. Wilson turns back on his
distinguished predecessor and says
the exemption law must be obeyed
until the Supreme Court declares it
to be unconstitutional. This is the
ground which Republicans have
taken, and Democratic stumpers,
anxious to stand by the official pro-
mitigation of Democratic doctrine,
felt bound to support the other view.
Now, what are the Democratic stump
ers going to do about it? If they
endorse the Democratic doctrine of
Wilson they must discard the Dem
ocratic doctrine of Jackson and
swallow all they have been saying
for the past three years. However,
this is not our funeral. Governor
Wilson has set sail by the safe
chart of the law and he has laid
his hand on the helm with firm
grip.
Governor Wilson's reasoning is so
sensible and so strong that it cannot
be overthrow. The law at some
time may be declared unconstitu-
tional, but this will not happen until
we have a Supreme Court with the
courage to face the question square
ly. Until that time the act of the
legislature is the law, as it has been
since the State has had being. The
Governor has no more right than the
humblest citizen to declare an act of
the Legislature invalid. He has no
right whatever to command the Au-
ditor to disobey the law. Before the
Supreme Court decided to the con-
trary it was not supposed that the
Assessors were not bound to obey
the Auditor in preference to the
law.
This upsetting of the order of his
Democratic predecessor may make
some trouble in the Democratic
camp, but the people will commend
the Governor for switching the exec
utive power back ON the right track.
Governor Wilson has restored to the
people a power usurped by his pred
ecessor with the scandalous conni-
vance of the highest judicial tribun-
al in the State. He is on the popu-
lar side of the question and the side
that is incontrovertably right"
The Parkersburg Journal (Rep.
says:
"Bully for Governor Wilson.
The Assessors will please take no
tice
Will some kind friend please fan
Governor jackson?
The rule of former dynasties does
not hold so much as it did.
The State Journal stands vindi-
Gated on the assessment law.
Governor Wilson has done more
to help the Democratic party win
than any other man in the State.
Our space to day will not allow of
extended comment on Governor Will
sons action on the tax question, but
we can't resist saying that the Gov
ernor is right and has done right.
He has taken the manly, straight
forward course and we admire him
for it.
Governor Wilson's reasons for en-
forcing the law as it stands are
sound and convincing. He doesn't
assume functions not belonging to
his Office and is satisfied to let the
law be interpreted by the proper
tribunals. He is on solid ground
and the people appreciate his efforts.
EX-GOVERNOR JAcKsoN's OPINION.
Ex-Governor Jacob b. jackson
has written letter reviewing the
situation, and closing as follows:
'Itis my opinion that the Governor
should not have made his order to the
Auditor requesting him to instruct
all assessors that the exemptions
provided for in said section 43 must
be made, and said section enforced
just as it stands" for reasons here
mentioned, and for the further rea-
son that the Auditor in his blanks
furnished assessors this year recog-