The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-02-20

The administration of which Gov
ernor Wilson Is the head, has been
in Office since March 18th, 1856. A
sufficient length of time has elapsed
to enable some indefinite idea to be
formed as to whether the hopes of
the friends of the administration, or
the predictions Of its enemies, have
been realized. All who know Gov
ernor Wilson have been ready to
give him credit for the strictest per-
sonal integrity, untiring energy and
resolute adherence to his conyic-
tions. Whether the enforcement of
his views on certain points of pub
lie interest would prove beneficial,
was question which in the
judgment of those who honestly
differed from him, time alone could
determine
First as to the pardoning power
The abuse from the unrestrained
exercise of this power in our own
and other States, have for some time
been pressing upon public attention.
The doors of the penitentiary have
been too frequently thrown open and
with too little cause Pardoned
criminals have returned to the scenes
of their crime. and resumed their
careers with impunity. The result
has been an actual encouragement
of w-breaking. So far as West
Virginia is concerned, this is at an
end. No man convicted of crime in
this State escapes punishment except
for causes that are everywhere good
and sufficient
Next, as to revenue and taxation
Whether corporations should pay
taxes like individuals has been a
question of great interest in this
State 1t was recklessly predicted
that Governor Wilson s views on this
and kindred points would array the
great corporations against the State
that we would get little benefit
from those already here, and that
others would refuse to come
What are the facts? The tax agi-
tation is at an end Contending
railroads contend no longer. The
Chesapeake and Ohio, for the first
time since it's construction, pays its
share of the State revenue. Cover
nor Wilson has achieved what no
preceding administration had been
able to achieve-a settlement in fav-
or OF the State of the entire tax CON
troversy, the payment of the princi-
pal sum Of all taxes in arrears, and
the issue of the contest by the cor
poration chiefly concerned. As an
immediate consequence there is a
better state of feeling to-day between
the corporation and the people along
its line, than at any time during the
past ten years.
The hard times have operated as
a drawback to the ready collection
of taxes from the people generally.
1t has been the view of the Governor
and those associated with him. that
the prompt collection of taxes was
the first duty of the States financial
officers, and that indiscriminate in
diligence was worse than no indul-
gence. The sheriffs have been given
to understand that the State needed
her revenues and must have them
Remember that the past year was
the first with the present sheriffs and
that the first year is the hardest of
the term, in which to make colec-
ton. Now mark the results. The
following table shows the January
collections, or receipts at the Treas
ury, for the past five years:
Receipts for Jan. 1882. 1857. 446.17
Receipts for Jan. 1884,. 247,9I762
Receipts for Jan. 1884,. 271, OS5.O9
Receipts for Jan. 1885,. 253, $50. So
Receipts for Jan. 1885,. 1884, 391. SS
In other words, the collections for
January, 1886, have exceeded by
$l23,306.79 the highest January col
lection of any of the above named
years. 1t is true that this includes
the receipts from the five cent build
ing tax, but so did the receipts for
January, 1884, with which they are
compared. OF the total amount of
receipts for January, 1886, but $780,
1871 is to be credited to the build
ing tax and it includes nothing of
the back taxes of the C. Il O. Rail
way.
The fact remains that in spite of
the hard times the taxes have been
collected and the sheriffs have paid
over as they have not done for years
and the inquiring public may learn
from the Auditors or Treasurer's
office that the finances of the State
are in a satisfactory and flourishing
condition. More than sixty thous-
and dollars of Indebtedness, inheri-
ted by the present administration
has been paid off, and the public
may be assured that if the co-opera-
ton of the Legislature can be had
and no extravagant appropriations
made, every dollar of debt will be
paid by the close of Governor Will
sons term.
In reaching the results we have
quoted, no particular fund has been
depleted for the benefit of another.
The complaint that the delinquen
cies are charged to the school fund,
II