The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-20
Ghe gnteltigenter:
wnEELING, FEBRUARY 20, 1903.
XIII This Bill.

a meeting oil the WheeHnR CnaulpeT
of Commerce is called for this morning
for the purpose of entering a protest
against the passage Of house bill No, 81
(known as tho "inquisitorial" assess-
ment bilD, now pending in the lcgiala'
ture, having been introduced by Mr..
Prince, OF Raleigh county. The bill has
already passed the house and will soon
come up for action in the senate.
The measure is almost identical with
that introduced in the last legislature
by Col. White, OF this city, which called
forth such vigorous protest from the
business men Of the state, the Wheeling
Chamber oil Commerce passing resolu.
tons strongly denounCing it and peti.
tioning their representatives to vote
against it. The legislation it proposes
affects every citizen and is OF the most
offensive nature.
Its provisions, il enforced, would be
an infringement on the private rights
OF citizens, for they are designed, ms
was tho White bill, TO compel all per-
sons, firms and corporations required
by law to list their property, to state
under oath their private indebtedness
and money owing them, where con-
tracted, when contracted, with whom
contracted, when due and payable, and
whether contracted for bona tide value
or consideration, so that these purely
private matters would be upon the pub
lie records and accessible to every one.
Thus no mans private transactions
would be safe from the prying eyes Of
his business competitor or rival.
In 1901, in commenting on this mon
strous proposition, the INrELLlGEScEs
had the following to say, which will
apply with equal force to the present
bill: at would be hard to conceive"
taid tho INrELLIGENoER then, anything
moro unjust than u proposition to place
upon public record the details Of pri.
vato business transactions, matters
with which the public has and ought
to have nothing to do. There are many
reasons why every business man should
resent such a proposition, and it is a
matter OF surprise that any man OF
intelligence should seriously urge its
adoption. Yet that is what the author
OF the above measure has done. Is it
possible that the members Of tho legis-
lature have twice allowed tho bill to pass
reading without having considered
what the effect would be in the event OF
its becoming a law? How many men
arc there in the Legislature who are
willing to place upon the public records
their private business affairs, their pri-
vate Indebtedness, and all debts owing
to them OF any and every sort what
ever? What business is it OF the state
10 know the name, business, &C., OF the
man who owes another money, when
the debt was contracted and when it be-
comes due2 The proposition is moro
than prepostorous--it is outrageous and
an invasion of private rights, against
which the constitution and the law
should protect every citizen"
The INTEttlGENcEE has mad no reason
tochange itsopinion Of the measure, and
now that it is again before the legisla.
ture, is as earnestly opposed to It's adop.
ton as it was two years ago. And so
are the business men Of the state.
Wheeling business mon will be heard
from on the subject this morning with
the same emphasis that characterized
their protest before, and 1t is hoped
that our legislators at Charleston will
think carefully before placing on the
statute books law which would place
premium on perjury aud violate tho
constitutional rights OF citizons,