Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-09-13
A Few Word. About Taxes.
IN A RURAL DISTRICT OF

IN RURAL DISTRICT OF
MONONGALIA COUNTY, w. VA,
September IL, 1898. }
zons Editor Of ths Register:
SIR:-It has been sometime since the
rural portion Of our people have been
represented in the columns OF the peo-
pIe's friend, the REGIST ER, and we now
venture an intrusion.
In this valley of the Monongahela
and yalleyS Of tributaries on the west
side, we have productive soil and a
resident population lorgely given to
agricultural pursuits and the pawn ent
OF taxes. And as the very extended
drouth OF the present summer relieves
rs Of much Of our necessary income,
the payment Of taxes is now vexing
question on which people do not divide
altogether on political lines.
Riding along the road the other
day fell in company with man who
had recently taken him a wife aud set
tied down, as we sometimes put II, and
he soon introduced the subject of max
Ing q living, saying times were very dis
couraging TO new beginners. l told him
that / could not see that we had re-
ceived corresponding benefits with the
increased taxation OF this enlightened
age. and before / could finish the SEN
tence, he said: Uncle was showing me
some tax receipts that grandfather paid
on the land he owns and that OF cousin
F. and the tax on the whole was six
dollars and some cents. Now he pays
on his part alone one hundred and mr.
teen dollars for last year. l told him
held q very similar paper in my posses
sion, and it seemed little rough on
such men as his uncle who had no more
10 enjoy than they had half century
ago. In fact, In that case not so much;
then he had family, now he is alone.
But we are told Ii is an age OF pro-
gress and we must float with the wave
or get sWamped. fear part OF our
progress Is down hill from the strides
we make. With taxes now that many
of our people will be distressed 10 meet,
there seems no end 70 extras. At our
last election an Increase OF school term
was voted by the non taxpayer. At
our last Institute an increase OF wages
was demanded. Music to be taught in
schools was introduced as a coming fea-
ture-and flags on school houses was
FesOIu LEu-0uu Nn0 c4uAu k&HNA
that contained these Odvanced ideas OF
education inquired, "Why the County
Court did not buy the Clark property"
VIII such persons ever stop TO reflect
for moment?
Much OF the heavy burden Of taxation
now falls on men who never had one
particle OF the benefit they have so far
cheeriully given TO the others, never
saw a day OF free school in their lives,
have not a child to send to school now,
and vet because OF the fact that they
paid the bill, got better education in
half dozen three-mOnth terms than
some now get In fifteen years, four or
fiye-mOnth terms, we sometimes appre-
ciate what we earn the money TO pay
for.
Yes, we are to curtail our school term
now for district Institutes, the time TO
be counted as taught" Oh, pshawl
why should not such talent be retired on
full pay and a pension before extra
mental effort (abOve adequate salary
drives reason from her throne? Well, !
met an old hayseeder the other day who
thinks he knows how il should be
done. We said to him, Uncle, how
about the silver question and the re-
firing Of gold and paper under twenty
dollars lie replied, THE most absurd
and abominable thing / ever heard Of.
What we want is money for the people.
We don't care what II is so it will an
swer our needs. The capitalist wants
intrinsic value, but we want something
that suits our needs, and shinplasters
were very convenient. We don't want
40 ride ten or fifteen miles TO get post
Office money order when we want to
send for the REGISTER when we can send
dollar bill with little risk ofthe mall.
Its all done by the money barons.
Cola has little intrinsic value for pillow
points or horse shoes. What we want
is the government stamp 100 cents, par
Well, uncle, how are you going TO circu-
late silver? Well. we would pay all
official salaries and even pensions in
silver. But uncle that would loose US
the service Of our best men il we paid
them in deprecated currency. All
right-let them 90. You don't seem to
know how easy we could get others 10
I'll their places. Yes, but uncle, their
talent and experience
BoSh The Republicans talked the
same way and yet Grover Cleveland
left $40, 900, 600 millions surplus in four
years by ecOnOmy-but the people gave
him no credit for protecting them.
But after four years OF
the sanity Harrison and the
Reed Congress they say very emphatic
ally, well done good and faithful ser
vant-cOme to our rescue once again
we have a depleted treasury now, but
will get there bye and bye. We tried
to convince the old foGy that he waa
hay seeder from a way way back and
must accept the "march OF progress, "
but he replied, wait and see. You can
fool all the people sometimes, you can
fool many OF the people part of the
time. bat you can't fool all the people
sll Of the time. Yours in