Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-05-27


should not be for disturbing it.
jury trials before Justice should no
abolished.
q. 7.-What changes shall be made
IN county organization and govern.
ment?
a. 7.-Changes of an organic
character are in themselves injurious
unless decided reforms are secured
thereby. The present organization
and jurisdiction Of our county courts.
or county commissioners, is all that
could be desired, except that the
number Of such commissioners
might be increased to five in every
county. have often thought there
should be added to the organization
OF each county a Commissioner Of
Temperance, to guard the license
laws against violation, and protect
our youths and the community
generally by strict enforcement of
the law.
u. S.-What change if any shall be
made on the subject of Taxation and
Finance?
"A. S.-The great evil Of our pres.
ent system of taxation lies in the
fact of specific assessments, by three
or 1our separate tribunals, without
consultation, and with no Board of
equalization in the respective coun.
ties. In my opinion there should be
Board of Equalization, whose duty
1t should be to equalize taxes in the
various school districts, and to fix a
limit to the total per cent. on the
property Of the county. There are
several counties in this State, where
the total rate of taxation amounts in
the long run to certain and inevitable
confiscation of real estrte. The rate
OF taxation in the city of Charleston,
IS, as l have been informed, higher
than in Boston, New York, Philadel.
phla or Baltimore. would respect
fully refer to Brannon VS.. Kanawha
County Court, 33 w. Va. r., 739.,
where it will be seen that the total
aggregate per cent. of taxation for
State, school district, county and
road purposes, approached per cent.
on property. / need hardly say that
such rate of taxation means irsoI.
vency for farmers and other agri-
culturists. 1t is practical confisca.
tlon. This aggregate limit should be
fixed in the Constitution Just as the
power to contract debt by towns and
municipalities should be limited, if
not totally abolished.
q. What is the sentiment ON
female suffrage?
A. 9.-The sentiment in this sec.
ton of the State, in my opinion, is
unalterably opposed to it.
@. 10.-Shall the " School Fund.-
known as tho L" Irreducible School
FUND.- remain unmolested? Or,
shall it be allowed to reach An
amount aggregating one million dol
lars, and all amounts exceeding
one million dollars, including inter-
est, become distributable for pur-
poses of education? Or, shall it he
distributed and abolished?
A. 10-The " Permanent School
Fund" was always an illogical
anachronism in our Constitution,
copied from the Literary Fund, pro.
vided for in the Constitution of the
State Of Virginia. The fact is over.
looked that that fund was the only
provision which Virginia made for
Free Schools, and was intended to
cover all sources of taxation for that
purpose. We, on the other hand,
have State and district system Of
taxation, atfOrding ample revenues /;
and why should we be taxed to edu-
cate posterity, destined in all human
probability to be four fold Weather
and more prosperous than ourselves,
is more than 1 could comprehend.
l would therefore prefer to allow
this Irreducible Fund" to remain
just as it is at present, and have it
safely and securely invested, the
interest thereon to be devoted to
school purposes. The sources from
which this Fund has been accumu-
lated should all be turned into the
current of the general treasury of
the State.
At this point | venture to call
particular attention to the subject of
taxing the properties and franchises
of corporations, whether domestic
or foreign. The Legislature should
be required imperatively to tax cor
porations, such as express com
panies, telegraph companies, pal
ace car companies, and other com
panies of like character. The State
of Ohio obtains nearly one million
Of dollars of annual revenue derived
from the assessments upon two Ex-
press companies alone. The Supreme
Court of the United States have re.
cent decided three or four tests cases
i'm favor of this power of taxation on
the part of the State authorities
They have further sustained the