Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-01
the CoRPoRArIoN LICENSE TAX.

About two weeks ago the Register
published a communication critlcislng
ATTORNEY General Fuckers novel plal
of attempting to make corporations
pay their license tax second time
The Intelligencer of this city mad been.
and was then. Justify laudins Genera.
Fuckers scheme of reprisals, so 10
speak.
In the issue containing the communl-
cation referred to above there appeared
in the Register an editorial comment
ing upon the Inteligencer's defense Of
General Fuckers course and plainly
telling that gentleman he was making
a serious mistake. The Registers com
ments were as follows:
The Intelligencer makes a lame defense
Of the position taken ny ~ AIeolHeS
General If our neighbor VIII read cure
fully a communication from Fairmont
bearing upon the consequences 70 the
State of such a course as General Rucker
has outlined in his own defense. we pc
lieve il will agree with the Register t1dl
he hasn't a leg to stand upon.
Now it is plain that the Secretary or
State can not be made liable under MS
ton Of being the agent OF the corpora
lions which the Attorney General pro
poses to do. The State can not sue the
agent of corporation. But it can sue lts
own agent. Now. what is proposed to
be done? Virtually to free the Secretary
Of State and bis bond from all respon-
sibility in the premises Plainly ana
briefly the present State administration
proposes to annoy and harrass the corpor-
atoms by making them pay their INITIAL
license tax over again and let the Score
tary Of State so scot free. The collec-
ton of these license taxes second time
can not be enforced under the penalty OF
forfeiture of the charters (See See 20 of
chap. 81 of the Code of corporations it
they wish to resist and herein Is where
Attorney General Rncker's advice de-
serves the seVereSt cenSure.
After all is there not some Interior and
unworthy motive in the course mapI ed
out by the powers at Charleston? Is it
not true, as our correspondent intimates,
that political capital for the Republican
party is behind this attempt to mulct the
corporations a second time? Under GER
tain process of reasoning, il may have
been concluded that if the screws are put
TO the corporations it will arouse an in
tense feeling against the opposition. Our
friends should reflect that such policy
often shapes and Yields Il powerful two
edged sword.
Within the past several days a cir
cular letter from the Attorney General
to the ex-Secretary of State has been
sent out to attorneys of corporations,
which reads as follows:
Dear Sir:-Regarding the corporations
Incorporated under the laws of West Viz
ginia and which Claim that their license
tax for 1891 was paid to you, and to which
L have heretofore written that proceedings
would be begun to forfeit their charters
you are authorized to say. that your ac-
counts as Secretary of State are III pro-
cess of adjustment on basis satisfactory
to the State.
You are also authorized to say that the
State in future will look to you alone for
Payment of this matter, and 10 all the
corpora tons that have repaid his initial
license tax. the same Will be refunded at
once out of payments which YOU have re-
Gently made to me for the State.
You are further authorized to say that.
Tor this reason, no proceedings will be
Instituted by me against these corpora
tons for the purpose OF FORGETTING their
charters, ar1 this question. so far as
they are concerned may be considered as
settled.
The Registers Charleston CORE
cpondent informs us that General
Rucker has been returning the license
lax in each case where it has been paid
the second time. It is noted in this
connection that the Intelligencer has
remained as dumb as an oyster ever
since the above quoted editorial was
published.
1t now only remains, first, to con-
graduate the Attorney General for so
promptly accepting the Registers ad-
vice, and putting it into practice. And.
second, to remind the Intelligencer
that under the circumstances silence
is golden