West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-10-25
PRACTICAL ECONOMY.
Some Interesting History About Our
System OF Government.
A Valuable Article That Should be Read
by Every Voter anu Tax PAYER.
Special contribution to 1nr ANGUS.

that new county was separated
from the mother county. Those
that went about setting up the new
county claimed that they we're I'M
justly taxed, that armed men had
been stationed within their borders
and had TO be maintained without
their assent. They set up justice as
their ideal, and declared that all
men were created equal, and have
the right to live, and to be free,
and to work out their own happiness
in their own ways, and especially
in their own home county govern
ment. After long contest for
these principles, which no right
minded man dared to deny, and
after many and great sacrifices,
they established their home govern
ment on the broad and durable
basis of manhood against those who
ruled them for money and considera-
tons of material gain.
But few years of seperate ex-
istence showed the new county a
weak affair. They called county
convention to the better unity the
several separate and independent
townships. They wanted a county
management with full power to do
business with other counties, to
issue bonds and collect taxes, and
control the money matters of the
whole county. This convention
submitted plan of government
which was discussed and adopted
and put into force. The united
county plan empowered the super
visors of the county to lay tax on
articles brought into the county for
sale in order to raise money to de-
fray the expenses of the county
government. The money Of the
united county plan was to be gold
and silver, and no township should
make any other legal tender. All
trade was to be free between the
several united townships.
A man named Patrick Henry who
spoke most eloquently for the rights
of the people of the proposed new
county, went out of the convention
and fought the new county plan of
government, claiming that to tax
what the people bought from other
counties was tax on the means of
living, an unjust tax that fell mostly
on the poor, and that such scheme
was contrary to the principles of the
declaration of equality when the
separation of the new from the old
county took place.
The united county plan had
many good features and grew popu-
lar. The people loved their new
county and the liberties they enjoy
ed. But it was found that the
people of the new county who had
been all eyes to see free men, and
all heart to pity the oppressed, had
neither seen nor felt the fact that
certain men black in the face were
slaves and held as property called
chattels. These chattel men, women
and children were bought and sold.
Such were merchandise indeed.
Thereupon great trouble ensued
among the free men of the new
county as to whether men should
be considered as merchandise or
whether all should be free. After
many of the free men had been
killed, all were proclaimed free.
Men were no more TO be denied
their liberty for the sake of enrich
ing other men. They added it to
the united county plan of govern
ment that liberty should be denied
no one on account of previous
condition of servitude, of race, or
of color. Those who had now
made good the declaration of the
trainers of the new county took
charge of the counties affairs.
They were the saviors of the county
from slavery, and the people trusted
them. But the trouble between the
people had cost more than life.
There was a great debt to be paid.
Then came certain selfish men into
the counsels of the officers Of the
county. They swarmed about the
county seat. They insisted that
heavy tax be laid on articles
which the people used, and which
were brought in from other counties.
Having secured these high taxes on
things brought in, and the tax
harvest being very great these selfish
men begged for the tax rate to be
made so high that no goods in their
line of manufacture could be sent
into the county. They saw that
these taxes which were intended
to raise money for the public needs,
could be levied so high as to defeat