Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-08-27
sHEPHERDSTOWN W. VA THURSDAY, AUGUST p, 1903.

bers and the fact that the mass Of the
people are unable to feel, and hence
to perceive, the wrongs Of such tax
paying class. To require one cla's to
provide what another may disburse
must necessarily lead to oppression
and extravaganza, to governmental
demoralization and business disaster.
Complaint is made that under our
present tax system assessments are un-
equal and tax burdens not fairly dis
tributed, yet this new scheme of tax
alton abandons every principle OF
fairness and equality. Why should
only the coal, oil and gas interests be
required through the pretense Of a il
cense to pay tax to the State, and
not also the iron, steel and tin plate
mills, glass, pottery and brick works,
steam and electric railroads, pulp
mills, tanneries and lumber interests
Why should the great railroad corpor-
ations be relieved of the $4,000 per
annum State and State school tax now
paid by them, and the burden Of their
exemption be saddled on the coal op-
orators in the form of a third of a
tonnage tax on their 100000 tons
output? Why should the producers
of oil and gas, who have expended in
the development of our producing
fields money capital largely greater
in amount than the aggregate value
of all the States oil and gas produc-
tion, be Disseminated against in favor
of the nonresident land owners who
hold vast areas of our domain and do
nothing to increase the wealth or ad-
vance the prosperity of the State7
Our coal is sold in the worlds mar
kets at prices fixed by competition
with the product Of other States. Why
should we place special and unusual
burdens upon it? Why should West
Virginia, with its future possibilities
as great manufacturing State, WELD
its taxing power to strike at the ba-
sis Of all industrial development
cheap fuel?
Regardless, however Of he partic-
ular subject of such tax, we contend
that any tax on production is wrong
in principle and contrary to enlight-
ened public policy. 1t is in effect a
tax upon the same capital over and
over again as often as it appears in
the shape of the product taxed. 1t Is
a tax on energy and enterprise, tend
ing to retard development and indus
trial growth and to drive away capital
or force it into idleness.
There are other features Of the pro-
posed system which in our jut 5nent
condemn it as practical and rational
scheme Of taxation.
1t strikes down about 100000 Of
the States revenues, and by its own
best showing, with all its discrimina-
tions and inequalities, fails by at least
100000 to supply the deficit, and
even then it requires the counties to
pay at least seventy-fve per cent of
the cost of maintaining the humane in
stitutions and seventy-fve per cent of
the criminal charges, now paid by the
State.
We submit that if the State can dis
pence with 100000, or one-fourth of
the present State and State school tax,
without crippling its finances, it were
better to cut down the present tax
rate, and to continue under the old
system and by constitutional methods
to support its charitable and humane
institutions and meet its criminal
charges. Certainly nothing is gained
by pretending to lift the burden Of
State taxation for these purposes, only
to reimpose it again for the came pur-
poses by way of added county taxes
through cumbersome and expensive
methods of collection and settlement
between the State and the counties.
Moreover, we believe it to be a chief
function of State government to prop
erly safeguard the peace, order and
security of society by the punishment
of its felons and the care oft insane,
and this duty to society at large should
not be shifted in whole or in part up
on the counties, any more than the
latter should in turn place the burden
upon the individual citizen. The
temptation to let criminals go unmO-
Tested to save the costs Of prosecution,
and to abandon the insane and other
unfortunates to save the expense Of
their proper care and protection,
would be difficult to resist under con-
ditions prevailing in many counties in
West Virginia.
The new plan provides for annual