The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1903-08-26

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s2ruo eIl % tt great ma
jority of levy laying tribunals al
/ most every year go to the full con,
s(ntltutional q Limit oa their enzine
4 lpower. In making our laws We
i Unjust SO devise them as to- safe.
.fguard all copting encies.
I'D Ii recognizes doctrines of taxa
leion pernIcious in principle, inequ.
4 table insepEesent epplioationIand
dangerous, in, their future possi-
/ bilities.
II Every pbusinessi interest presently
jaffeoted would he held in constant
fear ofobeing moro seriouslyaburd
jened. and every aotive industry moi
laffected in the FIRST instance, would
be kept in state Of unwholesome
Iuneasiness as to what the future
4 holds in store. for it.
If Each recurring session of the
would be besieged by
varieus, property interests and
developing factors of the State.
asking relief or immunity from
taxation, the one at the expense OF
%theother, and all would suffer from
the menace of an extravagant or
toorrnpt exercise Of the taxing pow.
or Of the government
It is most radical departure
from our present constitutional
methods of taxation. is of more
than doubtful e1pedienoy, of most
doubtful efficiency and updoubted-
ly vicious in policy.
It relieves the owners of large
tracts of undeveloped lands from
payment of State and State school
taxes, and places the increased
burden ON the production arising
from the development of other
lands
1t discriminates in favor of the
non resident land owner and
against the resident producer.
1t taxes production, energy and
enterprise to the exemption of idle,
dormant and unproductive prop
erty and capital.
It makes the business of develop
ing the great resources ofthe State
an unlawful business. only to be
engaged in by governmental per-
nit.
It's tendency will inevitably be
to retard development, drive active
capital out of the State and deter
other active capital from coming
in.
1t will unsettle and disturb our
land titles after forty years of effort
on the part of our courts to de-
termine and settle the same; it will
involve the State in costly suits to
test the validity of the new law;
and should it be sustained in whole
or in part, it will further involve
the people in almost endless litiga-
tion to construe its provisions and
requirements.
We believe that an extraordinary
session of the Legislature for the
purpose of passing upon or consid-
ering the tax system submitted by
the Commission would be useless
and wholly unwarranted by exist
ing conditions; and that it would
entail needless. expenditure of
from $4,000 to $50, 900 of the pub
lilo moneys.
We further believe that our pres
ent system of taxation, defective
though it may be in some matters
of detail. is founded upon the true
principle and correct theory of tax
alton, and that it will be far wiser
to seek to correct the defects exist
ing therein than to supersede the
same with system 80 radically
different therefrom and of such
doubtful value either from the
standpoint of principle or utility.
N. E. Whitaker,
j N. Vance,
Alfred Caldwell.
j. G. Hoffman, Sr.,
John A. Howard,
A B. Fleming,
o s Mckinney,
E M. Showalter,
w. N Chancellor,
O. 81 Shattuck,
Alston g. Dayton,
O F Teter,
w. E Raymond,
g w. Curtin,
John Basel.
r. T. Lowndes,
Gen'l John McCausland,
V. L. Highland,
John w. English,
j. L Caldwell,
Isaac 7. Mann,
E. P. Kucker,
j. F. Brown.
J. 81. Huling.
George E Price.
Romeo 81. Freer,
| Alex. F. Mathews,
David E. johnson.
The dam in the rapids of Mia
/