Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-09-23

What they have published il
warmly to be Welcomed. 1t is al
a little look of what | thiuk YOU
call in your business Syndicate
stuff" that goes for little wher
We think of the many ways il
which this publication has done
good. | sincerely hope there may
be more of the same sort from the
same men, and, gentlemen of tn,
association, 40 do you.
In the first place, the fact fha,
their publication is made testifies
to their Opinicp, their expert
opinion, that the general purpose
and plan of the the tax commits.
sion has slowly but surely been
maxi Dg it's way into the judg.
ment and confidence of the peo-
pie. Otherwise no manifestation
on the part of these gentlemen
would have been needed.
In the seco nd place this publ
cation is an inspiring demonstra-
ton that public spirI is not dead
in West Virginia. Our ideas of
human nature are elevated when
we see that those who are object
ing 70 being relieved of 35 cents
annual tax Oh the hundred dollars
and are insisting that a license
tax upon the iron interests, the
electric railroads, the tanneries
and the lumber interests is as ap-
propriate as one upon coal, oil
and gas operation, are the very
men to whom we are accustomed
to look In West Virginia as the
representatives of the iron mills,
and electric railroads, the tanner.
les and the luu. Der interests.
Surely no one else will object if
these gentlemen in their zeal for
the public interest shall sue ceed
In having their own Enterprises
associated in the payment of Ii
cense taxes with the coal, oil and
gas interests.
In the next place they present
the issue sharply and clearly, and
their statement may be taken as
the best and strongest presentation
of the arguments against change
in the tax laws and in favor of the
present system. Ii that statement,
to which these gentlemen have
contributed their thought and
zeal, fails to carry convection, it
can be only because the positions
taken in the statement are IN
themselves at fault, are inherent
ly, radiacally and eternally wrong.
These champions of the present
system, giant defenders of a giant
wrong, are not unworthy of your
attention and mine.
THE OCCASION FOR THIS Dis
CUssIoN.
The mem bers of the tax COM
mission having fully presented
their views in their report and the
accompanying bills, have not fel.
that duty or propriety called on
them to volunteer in advocacy Of
those measures. They have no
personal interests to serve, and no
pride of opinion to crafty. They
will be- content with the judgment
of their fellow citizens, provided
it be pronounced after discussion,
and thought and understau ding.
But when the request comes
from a representative body of
West Vlrgiaians, representative
of every part of it's territory, of
every phase OF it's politics, and
OF every interest of it's people,
any member of the commission
must feel it bic duty to accept an
invitation to discuss with you
these matters in which you have
the same concern as we.
What | shall say will not be in
effort to impress my own iudg-
ment upon you, but rather to in
vite from you the exercise of
your own judgment, the free
conclusions of your own minds,
upon this point of taxes on which,
as Edmund Burke says, "The
ablest pens and most eloquent tor
CUES have been exercised; the
& satest spirits have acted and
suffered"
| deem it high privilege TO
speak here, before those to whom
the public is accustomed to look
for the facts upon which it is TO
act and to a very large extent for
it's opinions, and in an arena ike
this, a free parliment, where, like
the council OF the ancient Ger
mans of which TacItus tells US,
every one may think what he
pleases, and may say what he re.
ally thinks.