Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-08-26

Il
burdens and benefits should be
shared alike, lest reckless prodigal-
ity in the expenditure of revenues
result from the lack of responsibility
In providing them. A people are
interested in government in pro-
portion and to the extent that they
share In the responsibilities thereof
and contribute to its maintenance.
IL is unjust that any class or classes
of people on property shall share in
the benefits OF government without
contributing fairly toward it's ex.
penses.
with numerous exemptions from
any tax, the question of the amount
of such tax and the expenditure
thereof becomes one solely between
the representative of the exempted
class in the appropriating branch of
the government, necessarily tempted
TO extravaganza on the one side, and
the representatives of the class COM
PEELED to pay the tax, on the other,
helpless by reason of their inferiortv
In numbers and the fact that the
mass of the people are unable to
ieel, and hence 10 perceive, the
wrongs of such tax-paying class.
To require one class to provide
what another may disburse must
necessarily lead to oppression and
eXtravagance, TO governmental de
moralization and business disaster.
Complaint is made that under our
present tax system assessments are
unequal and tax burdens not fairly
distributed, yet this new scheme of
taxation abandons every principle Of
fairness and equality. Why should
only the coal, oil and gas interests
be required through the pretense of
a license to pay a 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 cor
porations be relieved of the $50, 900
per annum State and State school
tax now paid by them, and the bur-
den of their exemption be saddled
on the coal operators in the form Of
third Of cent tonnage tax on their
24,000,000 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 production, be Disseminated
against in favor Of the non-res;dcn
land owners who hold vast areas Of
our domain and do nothing to in
crease the wealth on advance the
prosperity Of the State?
Our coal is sold in the worlds
markets at prices fixed by competi-
tion with the product of other States.
Why should we place special and
unusual burdens upon it' Why
should West Virginia with It's future
possibilities as great manufactur.
ing State, WELD its taxing powers
to strike at the basis of all industrial
development-cheap fuel?
Regardless, however, of the par
ticular subject of such tax we CON
tend that any production is wrong
in principle and contrary to enlight-
ened public policy. it is IN effect
tax upon the same capital over and
over again as often as il appears in
the shape of the product taxed. 1t
is a tax on energy and enterprise,
tending to retard development and
industrial growth and TO drive away
capital or force it into idleness.
There are other features Of the
proposed system which in our judg-
ment condemn it as practical and
rational scheme of taxation.
1t strikes down about $500, 900 of
the States revenues, and by It's own
best showing, with all its discrimi-
nations and inequalities, fails by at