The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1903-08-28
new Plan
! Of TAXATION
DISCUSSED BY NUMBER OF LEAD.
ING BUSINESS AND PROBES
SIGNAL CITIZENS OF STATE.
MANY SALIENT POINTS OF opPo-
SITIoN TO COMMISSIONS PLAN
ARE BROUGHT OUT.
List of Those Discussing 1t is Made Up
of Republicans ana Democrats Alike
Who Do Not Regard 1t a Po-
Il litical Issue.

An article on the tax question which
has been sprung in this state, has been
prepared by number of prominent bust
ness men. prominent citizens, politicians
and leading residents of various districts
of the state. The article is given below
In full. 1t Is of interest and should be
read by every one who is at all interested
in that vital question.
To the People of West Virginia.
The undersigned having carefully con.
sidered the report of the Tax Commits
sion and the legislative bills submitted
by it, proposing new system If taxs.
ton for the State If West Virginia. arc
of the opinion that the plan proposed
Is Objectionable upon many grounds and
for various reasons. And, feeling rs we
do an abiding interest in the present and
future welfare Of the State and its in
stitutions, We deem ourselves warranted
in briefly setting forth those objections
rs we see and believe them to be.
BY the proposed system of taxation
it is sought - abolish the State and
State school TX on all real estate and
personal property. including railroads
and to supply tie State revenues nov
Afforded thereby. i'll part by imposing a
special license tax on the business of pro-
of such tax At one third OF cent per
ton on coal. one-haif cent per barrel on
oil and one a1d onr-;air,i cent. on every
100000 cubic t.ct Of sns: by imposing
license tax on the business OF practiciiy
law and medicine and retailing tobacco
and increasing the taN ON hotels and reg
taurants, ON liquor, brewers and distill-
cr's licenses; and by providing that Ger.
tain public Charge row payable out of
the State treasury -Lall be paid by the
counties.
This scheme CT taxation IS in our judy
ment contrary to the provisions of our
state constitution, and would. we firmly
believe, be 50 heid by the courts:
lst. Because .spngaant to section
of Article y Of that instrument. whici,
provides that taxation shall be equal and
uniform throughout the State and that
no one species of property shall be taxed
higher than any other species of property
of equal value.
2nd. Because it cxempts from taxa
ton for State purposes property not au-
thorized by the Constitution to be ex-
ompted.
3rd- Because the exemption of real
estate from taxation for State purposes
Is expressly prohibited by the Constitu-
zion, and the failure for any i've years
TO charge real estate for State taxes i
declared by that instrument to work a
forfeiture of all tracts of lard of one
thousand acres or more.
4th. Because it would be questionable
at least whether the payment of county,
district and municipal levies ON real es-
tate could be enforced by forfeiture in
the absence of state tax thereon.
5th. Because the right to mine coal
or produce oil and gas is not that char
acter Of privilege or franchise" au-
thorized to be taxed within the intend
meut of the Constitution, and because
even as such privilege or franchise tax
it Is not made 10 apply to NIL such priv
ileges and franchises alike as required
by the Constitution.
But aside from its manifest conflict
with the Constitution, the proposed sys-
tenn is directly Mt variance with what
We believe to be the true principle OF
taxation, namely, that all property shall
be taxed and that It shall be taxed By