Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1904-10-28
WHY DID HE DO IF.

Why did Mr. Dawson, lhe iiidu VI
MANY tees, bulletin in the public
prints some ten or twelve thousahd or
more of the most prominent corpora
ito nsin West Virginia large num-
Der OF them OF the highest Standing,
for the failure to comply with 50 triv-
ial a technically that postal card
notification would instantly have
remedied the oversight for which they
are nevertheless threatened with pub
lie suit and the 70, feit-.re Of their char
tiers.
Why did VIM. M. o. Dawson, in
stead OF courteously notifying the
corporations of trivial neglect to certi-
fly any change in their official rosters
to the Secretary's Office, hasten to
brand them as violatorsl OF . lawand::
put them to the expense and humilia-
ton OF actually defending suits to an
null their charters, invol wing the pay
ment Of another fee to Mr.. Dawson ere
they could be re1nstated?
The hullaballoo that this has
brought about Mr., Dawson S ears has
led that willy politician to Try to lay
Il e blame on the Attorney General.
This, however he cannot do, for the
Attorney General has no power to
bring these suits until the same has
been certified to him by the Secretary
of State, and VIM. NJ. O. Dawson is
the Secretary of State.
Let us enter into a little calcula-
ton here. Ten thousand charters for
feited would mean that ten thousand
corporations would have to deposit
more fees to be rein.tated before they
could do business. This would mean
another immense fortune for the
thrifty Will am NJ. o. oil $50, coo or
500, 600 in addition 10 Mr.. Dawson S
salary as Secretary of the State, a
sum worth going after while yet in
sieh on the horizon of Mr.. Dawson S
office. There may be also fues to be-
collected. Say the fines assessed are
but SIS. This would mean at least
$3.50, 900 more, all OF which could
have been saved at the cost OF a two
cent postage stamp. which would
have brought instant response from
such corporations as h d made change
during the year in their official roster
of officers, clinical matter, easily
overlooked.
Is it wonder Mr.. Dawson holds
t=naciously onto fees that come SO
easy and which have enriched him
and will continue to flow into his
pockets even after he has ceased to be
Secretary of State?
1t is worder that he got down in
person onto the floor of the Legisla-
ture to defeat the Democratic bill to
divert these fees into the State Treas
ury?
That measure would have provided
something like real tax reform. 1t
would have lightened the burden Of
the people to the extent of some S25.-
900 annually. Even the Intelligencer
admitted its beneficial effects before
recalled to its duty as an organ of the
chief beneficiary of this fee system,
when it obediently changed its tune.
Do the corporations ofWest Virgin
ia r6 fish the regular annual official
hold up for ten-dollar bill apiece
with a possible heavy fine in addition
on account Of most trivial techna-
cality?
If rot, their members should put
aside craftsmanship and vote to elect a
Democrats Legislature which will
abolish the entire fee system, root and
branch, and retire Hon. Want Much
office TO the private life of ease and
comfort that yawns for him. Regis
ter