Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1904-10-14

party caucus. An examination of the
bills by members of the legislature and
other citizens, however, proved conelu-
slvely that they were crudely drawn, full
of Inconsistencies and antiquities, and
provided an Inefficient system of taxa
ton, containing many obnoxious features
affecting the assessment, collection and
disbursement of State revenue. On the
discovery of their defects, which was
simultaneous with their presentation,
Notwithstanding the pressure of political
influence, many Repubheans-members
OF both branches of the legislature-re-
yolted against their passage, insisting
that under their oaths as legislators and
with sense of duty to their constit-
uents, they could not acquiesce in many
of the provisions of these badly drawn
and inefficient measures; but notwith-
standing the contention among Republi-
can members of the legislature over the
passage of the bills, so potential was the
influence of the party whip in the hands
of Governor White, Mr.. Dawson and the
Republican managers, that many of the
bills were forced to passage against the
judgment of the ablest and most con-
sentative Republican members of the leg
lslature. That the passage of these bins
was only intended for political effect and
was an attempt only to deceive the
voters of the State is manifest, for so
far as they pretend to relieve or reduce
the tax burdens of the people their in
efficiency is evidenced by the bills them
selves; and the fact that many of them
are made to take effect so far in the
future that a subsequent legislature al
its regular session may repeal or amend
them before they become operative,
shows that even their advocates were not
willing that they should become laws
without fuller and more comprehensive
investigation and knowledge of their
probable workings
1t is the purpose of this article to
briefly analyze some of these measures
and to endeavor to show their effect upon
the taxpayers.
Failure to Pass Good Bills.
1t must not be forgotten, however, that
Mr.. Dawson and the Republican leaders
are as culpable in failing to approve and
pass meritorious bills as they are for
approving and passing defective and UNI
Just laws, bearing harshly upon the peo-
pie in their operation, and it must not
be forgotten that Mr.. Dawson is respon-
sible for every act of omission and com
mission of the late extraordinary session
of the legislature, for he cracked the
party whip and forced conclusions on
everk matter before that body.
BY the extraordinary session an OPP
portunity was made to enact good and
satisfactory measures to relieve the tax
payers. An equal opportunity was made
to repudiate bad and unsatisfactory en-
actments which would add to their bur
dens.
In the insanity of demagoguery Mr.
Dawson and his co-laborers deliberately
chose to enact laws not demanded by the
people, and which must work to general
disadvantage, and to ignore and refuse
to pass the very measures which they
had advocated as the essential elements
of tax reform.
The Effort to Make the Payment of Cap
itation Tax Prerequisite to the Right
to Vote-The Hypocrisy of Republican
Managers on this Subject.
Among these measures which they had
advocated most thoroughly, and which
were denied even courteous considera-
ton when they came before the legisla
ture, was their own proposition to make
the payment OF capltation tax a pre-
requisite to the exercise of suffrage. The
lax Commission, on page 50 of its pre-
iminary report, showed eonclusively that
over one fourth of the entire voting pop
ulation of the State contributes ALSO
lutely nothing to its maintenance along
any line. As a matter of fact out of
a total vote of 220,692 there were 3d.
GIT voters in 1900 returned delinquent
for the non-payment of taxes, and yet
this 63,6l7 voters not only maintain the
political balance of power in the State
but this class of voters dominate and
control every election. When, therefore,
the Tax Commission suggested that a
constitutional amendment should be sub
mitted to the people by and through
which these voters should be disqualified
from exercising suffrage unless they paid
some taxes to the State government.
universal sentiment of approval followed
the suggestion. But political exigency
proved more potential than popular de-
mand. 1t is said the Washington con-
ference decided that the adoption of this
measure would be disastrous to the Re
publican party in West Virginia, because
perhaps so per cent. of these delinquents
are migratory negroes and other birds of
passage whose votes are always record
ed in favor of the Republican party;
therefore any limitation upon their right
to vote would to that extent, initiate
against a continuance of that party In
power. So this popular and just meas
ure was consigned to the tomb at the
Washington conference.
Democrats Attempt TO Secure Amend
ment to Constitution.
The Democrats in the extraordinary
session of the legislature determined to
prove the sincerity of the Republicans
upon this question. Therefore when the
resolution relating to the submission OF
"a constitutional amendment. providing
that the legislature may levy or re-
frain from levying State and State
school taxes on real and personal prop
erty, and il such taxes be not levied
there shall be no forfeiture OF land under
the next section for the failure to have
it charged with any such taxes" came
up on second reading, the following
amendment was offered: But the legis-
latnre shall levy the one dollar capitation
tax provided for in section 2. article 10.
and no person shall vote at any State
or National election who has not paid
such capitation tax for the year in which