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


sources that John ]. Cornwell. the
Democratic nominee for Governor has
not been in sympathy with the tax
teioem movement in the states and
taAt he has opposed the imposition OF
taxes upon tie corporations doing
business IN the state. Mr.. Cornwell is
the very pioneer tax reformer in West
Virginia. AS early as 1899. long be-
fore White and Dawson began this
agitation OF the question and before
the appointm mt of tax commission
he introduced joint resolution en-
deavoring to reduce the state taxes
hive cents on the hundred dollars. The
Republicans defeated that measure
because they said there was not suffi
cient money in the state treasury to
do SO. Whereupon he at once set about
the formation Of bill taxing express
companies which would have brought
something like $4,000 into the
state treasury annually and was large
ly instrumental in securing its pas
sage through the legislature, but Gov.
Atkinson. the Republican executive
vetoed the bill. There was no reason
IN the world for the veto excepting
that the Republican party was stand
ing in with the corporations that rob
US every time we patronize them.
1t has been charged that he voted
against taking up the tax com mis-
sion s bills which is without shadow
OF truth. He has said upon the floor of
the senate, through the columns OF
his newspaper and numerous times
upon the hastings that he did not APP
prove of some of the provisions OF the
tax commission s bills but has always
been in favor and has supported the
general principle upon which they
were drawn.
At the special session OF the legis-
lature, this summer be voted for the
resolution TO take up the tax commits
sion's bills and pass them instead OF
the compromise bills that were forced
through by the party lash. He did SO
because he considered those bills the
proper basis upon which to frame any
proper tax legislation.
The following extract from letter
written by Mr.. Cornwell to gentle
man in this city under date of Feb. 7,
1903, when the question was up in
the regular session will show pretty
clearly what be thought of the mat
ter and where he stood long before he
~as thought of as candidate for gov
erpor:
Il am opposed to some of the
provisions III the tax com mis- sion
scheme, fol instance tnat OF ak,ng
the assessor the collector Of taxes.
Then | am opposed to taking from
the counties one-half their present.
share OF the railroad tax, also 10 sad
ding upon the counties one-half the
criminal charges, cost OF maintaining
the Insane Asylum, orinsane patients,
convicts, deaf and blind &c. The fact
is that with these provisions 1t is
serious question in my mind whether
the people in counties ike Berkeley
and Hampshire may not lose more in
this way than they would gain in
having the state tax abolished. You
can see it is difficult to figure on it.
Besides it has tendency to lessen
the importance and efficiency of those
institutions.
My idea is that the tax on coal, oil
and gas should be levied bat In diff
terent way from that proposed in the
commissions report. Then by in
creasing the charter tax on corpora
tons and securing revenue from some
additional sources, believe sufficient
revenue could be raised to run the
state government, pay the criminal
charges and maintain the State insti-
tutiops without saddling back half OF
all these charges on the counties.
JOHN J. CoRNwELL.