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

1
stitution of the license taxes thus pro-
posed, it was provided that nearly all of
the criminal charges should be paid by
the counties instead of out of the State
treasury, and that considerable part of
the expenses of the charitable and hu-
name institution should be borne by the
counties and not by the State
Commissions Bills Receive Scant Legis-
lative Consideration.
Bills were framed for the action of the
Legislature along the line of the sugges
lions of the commission, but they re-
ceived scant courtesy at the hands of
that body, especially in the Senate,
which refused by a decisive majority to
consider them at all.
Immediately a contention arose over
the measures. 1t was not confined to one
party. To some extent the members of
both became divided in their views on
the question. The people, however, of
both parties believed that it should and
would be worked out along non partisan
lines, and that some substantial relief
would be given TO the great mass of tax
payers.
Mr.. Dawson Declares Himself a Candi-
date to Uphold the Principles of Tax
Reform.
About this time, however, Governor
White and his Secretary of State, w. NJ.
o Dawson, seemed to be inspired by the
idea that an issue of Tax Reform" was
a popular measure with the people, and
that its advocacy would subserve and ad
vance their political ambitions. Gov
ernor White headed a propaganda direct
ed to enforcing the views of the Tax
Commission. He added to it a new fea
ture, that of an income tax on the gross
earnings of railroads, matter which
had not been recommended by the COM
mission. simultaneously Mr.. Dawson
announced his candidacy before the Re
publican State convention for the office
of Governor. He assigned as his sole
reason for such candidacy his devotion
to the peoples interest as represented by
these Tax Commission measures. He
time and again declared that he would
stand or fall as the people might choose
to endorse or repudiate the principles OF
the proposed tax reforms in their en-
tirety His endorsement of these meas
ures was bold and unequivocal, and chal
lenged all opposition.
Let US now recapitulate what these
propositions endorsed by Governor White
and made a platform for Mr.. Dawson's
candidacy were:
Mr.. Dawson's Platform of Tax Principles
lst. A proposed license tax upon the
production of coal, oil ann gas
I'd. A proposed tax upon the gross in
come of railroads.
Sd. The imposition of special licenses
on certain professional callings.
4th. An increase of the license on the
sale of spirits.
5th. The abrogation of all State and
State school taxes.
9th. The charging back to the coun-
ties of a large portion of the criminal
charges and one-half of the cost of main
tanning the humane and charitable in
stitutiOns.
There were minor suggestions, but
these were the essential changes, by
which the people were taught to believe
that the burdens of taxation were to be
lifted from them, in the event of the
successor Mr.. Dawson in his candidacy
for Governor.
The Compromise Reached by Republican
Leaders on Tax Question.
These propositions created divisions in
the Republican party, many of the ablest
and most conservative of its members be-
ing detiantly opposed to levying license
taxes upon those whose business fur
nishes employment to labor and develops
the resources of the State. This Repub-
lican opposition to the White Dawson
scheme crystallized around Charles f.
Teter as its candidate for Governor.
Fierce strife prevailed among the leaders;
all efforts to harmonic warning factions
proved unavailing. In this emergency a
conference of Republican leaders was held
at the Raleigh Hotel, Washington, D. C.
and a compromise upon the measures
was agreed on. This compromise, among
other things, decided that the special IL
cense taxes on coal, oil and gas and the
tax on the gross earnings of railroads
were to be abandoned. A committee of
ten was appointed, from which a sub
committee of four was selected to draft
bills carrying into effect these compro
mise ideas This subcommittee was
composed of Hon. William P Hubbard
president of the Tax Commission, and
Hon. G.. C. Sturgiss, these two repre-
senting the Tax Commission plan, and
Hon. Reese Blizzard and Congressman A.
G. Dayton, representing the opposing fac
ton of the party. None of these gentle
men were members of the legislature or
authorized by that body to devise any
plan for amending the tax laws of the
State. 1t was purely voluntary plan
to harmonic party differences. This
subcommittee prepared certain compro
mise bills, supposed to contain PROPOSE
lions agreed upon by the political con-
ference referred to. They were sub
mitted to the Governor, who. in accord
ance with the agreement, was requested
to call an immediate extra session of
the legislature, in order that they might
be acted upon prior to the meeting of the
State Republican convention, so that the
tax question would not enter that body
to be a disturbing feature in its selection
of candidates The Governor in the in
terest of Mr.. Dawson, it is believed, re-
fused to call the special session at this
time. And in fact, the organs of Mr.
Dawson repudiated the compromise. and
continued to press his candidacy on the
theory that he was the sole advocate OF
the original Tax Commission bills, which
were TO exempt farm lands, etc, from
State and State school taxes by substi
tuting license taxes on the producing
and transportation interests of the State,
Mr.. Dawson Abandons His Tax Prinei-
pies