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

distributable school funds by the addI-
tlon VI nearly $4,000, winch was posi-
bic SIMPLY by making the payment OF
TINS capltatlOn tax a prerequisite 10 the
exercise OF the ngut TO yoIe.
In keeping win the apparently de-
signed purpose OF deceWing and mislead-
my the taxpayers on every subject CON
nected with the assessment and collec-
ton OF taxes, IL is provided in senate
No. /, that the assessor snail, at the time
OF assessing capitauons and property,
collect the capltatlon tax. The neon
vemence OF tins method is SO apparent
as TO need no discussion; the opportunity
Tor fraud on the part OF the assessor III
failing to make returns OF capItatlon
taxes where such tax alone is assessed
is equally obvious. The whole scheme Is
pa4pable makeshlft TO attempt to cover
up the refusal OF the Legislature to sub
init constitutional amendment that
would not only insure the collection OF
this vast sum which Is now unpaid, ana
large amount OF which Is equally as
certain to go unpaid under the new law,
but would IN addition safeguard the poll
10 a great extent against the paItIclPa-
tlon III election OF migratory hordes WAC
are neither residents nor taxpayers III
West Virginia, and large proportion OF
whom are probably not IN the State al
the time the assessments are made.
Deception as to the Importance of Con-
Stitutional Amendment.
In line with the attempted deception
as disclosed by the above paragraph, l.
the persistent effort of MIR. Dawson's or
gans to make 1t appear that an import
ant constitutional amendment failed OF
submission because of the obstruction of
the Democratic members of the legisla
ture. When the extraordinary session OF
that body was called, and public inquiry
was melted as to the measures VIII.
We're of SO much Importance that they
could not wait for the regular session,
less than seven months away, thereby
entailing large and apparently mneces-
sary expense upon the State, these or
gans assured the taxpayers that it was
because this particularly important
amendment must be submitted at the
coming election so that its operation
could be made effective for legislative
tax reform at the next session.
The amendment proposed added moth
ing, or at least so little, to the powers
dllCdhg lbooCooCu W tAG lidt
this claim for it is farcical 1t was so
crudely drawn that some of the best
lawyers in the State, Republicans as well
as Democrats, feared its adoption.
Under the proposed amendment the
legislature might refuse to levy the full
25 cents State tax and 10 cents State
school tax on the 500 valuation with
out thereby involving any question as to
Il, IL !
amendment the legislature may now re-
fuse to levy more than one mill for
State tax and one mill for State school
tax on the 500 valuation without in
any way endangering the right of for
fixture of lands. The whole matter re-
solves itself. therefore into a mere ques
tion of twiddledum and twiddle dee,
Who Responsible for Failure of Consti-
tutional Amendment.
But if this amendment was so import
ant, the Republican members of the leg
islature had it in their power to secure
its submission by merely submitting al
the same time to the voice of the peo-
pile the question whether or not they
wanted to make the payment of capita
ton tax a prerequisite to the right to
vote
The Democratic members made prop
osition of this kind, and it was rejected.
The Republicans were willing that this
extraordinarily important amendment
for the submission of which, by their
own statements, the taxpayers will be
called upon to pay more than eighteen
thousand dollars in the expenses of an
extraordinary session of the legislature
should utterly fail rather than let the
people pass upon the suffrage amend
ment.
The following letter from one of the
abest Republican lawyers in the Stat
relates to another feature of this amend
ment As shown by the letter, good
lawyers were of the opinion that under
its workings there could be no forfeiture
of lands for failure to pay county and
district taxes. and expressed the view
that it would tend to unset land titles
which were being settled rapidly under
existing laws. No one familiar with the
subject anywhere has reached the con-
clusion that there was ANYTHING in the
pronosed amendment which would iustifv
even the expenditure of the public money
involved in the preparation and PRINTING
of the bills which were enacted at the
extraordinary session.
Letter from John A. Sheppard to Gov
ernor White.
July 23d, 1904
Hon A. p. White. Governor,
Charleston. w. Va.
Dear Sir:-I notice in your call for an
extra session of the legislature to con-
vene July the 26th you set forth as one
of the subjects of legislation the CON
sideraiion of the submission to the voters
of the State constitutional amendment
permitting the legislature to dispense
with all State and State school taxes on
property.
] presume you mean to include the rea'
estate in the word property" and there
fore desire to call your attention to the
fact that any change of the constitution
in relation to the entry of real estate on
the land books and the charge thereon
with State taxes should be carefully con-
sidered before il is submitted to the
voters of the State.
Sec. 6 of Article l3 of the present con-
stitution provides for the forfeiture of
all tracts of land of one thousand acres
or more. which may be omitted from the
land books for five successive years after
the year 1869. and the failure of the