The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-10-03
DkE BE REDUCED

Office in n last Democratic regime.
1t charges Mr.. Dawson with the aban-
donment OF every principle of Tax
Reform. This is grossly false. Meth
er Mr. Dawson nor the Republican
party has abandoned "a reform. Mr..
Dawson stands where be always stood
for the abolition of State taxes and a
just and equitable system of taxation.
Mr.. Dawson stands on the Republican
platform. That platform was adopt
led July 49, 1904; and in less than six
weeks the Republican Legislature had
redeemed practically every promise
the platform made. The Republicans
| did more for tax reform in six weeks
than the Democrats did in all the 25
years. The Republicans ave abol-
ished State taxes.
The Democratic Way.
Democrats are attacking the tax re-
vision Increment, simply because it is
a Republican idea. In the twenty-fou~
years that the Democratic party held
power they made no attempt whatever
to readjust and improve our tax laws.
They know nothing of constructive
craftsmanship. The Democratic par
ty in this State is animated by the
same spirit and as the Dem
ocratic party in the Nation. which
wants to tear down, not build up.
The National Democratic party OPP
poses protection because it is 4 Re
publican principle. The National Dem
ocratic party opposed the Panama Ca
nal because it vas backed by Rcpub-
1ican eaders. The National Demo-
cratic party attempted to arrest the
course of affairs in the Spanish-Amer-
lean war when orr fleets were fighting
ana our armies marching because a
Republican President was in the
White House. The National Democrat
ic party tried to undo that which had
taken place in the Philippines because
the Philippine policy was formulated
by the Republicans. The National
Democratic party sought to change
the money policy in this country to
silver just when the powerful ma
ions of the world were changing to
gold, because the Republican party
stood for the gold standard. The
Democratic party in this State is the
same as the Democratic party in the
Nation. the party OF obstruction and
negatiOn. the party which stands for
nothing but opposition. This party is
true to its principles and policies in
this campaign in arraying itself
against every good thing which the
Republican party has accomplished or
seeks to accomplish.
New Laws.
The pamphlet ncXt gives ttentiO
to the work of the last Legislature
and introduces the subject by assert
ing thai the bills passed ere hidden
from the law-IlakinS body and were
prohibited from every member of the
Legislature. Il is charged that they
were crudcly drawn, full of i~nconsis-
tencies and antiquities, and provided
an insufficient system of taxation.
containing many obnoxious features
affecting the collection Of State rcvc-
nue.. Here is another tumble of false
The fact Of the matter is these
bills were drawn by several OF the
leading lawyers in the State, whose
position will very f~avOrably
with the author Of the Democratic
pamphlet. They are clear. plain and
ana may we'll be understood
by any layman who takes the trouble
to examine them. The bills We're
given full and free discussion. They
printed in practically every
newspaper in the State before they
become laws. The people were in
at every step in this legiSla-
ton and the Legislature new what
it was doing. The passage of the
bills is a great step onward toward
the realization of tax revision. Since
measures have become laws,
thousands Of the acts have been dis
.ributed Yer the State and they have
e. very fully and fairly explained
Republican leaders. If there is
who doesn't know what they
mean, or what they will do, it is be-
cause they can't read or won't read,
ant understand or won't understand.
These laws do not bear harshly on any
but they provide for equal
nc just taxation of every interest and
wiping out of s~ix-sevenths of the
lirect taX now levied of So cents on
he hundred dollars and eventually a
otal reduction Of all Of it.