Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-10-06

distributable school funds by the addi-
ton of nearly $4,000, which was posi-
bic simply by making the payment OF
this capltation tax prerequisite to the
exercise OF the right TO vote.
In keeping with the apparently de-
signed purpose of deeeiving and mislead-
ing the taxpayers on every subject con-
nected with the assessment and collec-
ton OF taxes, it is provided in Senate
No. !, that the assessor shall, at the time
OF assessing capitations and property,
collect the capitation tax. The neon
venience of this method is so apparent
as TO need no discussion; the opportunity
Tor fraud on the part OF the assessor IN
failing TO make returns OF capitation
taxes where such tax alone is assessed
Is equally obvious The whole scheme is
palpable makeshift TO attempt TO cover
up the refusal of the legislature to sub
mt a constitutional amendment that
would not only insure the collection OF
TINS vast sum which is now unpaid, and
large amount of which is equally as
certain to go unpaid under the new law,
but would IN addition safeguard the polls
TO great extent against the participa-
are neither residents nor taxpayers IN
West Virginia, and large proportion of
whom are probably not in the State at
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, /,
the persistent effort of Mr. Dawson's or
gans to make it appear that an import
>>SI8tt constitutional amendment failed OF
submission because of the obstruction of
the Democratic members OF the legisa
tTe When the Extraordinary session OF
that body was called, and public inquiry
was melted as to the measures wh.s
were of so much Importance that they
could not wait for the regular session,
less than seven months away, thereby
entailing a large and apparently unneces-
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
already possessed by the legislature, that
this claim for it is farcical. 1t was so
erudely drawn that some of tine 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
% cents State tax and 10 cents State
school tax on the 500 valuation with
out thereby involving any question as to
the forfeiture OF lands. Without the
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 twiddled dun and twiddledee.
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
pie the question whether or not the'
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
-a-s.0,, &c Tho Ioor,u a n.y.
should utterly fail rather than let the
people pass upon the suffrage amend
ment
The following letter from one of the
ablest Republican lawyers in the STATE
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 upset 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
proposed amendment which would justify
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. B. White, Governor,
Charleston, W. Va.
Dear Sir:-I notice in your call for an
extra session of the legislature to con
vene July the Goth, you set forth as one
of the subjects of legislation the con-
sideration of the submission to the voters
of the State constitutional amendment.
permitting the legislature to dispense
with all State and State school taxes Oh
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 it is submitted to the
voters of the State.
Sec. 6 of Article Is of the present con-
stiution provides for the forfeiture OF
all tracts of land of one thousand acres
or more. which may be omitted from the
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