Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1905-06-02
mean by levying a direct tax as con-
templated by those who framed our

-
ishing the direct State tax. That
charge has been made before, and |
have met and answered it more than
half n hundred times. My answer Is
that if all the taxable property in this
State had been in the past, or was
now, assessed for taxation, that the
rate necessary to raise sufficient mon
ey for the support of our State gov
eminent would be so low that no one
would feel it and no one would COM
plain. The origin of the tax agitation
in this State grew out Of the fact that
not more than half Of he property in
the State was on the assessors books
! mean the personal property-and
that much of the property, both real
and personal that was on the books
was on so low that it caused those
whose property was assessed at fair
and honest rate to pay vastly larger
proportion of the State tax, as well
as the county and district taxes, than
they ought to have paid.
! know that our Republican friends
will say, We'll, that is what we have
remedied when we assessed or are now
assessing all of the real estate at what
it will sell for at voluntary sale, on
the usual terms. and not what it will
sell for at a forced sale" Again
answer. if you enforce that law and
assess the real estate on that basis,
then you will compel the real estate
owner to pay a larger proportion of
the taxes of all kinds than he ever
paid before, or ought to pay now, be-
cause more intangible personal prop
erty is getting away and out of the
State than ever before.
| have said before and repeat now,
that you cannot. in this State, strike
off all of the State tax, the direct State
tax. as they have provided for and as
sert that they intend to do, without ex-
tending the system of special or IL
cense taxes which they have inaugu-
rated, until that system become bur
densome and vicious in all it's work
ings and ramifications
Whence came this idea of abolish
ing the direct State tax ard of raising
the money from charter taxes and
other similar sources?
Originated in New Jersey.
Why, from the State of New Jersey
that home of the trust vultures. which
soar abroad over the States of the
Uniont with tireless wings, unerring
eyes and bloody beaks; that seek
whom and what they may devour, and
are today bringing more misery, suffer
ing and want to the people of this rich
and mighty country, in an otherwise
prosperous era. than ever came to any
people before in time of peace. New
Jersey inaugrated that system. and
the alleged statesmen of this State
have attempted to model our laws or
our system after those of trust-ridden
New Jersey, and to a certain extent
they are succeeding.
In both instances these corporation
laws were not bred and born of de-
sire to save the people money paid in
the shape of taxes. They were not
Matched and the nefarious system was
not devised in the traitor State of
New Jersey, or in it's disciple, Wesr
Virginia, out of ravenous thirst for
public good, but to satisfy itching
palms in the shape of fat fees that
have in the past gone with the charter
ing of these corporations, big and lit
tie, and the turning of them loose to
plumber and rob the people.
Inspired by graft. fees for charter
ing, fees for acting as statutory attor-
ney, and fees for everything, West Vir-
gina went into this trust-making bust
ness for the money there was in it for
its officials, and the people of the
State. as in Jersey, were lulled to sleep
with the siren song that it was putting
money into the State treasury, saving
| them taxes. but at the same time the
increased revenue provided by these
ill-gotten charter taxes saved the peo-
pie nothing. The tax rate was not re-
duced one cent. but the additional rev.
enue expended in reckless extrava-
gance in providing jobs around the