Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1906-10-16

capital formerly so eager to invest ID the
mineral and other wealth that a kind
Providence has beautifully placed at our
doors.
REGISTRATION LAW.
Notwithstanding the people have. by a.
constitutional amendment, declared in
favor of registration law that will put
an end to the fraudulent voting that has
disgraced the State of late years. the
State Machine has steadily refused to
allow the passage of a law that would re-
qure the names Of all electors to be list d
long enough before election day to afford
an opportunity for the detection of
fraudulent voters. and instead of such
a genuine registration law. has given the
people legislative pretense that places
more difficulties in the way OF the honest
elector, and leaves the fraudulent voter
tree to pursue his netarious calling.
CONCLUSION.
The original and fundamental idea OF
the American system of government is
that the aggregate taxes of the people
should be kept within the limits required
by necessary expenditures, while the in
spring motive and chief objective OF the
entire new tax system has been to get
larger and still larger taxes from the
great body OF taxpayers without any
reference to the necessity or character of
the expenses that has made them neces-
sary. That while during the whole
agitation of the tax question, the interest
of one class of taxpayers has been skill
fully played against that of another, un-
der the specious pretense of equalzing
tax burdens, there has not been a single
genuine effort to tighten the taxes of the
whole people. which could have been SO
readily and easily accomplished by re-
ducing the annual legislative appropria-
tons that have grown to SUCH enormous
and entirely unnecessary proportions
since the Repu blicans have been in con-
troll of the State.
The Democratic party earnestly be-
lieves that the interest of the people in
the whole country r. quires an immediate
revision of the present tariff tax laws,
such revision to be made by the represen-
tatives of the people, and not by the
representatives of vested interests, as
claimed by the Republican party.
1t also believes the people have failed
to secure from the new tax system bene-
fits at all commensurate with those
claimed for it or justified by its cost. and
that it ought to be radically modified,
changed and amended so as to secure.
as to all classes of taxpayers. that equality
and uniformity in taxation that is the
keynote of the Constitution given to the
people OF the State by the Democratic
party.
1t believes that frugally and ecopom-
ically administered government the best
fruit of genuine craftsmanship. and that
if the State government were so admin
istered, expenditures would be so reduc-
ed that the taxes of all the people of the
State would be lessened, instead of being
increased as they now are under the pre-
tense of being equalized.
1t further believes that no single result
would be followed BY greater benefits to
the whole people of the State than the
complete overthrow and rout of the pres
ent State House Machine, whose finan-
cial necessities were the real inspiring
cause of the whole new tax system,
With the view of accomplishing the
above. as well as other salutary results.
the Democratic party therefore earnestly
and cordially invites all voters. without
distinction of past party difference. to
join with it in sending an earnest and
faithful antitrust delegation of Congress
men to Washington and an anti-State
Machine Legislature to Charleston.
BY direction of
THE DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE,
JOHN t. McGRAw. Chairman.
Grafton, w. Va. October 8. 1906.