The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-07-21
People Drum.
The Potl-Parrot Times.

III the tsell-sa rToE55 " tle a y y "a
Editor West VIrginian:
4Let the tax tinkers asseyerate as
much as they may let them reduce
the Ieytes as much as they can without
regard to deficits thereby created or
betterments and improvements which
they refuae to make, there is one fact
standing out clear above all others.
and that rs the State expenses have
doubled In the past ten years. II I'M
der this administration State expenses
have doubled, what will happen to
county and municipal expenses when
there is no longer necessity TO keep
them down.to fool the people just be:
fore an electionP The constitutional
liars which limited leyfes are down
\ and LET no man fool himself that more
money will not be demanded and re-
qulred in the next two years. The new.
laws were made to get more money
from the taxpayers, and that will be
the ultimate result no matter how they
are rugged up this year"
The above is specimen of profund-
Ilty from the anticipated Times" in it's
Tissue of the 18th; SO let all the world
take heed. The mountain has labor
eI and brought forth. Too absurd to
disgust, too ridiculous to attract and
too weak to amuse.
For genuine obtusity the above
takes the cakeI
Suppose the State expenses have
doubled in the last ten years hasn't
there been an enormous increase in
population necessltating an enlarge
ment in all the State Institutions?
Are there not more instructors en-
ployed in the University and in all the
Normal schools? Has not the State
assumed new burdens looking to the
welfare and happiness of the people?
Have we not new miners hospitals, the
Industrial Home for Girls. the Hospital
for Incurables and any number of 9TH
err humane and charitable institutions
that we did not have ten years ago.
all supported by the State? And are
not all the different institutions of the
State enlarged and rendered more eff
i fcfent? Stop insane vaporings and
talk sense for one issue at least. No
body ever claimed that the aggregate
amount of taxes collected or to be col
lected under the new system would
be less than heretofore. Nobody was
that big fool and no one except the
Times ever thought any one was that
foolish and no one ever claimed that
the purpose of the new tax laws was
to reduce the aggregate amount OF
taxes to be collected. sEYeryPody
knows that knows anything that the
burden of taxation has come to stay.
The only thing sought for was to
equalize the burden, so as to make
those that did not pay enough to pay
more and torelieve those that paid too
much The intination that taxes are
being kept down to make favorable
showing and to fool the people is
peculiar brand of rotten thinness OF
which The Times is the sole proprie-
tor. The taxes of the great mass Of
small property holders of Marion coun-
ty for the year 1906 will be less than
heretofore and the aggregate amount
of taxes collected will be as much as
were ever collected in any one year
and how is it brought about?
By shifting the burdens from the
poor to the rich,
We quote again direct from the Times
1.-THE Constitution bars which limited
1evies are down and let no man fool
himself that more money will not be
demanded and required in the next
two years"
That is the ponderous climax of the
astute editor of the Times. Well, well,
wel1!!l
What article of the constitution has
been overturned? We always under
stood that the constitutional bars
could no be let down without a direct
vote of the people letting them down
and we have not heard of any recent
constitutional change being made or
submitted to the people. but that is a
fair sample of the accuracy of the
Times. How well do we remember
way back in the year 1904 OF the woe
full wall Of The Times as 1t toretold
the crushing weight of taxation for the
year 1905. 1905 came and the dire
disaster would come in 1906. when the
new real estate assessment went into
effect. 1906 is here and the frightful
nightmare of onerous taxes is still be-
fore us, but still recedinE into the mis-
ty future.
AS a prophet the Times Is without
honor, not only in its own country,
but everywhere. How does it come
that the Times does not notice that the
different Democratic conventions are
not denouncing the vicious tax laws in
the year of grace, 1902
OBSERVER.
A Hint to Lone Star.