The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-10-23
Some Things to
Think About

Below is given tHe great SpeecH vi
Governor VIM. M. o. Dawson delivered
al Clay Court House. IL lisa &C nplete
&. position Of the new tax system and
is worth careful reading. The gov.
ernor said:
Fellow Citizens: State Tax Com
missioner Dillon said in an address
], few days ago that the rate Of levy
throughout the State would average
between SIXTY and seventy cents OF
The hundred dollars. and this gave us
the lowest tax rate of any State in
tie union. 1t ts submitted thvt this
Ii. pre.emlnence worthy of our pride,
and In itself complete vlndication
Of the new tax laws under which i
vas attained. hold in my hand a
lIinted copy of speech ! deli"erel
in 1904 as the candidate of my party
for the office of governor, 1t was is
sued by the Republican State commit
tie in pamphlet form, and entitled
"The Truth About the New Tax
Laws" Many thousands Of copie0 O.
this pamphlet were distributed and
read. confess it is no little degree
of satisfaction to me to be able to
come before you now with this docu
rent in my Iani at.d tell yon that
every promise and prediction therein
made has been fulfilled. On page $
of this pamphlet 1t IS stated that the
State taxes in 1905 will be but "a
cents, but they were only 20 cents;
1t was stated that in 1906 the State
taxes would be but IS cents, but in
1906 the State taxes are only SK
cents. 1t was pointed cut to WI how
T. Democratic members of the Legis
lature Of 1904 prevented the suI>mis.
sion Of a constitutional amendment
Whereby all the tayes for State pur
poses could be abolished. but hope
to see this abolition soon, because !
think now, as l have thought for
years, that 1t ought to be done.
The Necessity Of Reform.
The necessity of reform in orr rev.
enue laws was very generally admit
ted. The attention Of Vie Legislative
was called to the fact by q Demo
cratic governor, was emphasized by
the reports Of the State tax C'mmis.
sion appointed in 1883 " Governor
Jackson, but the Democratic leaders
seemed unable to do anything. For
the twenty-five long years in which
they we're in power in this State they
failed to tighten the burdens Of taxa
ton on the property of the people q
emmy. When the Dawson corpora
lion law was proposed in 1901, where
by the license taxes on the charters
of corporations was increased from an
average of about $4,000 to nearly
100000 a year, the solid vote of the
Democratic members Of the Legisla'
ture opposed it; but still the necessl
ty of some reform in our tax laws was
so apparent that joint resolution,
creating the tax commission, was
5dopted by the Legislature of 1901
With but six dissenting votes
The State Tax Commission.
This vote evidenced the fact that
The feeling that something Ought to
hc done was well nigh unanimous
The commission was appointed by
Governor White, consisting Of three
Republicans and two Democrats
Among the latter was John L. HOLT,
the Democratic nominee for governor
In 1900, and former United States
Senator Henry Gassaway Davis, the
Democratic nominee for vice president
in 1904. This bipartisan commission
agreed unanimously on the report and
number of bills. The report is a
very able consideration of the tax
Question from a practical side under
the conditions existing in the State
and the constitution. The question
should never have been brought into
party politics. There can be no party
State. 1t may enter into the national
politics in the matter Of taxation In a
taxation question when 1t involves the
question of protection and free trade,
but nothing OF the kind enters into
the consideration as regards the State
revenues.
The Republican Position.
Legislation, however, is always a
roatter OF compromise. There were
some Democrats in favor of the State
tax commissions report and some OPP
posed. The Republicans were also
somewhat divided. but the Republican
party was in power in the State, and
were under the necessity Of compro-
missing their differences. This is al
ways more difficult with a majority
party. The bills of the State tax COM
mission were considered by commit
tee of eminent Republican citizens,
some changes made in them, and they
were endorsed by the Republican
State convention of 1904. which con-
,.,ntto,, darIorad.