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

history of the State, it administer,
faithfully and well its government u
der constitution providing that s.tax
ton shall be equal and uniform, al
wisely framed statutes made in accor
ance Herewith. Under the directir
influence Of the Democratic party, il
| foundation stones of the State We
wisely and substantially laid.
founded and built up all its great pul
lie institutions, and conducted them. Q
policies thorough and efficient, stri
in economy and free from political {
other scandals. 1t provided an effic
ent free school system, which afforde
an opportunity to the most humbl
child to secure a reasonable educatio
at its own door without cost. Withou
increasing the direct taxes of any elias
of citizens, it established and built u
an "Irreducible School fund.- amount
ing to more than million dollars. tn
interest on which annually helps t
swell the amount distributed anon,
local schools. When this fund, OWN,
to Democratic economy and frugaIity
had reached a million dollars, the Law
was changed 50 that thenceforth tn,
revenues that had created it should
each year, go to the general schoo
fund and be distributed along with i
to the local schools. To this change il
the law is due part of the great in
crease that has recently taken place ii
the amount distributed from the Gen.
eral School Fund to the local school
districts and which has been heralded
abroad by the State Machine as an
achievement Of Republican statesman
ship. The rest of the increase being
mostly due to the fact that two-sevenths
OF the old license tax-all of which
used to go to the State Fund-now 90
to increase the amount that is annually
distributed among the local school dis
tricts. One of the consequences of this
diversion of revenues from the State
Fund to the General School Fund
being a shortage in the former that will
yet have to be made up by additional
taxes from the people.
All of our magnificent State institu-
tons, except the asylum at Hunting
ton, the Capitol Annex and a few
minor buildings had been substantially
when the Democratic party
passed out of power. During the long
period of Democratic ascendency, the
fiscal affairs of the State were admins
.ered so wisely and economically that
t never became necessary, under the
oretense Of equalizing assessments, to
overthrow the entire tax system, when
he real object was to gain additional
,evenues to meet expenditures brought
about by an extravaganza so reckless
Is to be unprecedented in the entire
lnnals of the State.
ExTRAvAGANCE CAUSE OF
NEW TAX SYSTEM.
Since the Republican party succeed |
ID to power in West Virginia, the
teadily pursued purpose of the State
administration has been to strengthen
nd extend merciless political ma
hine, which strikes at friend and foe
like, by the creation of new offices
nd the increase of the emolument Of
Id ones, to the end that it might have
arger revenues to bestow, at the ex-
ense of the people, upon both its old
enchmen and its new recruits; one of
ne evidences of the truth of this prop
sition being the fact that the appro-
riations for the payment of salaries
nd expenses of the legislative, execu-
We and judicial departments was in
1876, the last year of Democratic rule,
127,935, and in 1905, $685., 1877 an
lcrease of over a hundred per cent.
That the tremendous increase in ap-
ropriations, which have grown from
633, $50 in 1896 to s1,378,187 in
9O6, is not due to the rapid growth
nd development of the State that has
ken place Of late years, may be seen |
ON noticing some Of the classes of ex-
enditures in which the increase has !;
zen most marked; thus the contingent !
lpenses OF the last session of the Dem |
,ratic Legislature were s4,700, while /.
1905 they were $4,000 both SEES !
ons being of about the same length, /
I'd substantially the same amount Of i
lsiness being transacted at each. The I
EN- of salaries of clerks-being for !
erks in substantially the same depart I
ent at Charleston for each year
as, in 1895, $4,000 and in 1906, !
$4,000. The expenses Of the judicial !
apartment in 1895 were $50, $50; in Il
}O5, they amounted to s100,S00. In Q
s96 the salaries for the executive de- 7
lrtment amounted to s11, 900; in !
JOG, they amounted to s26,500. K
hat the general increase is not due to t
,penditures required for building 9
lblic institutions may also be seen :
ON the fact that it has gone on grow t
g after the completion of all the pub S
, institutions established during the {
epublican administration.
As consequence of the reckless ex-
avagance of the State administration !
these and other items, the State rev. +
lees, though increasing rapidly with
e growth and advancing prosperity of :
e State, at last became unable to +
Get the States annual appropriations :
hich, in the decade ending in 1906, as
IS been said, advanced from 1893 $50 !
81, 378, 1877. 1t thus became neces-
ry by some device to compel the peo-
e to pay more taxes or face deficit !
was publicly declared by a late Gov =
nor IN his message to the Legisla.
re. In this emergency the new tax i,
stem was Matched out, ostensibly to :
rect inequalities of assessment :
nong the different counties and be-
,een the different classes of taxpay-
g property, in reality, to supply the +
nds necessary to reward political !
tellites out of The public treasury. II,