West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-09-03

their money on any proposition of
the kind unless they had assurance
that made them absolutely safe.
S"isher. whatever may be his short
com'ngs, is not going to allow his
best friends to lose their money
against game like that.
Attent.oI has been directed n
this corieSI cadence to the fact that
the Democratic prediction with re.
spect TO the tax commissioners of
fee has come true. The Democrats
have said from the first the office of
this official would become the most
powerful part OF dangerous ma.
chine; that 1t would be used as the
pensioning department for faithful
party or factional workers, and that
1t would prove especially helpful to
WV hN'N'hS'b 90 A"S haH hOlulIE
the iflce ~ould be an appOntee of
that official. The power % this new
part Of the machine has been made
manifest n many ways, and ITS pen
sioning ability has been shown re
cently IN the manner in which Sam
Montgomery, the renegade recalci
trant, has been put on the salary
list.
The last legislature enacted law
providing for system of uniform
accounting by public officials, and
making the state tax commissioner
chief Inspector and supervisor of
accounts. He is empowered under
the provisions OF this law to fJrmu
late and pre- cribe the manner in
which all county and district officers
shall keep the accounts OF their
Offices, aud to have general super.
vIsloL over them. The law says he
"shall have such assistants and cler
zeal help and allowances as may he
necessary to enable him TO carry out
the purposes OF this act" Now, why
make the state tax commissioner
such "chief inspector and super
v!sor," addi0g to the force under
him, giving his office this extra pat
ronage1 Why was not the auditor
put in charge Of this natter 1t is
because he state tax commissioner
holds an appoin.ive office, aud to
add to the patronage and power of
that office adds just SO much to the
strength OF the governors machine
The auditor is elected by the people
aud is not beholden TO the governo',
and therefore To- add power to S
office would not b. To help The gov.
ernor. The new law is bot another
wheel IN the big machine known as
the state tax commissioner Office,
but another part Of the scheme to
take more power from the people
and give it TO the executive
This new law gives TO the tax com
missioner and his assistants power
that is not given anybody else out
side the Judiciary. it says the tax
commissioner "or any of MS assist
ants shall have power and may ex.
ercise all the authority to issue sub
poena and compulsory process, and
10 direct the service thereof by any
constable or sheuff, to compel the
attendance of witnesses and the pro-
duction OF books and papers before
him at any designated time and
place, selected in their respective
county, and TO administer osths. "
Talk about your machines Why,
in few years, at the rate OF progress
made during the last ten, the whole
state will be run by machine, and
the people will be entirely helpless
IN It's power
The nnbusiness like methods OF
the present state administration re.
ceived thorough exposure in the
recent trial of Col A. S. Huison,
former assistant sdjutant general.
The evidence in that trial disclosed
the fact that thousands Of dollars
were annually taken from the stafs