Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-09-30

cry aloud for relief from exorbitant
and unjust taxation, No wonder
that they are beginning to- rebel
against such condition, As il now
Is. the average taxpayer is paying
more taxes than he ever paid. That
what he now pays will have to be In
creased To pay OF the deficit that
Democrats will fall heir to. and the
large amount that must be raised TO
repair our public buildings. even TO
putting back the rate in part that the
hate law reduced. Is almost certain
~ And God help the people II on
top of all that we have to pay of
the alleged Virginia State debt
which has been so mismanaged un.
der Republican administrations az
now To be sued for In the Federal
Court though under Democratic ad-
ministration no serious effort was
ever made TO press or collect it!
The people of West Virginia be-
lieve that this whole matter could
have been and should have been ante
ably settled out OF the courts, and
that Il can yet be done. |. myself
so believe It. The people do not be
lieve that they equitably owe u dol
lar upon that account and IL l am
| elected governor l shall exert what
ever ability have to prevent the
payment of a single dollar upon It
that West Virginia may not honor
| ably owe. James c. Blaine. In his
Twenty Years i'm Congress" says,
There is indeed neither moral nor
legal responsibility resting upon West
Virginia for any part OF the debt of
| the old State And he further
says in effect that Virginia. which
was creditor of the national gov
onment by ceding TO Il her superb
domain on the north side of the Ohio
| River, which the national govern
ment sold for over 100000, 900.
should be reimbursed by Il for her
| loss.
But regardless of how this suit
may now terminate. certain Il Is that
during Democratic days the matter
was kept i'm allegiance only to spring
into active life the moment they laid
down the reins. What an immense
satisfaction II would be TO the people
to know what has been the silent In.
| iiuencos behind IL all, and who are
The owners OF those certificates.
More than one leading Republican
paper has intimated that we would
have to look no further than some
| leaders of that party To find much In
| teresting information on that subject
But surely we have right TO know
and should know who the parties are
who sue us under cover of the Com
| pf NiroInia Gnraly AZ N
have the right to know what were the
secret Influences that caused the adj
ministration of 1906 to send back
with scant courtesy, the committee
sent here by the Commonwealth OF
Virginia to treat with West Virginia
and whose spokesman declared that
the Commonwealth stood ready 20
settle the question, and guarantee the
cancellation of the West Virginia GER
tiicates upon the payment of what
over sum a committee appointed by
West Virginia should fix upon
surely we have the right to- know
what has kept the people In the dark
about this affair ever since Democ-
racy went out OF power.
Democracy did everything IL could
to accomplish an equitable settlement
of this debt--even sending a commit
tee to Richmond with that end in
view. and during It's time none ever
seriously thought to demand It's pay.
ment But the result has been that
somehow, and, apparently unneces-
sarily, we have landed In the Federal
Courts, confronted with ruinous
prospective debt, and yet ] hold In
/ ,.o,,.,,I,Iot I'm
which the Regulars" say Democracy
did nothing-no wonder they were
silent i'm their platform on that ques-
ton.
| II is impossible for me I'm tho time
AT my disposal today to take up and
discuss the other issues before the
people OF this state. ! have, already,
If fear, infringed upon that OF the
others you would like to hear. Our
platform sets them forth with perfect
,,clearness, and with like clearness,
states our position upon them. II Is
a fair straightforward and convlnc-
ing PRONUNCIATION OF what we think,
and what we will do in case the peo-
pie entrust US with the reins of gov
eminent
Perhaps II might be well for me TO
say a passing word upon that part
OF our platform that speaks for the
purity of our ballot, and denounces
It's debauchery--e by n race
that as a whole seems 90 be utter
by unappreclative OF the benefits of
an elective franchise, and converts IL
into more Of commercial asset than
a blessing beyond price. A fran.
| chige that even Abraham Lincoln was