West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-01-09
Way They poetored ,Em.


IN mind, and that is that the last
extra session Of the Legislature,
which was called to promulgate
the new tax laws, cost the tax.
payers of West Virginia some
thing like 100000. This, too,
after tax commission, which was
composed of the most eminent
and competent men in the state,
had put in about two years pre-
pairing new set of tax laws. But
The tax laws prepared by the com
mission did not suit the "tax re-
formers" and they set about to
fix up a set of tax laws, which
they did in ten days, what had
taken the commission two years
to prepare.
This was the first step to dis
ere Int the new tax laws among
the thinking people. When the
tax reformers" got through with
the tax bill submitted by the COM
mission there was nothing left in
1T that could be properly termed
reform" for the "tax reformers"
had everything stricken out that
they considered detrimental TO the
interest Of their friends and sup
porters-the corporations. The
commission bill, which taxed the
production of coal, gas, and oil,
was eliminated as completely as
they had eliminated Charley Teter
in the Wheeling convention. Like
wise all public offices which are
run on the fee system. The com
mission bill provided that they be
placed on salary and the fees
turned into the state treasury, but
the ''taX reforIners" erased it, as
their craw was still empty. And
everything else in the tax com-
mission bill which was meant to
correct tine evils of unjust taxation
was stricken out while the "tax
reiormers" pretended to be down
at the mourner's bench praying
earnestly for "tax reform" saliva
toni
Every honest taxpayer was, and
is today, in favor of genuipe tax
reform, but they are not in favor
of the fake tax laws the "tax re-
formers" have imposed upon us.
Had these ofiice-seekers, who
went around clamoring for "tax
reform" been honest with the
people there would have been no
occasion to call an extra session
OF the legislature at n cost of $780,.
600 to the taxpayers. The regu.
lar session of the legislature could
have dealt with the tax bill sub.
mitted by the tax commission. II
has been generally conceded that
the commission bill was eminent.
~ fair to all classes of taxpayers,
as the gentlemen who prepared il
were not ofiice-seekers and they
represented all classes, but when
the "tax reformers" got through
with it they left it full of the in
justice which the people had com.
planned of
No later than the last session Of
the legislature an effort was made
by the members who owed their
election to the people and not the
machine to remedy the iniquities
of the new tax laws, but when il
came to a vote they were always
defeated by the friends of the state
administration. We believe IN
giving credit to whom credit is
due, and we take great pleasure
in saying that no member of the
Legislature labored harder and
more earnestly to correct those in
EQUITIES than Senator Samuel b.
Montgomery. Every vote which
Senator Montgomery cast since he
has been a member of the state
senate has been in the interest of
the plain people, and not the cor
porations, although he is repre-
sented by the Preston County
Journal as the friend of the cor.
porations,w the senators whom
the Journal claims to be anticor-
poration have voted every time to
defeat the measures which would
have given relief TO the farmers
and the small property holders.
With this record against the Jour
nal it is about time it apologies
TO Senator Montgomery for its