West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-10-21
Their Shell Game.


Now that the 'tax reformers" have in
augurated a campaign for tax on the
production Of gas, which is done for the
purpose of diverting attention from the
way they have about bankrupted the
state, it is well that we take RETROSPECT
tive view Of how the "tax reformers" OPP
posed the tax for which they are now
clamoring. II was in 1905, when "tax
reform" was in its infancy, that Sam b.
Montgomery, then a member of the state
senate, introduced n bill placing a tax on
the production of coal, oil, and gas. The
Montgomery bill was the one which was
prepared 10y the tax commission, of which
the Hon. Henry G.. Davis was a member.
The tax commission, which put in about
three years studying the system of taxa
ton in other states, prepared set OF tax
laws for West Virginia. The commission
was composed OF the abest men i'm the
state and they were truly representatives
OF all classes of industries. But the "tax
reformers" would not stand for the bill
prepared and submitted by the tax com
mission, and the result was that com
mittee of six Republican politicians was
selected TO prepare bill. While it took
the tax commission something like three
years TO prepare its bill the six politicians
prepared one inside of one week.
The politicians tax bill was eventually
enacted into law and the people had TO
accept this damnable and ubiquitous abor-
ton. The Montgomery bill TO place a tax
on the production of coal, oil, and gas,
which was recommended 10y the tax COM
mission, was defeated by the supporters
OF the Dawson administration, President
Northcott, who was the spokesman for
the Dawson administration, voting against
it. Now they pretend to be bowling for
it after defeating it.
1t will be recalled by the people of
Preston that in 1865 the state machine
and the county ring were waging terrific
war against Sam Montgomery and charg-
ing that he was "the tool of the corpora
tons, in the face of the fact that he was
introducing bills in the senate to tax the
corporations. OF course the machine and
the ring had a sinister motive in waging
war on Montgomery, inasmuch as he had
introduced bill in the senate abolishing
the fees of the secretary of state and max
ing him a salaried officer. The bill was
stubbornly fought 10y the machine, but it
could not defeat it and it became a law.
We have now before us the statement
OF the receipts for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 1909, and we find for the
year 1909 that the Montgomery law has
saved the taxpayers $50, 1885,. S3, which
would have gone into the pockets of the
| secretary OF state instead of the state
treasury, which it does under the Mont
gomery law. We want you taxpayers to
think over this, which will give you a
faint idea of why the machine and the
ring are such unrelenting foes of Sam b.
Montgomery and why they are fighting
him. For be it known that Montgomery
is true tax reformer while the others
are bogus.
We are not so politically hidebound but
what we can give credit to political OPP
| ponent when his record as n public Off
clal warrants it. Our experience and OBJ
servation has taught us that the only way
the people are TO get any relief from po-
htical machines and rings is TO band to-
gether IN common cause and support
men who have proven their honesty as
| public servants. When we do this we
may expect better government and not
before. stick to the party" is respon-
sible today for the deplorable condition
into which the Republican machine has
gotten this state-high taxes, a depleted
treasury, and an army of useless and un-
necessary ofiice-holders.
When you lift your tax receipt scan il
carefully and let us know how much YOU
have been benefited by tax reform" and
voting the ticket straight. We are willing
to concede the honest motive of the rank
and file of the Republican party in voting
their party ticket straight, but we are
reasonably sure that their better iudg-
ment was clouded by their partisan zeal
and political prejudice. However, as we
are looking to the future the tax receipt
should convince them that they have
been shameiully betrayed by the party
and II should not be a hard matter for
them 10 make up their mind what TO do
IN the future. They owe it 10 themselves
and the community 10 assist in Kidding
the state OF the Republican state machine
and the county ring. When our Repub-
ican brethren join hands with us we will
make short work of the machine and