West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-07-22
Gracefully Acknowledges The Argus
Told the Truth
TrnRA AIrA- Inlu 1l IaI

TERRA ALTA. July IL, 1915.
Editor Argus:
III you cal spare the space would like
to make few observations upon the
appended editorial paragraph which i
clipped from Il recent issue OF your most
interesting and valuable paper:
THE ARGUS urged the people TO vote
against the Dawson so-called tax reform.
and advised them that its effect would
be TO increase their taxes. The Journal
urged them TO vote for the Dawson tax
bill. and it told them it would lower their
taxes. Watch your tax receipt this tall
and be good enough to write The ARGUS
and let us know who told the truth. IL
we were wrong, We will gladly make full
and ample Acknowledgements. If we were
right, we want the stamp of your APP
prevail"
/ believe it is the rule of controversy
to acknowledge two sides to question.
but even we old hardshell Republicans.
who swallowed the Dawson so-called
tax reform" bait, must now admit that
there is but one side to this momentous
question, and that eide is, my honored
sir, that the new tax laws have doubled
and quadrupled our tax tickets. 1t is
not necessary for us To wait for our 1918
tax tickets. The tax tickets for the past
five or six years have proven that they
have been increasing, instead OF decreas-
ing, as promised by Want More Office
Dawson and the Preston County Journal
and the Preston Republican. For one
gladly give you the stamp OF my approval
that you told the truth in regard to the
new tax laws and the Journal and Re-
publican politically lied TO us poor old
prejudice-hardshell Republicans who had
no more sense than to believe il and
'vote the ticket straight from constable
TO president" the ring slogan which had
neither rhythm nor reason in it, but il
answered the purpose OF fooling us poor
prejudiced mortals who will now pay
dearly for our blind partisanship.
We old hardshell Republicans most
not lose sight Of the Virginia debt, either.
Here again | must give The Argus the
stamp of my approval. 1t told us that
the Republican machine is going to
saddle the Virginia debt upon the tax
payers of West Virginia" The Journal
and Republican said it was a Demo
cratic campaign lie to fool us Republicans
into voting the Democratic ticket"
What blessing it would have been to
us Republicans had we voted the Demo-
cratic ticket! The court of last resort
has decided that we must pay the Wall
Street sharks over SIP. 200, 900 with five
per cent interest until it is paid The
Interest alone amounts to 5000, 900 year,
or tax OF fifty cents year on every
man, woman and child in the state.
How many have you in family?
Again must give The Argus my stamp
OF approval. 1t stated that neither fac
ton of the Republican party was in
favor of taxing the corporations; that
they were simply playing to the galleries
In advocating production tax on coal,
oil and gas; that they would eventually
exhaust the game of deception and get
together and increase the state tax and
let the corporations go free. And this is
what the legislature did and our own
Henry Glover, Carleton Pierce, Bliss
McCrum, and Sam Billings voted to in
crease the state tax and let the corpora
tons go. The three latter have been re-
warded by Hatfield by fat offices, while
ia lnft 70 ,,I,
giving oxygen OF the mountains and per.
NIT the wind to whistle through his
whiskers! This discrimination against the
red fox" OF our native hills is response
BILE for the frequent spirited and acri-
monious discussions among the otherwise
peaceful inhabitants.I Many contend that
no valid reason can be gwen why Uncle
Henry should not have been placed on
the state payroll with the necessary ex-
pense account, inasmuch as our uncle g
thumb went up each time that Gov.
Hatfield announced, Thumbs up"
Others claim that his failure to be placed
on the sinecure list means his retirement
TO life forever.
But have digressed. The increase in
the state tax means a corresponding in
crease in the tax ticket for 1915. Now,
my hardshell Repu blican brethren, what
are you going TO do about it2 Are you
going to continue to vote for this gang of
robbers who control the Republican
organization, or are you going to join me
and vote against them i'm the future? IL
you do not, you are Q would like 10 use
the word here that emphasizes and ex-
presses my indignant feeings) a lot Of
political slaves who are owned body and
soul by the Republican gang OF thieves
and robbers.
Let me have an expression from some
OF you old hardshells who will have to do
some lively digging to meet the increase
in your tax ticket. HARDsHELL.
III. - l.