The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-03

stating that desired amendments could
he made on the floor of the Senate.
The bill was taken up for considera-
ton and resulted in mu n confusion
n votes, it being finally laii over UNI
I'll this morning. after the adoption OF
several amendments, offered by Sem
ator Iesner These amendments were
the subject of much debate. partiru-
larry The propositions to abolish the
distinction between wholesale and re-
tail merchants. the provision to tax
merchants whose purchases are less
than a thousand dollars a year. and
others OF similar import
After a running debate participated
in by senators Buchanan. Walker,
Anderson. Holt. Lesner. lSeatherston,
Goodrich and Sowder. The Lesner
amendments were adopted, The orr
der Of the day was several times post
poned. until at l.15 the chair ruled
further discussion out of order ana
the segregation bill was taken up,
The Lesner amendments provide
that no distinction shall be made be-
tween wholesale and retail merchants.
that the minimum license on pur-
chascs up to thousand dollars shall
ne 90. from biif W WV hIAoATfihb, %iNs
to one hundred thousand of purchases,
twenty cents on the hundred and
over one hlndred thousand. ten cents
ON the hundred Of purchases.
Segregation.
Taking up the order of 'he day. the
FIRST speaker Was Senator Cannon, OF
Richmond, who made n violent attack
OH the segregation principle and as
sailed the figures OF the Auditor as
unreliable. lie did not think the
people wanted segregation, which
would be "moet harmful in practicaf
Applicant m. In his opinion segre-
CATION would result in The greatest
riot Of extravaganza the Stale had
ever known" II was also unfair TO
limit the State and counties to speci-
fed revenues by saying to each "yon
must live ON your pound II flesh and
no more" Another objection was
that the bill proposed 10 unconsti-
tutlonal Senator Royal interrupted
to ask II Senator Cannon had not
voted for the tax on bank stock at
the last session of the Assembly ana
If that was not species of segrega :
ton. Seuator Cannon replied that
he did so vote and had bean ashamed
Of the vote ever since Senator Roy
all pointed out that MIR. Cannon had
raised no constitutional objection 10
that bill.
In the course of his remarks the
speaker charged that the reason for
the report of the tax commission does
not recommend complete segregation
was that the minority members knew
they couldn't get the votes to put
Il through" why did they come
here with bill based on the knowi-
edge that they were doing wrong?
INT, " "A if,1f q
plea that - do q great right do
little wrong" but for his part Mr.,
Cannon thought we all can agree
that what IS morally wrong can never
be politically right" He stated that
were the late Senator Echois alive
he would oppose the deep damna-
ton Of this injustice.
Senator Wendanburs followed
Senator Cannon in t,e afternoon.
speaking chiefly in behalf of his fla
vorite measure to segregate all rail-
road pro perty 10 the State. repeal the
franchise tax on r,is property. and
give the counties all other classes OF
property for their purposes.
Senator WendenburR made the
charge that the State was being de-
prived OF many millions of dollars
in taxes because of the action In the
Constitu {ionai convention which wrote
into the Constitution ''three little
words that have resulted in a fran
chise TAX on sisa.0oo.9A OF rail-
road property of only on'y thirty
FIVE cents a hundred. whereas inds-
vidual property pays on the average
| OF sl,o6. He thought that the only
thing for The Legislature to do was
/ to make the roads pay taxes 10 other
/ people do on all their property and
repeal the franchise tax: assnssinE the
/ roads then for 1902, 200. 900 OF prop
| erty instead of only this amount, NIL
nus the iS2,o00,000 of franchise
value, Mr. Wendenburg considered
| tnis the crime Of the Constitution.
/ and the source OF all the States trou-
| bles over taxation. He did not think
1 the system would ever be right un-
! less this change il made. and. said he.
+ ~ the people learn OF this condition
that we we're here and knew OF 1t,
and still dill nothing, not one of US
will return here. and we ought not
to-.
1 During the course of his address
/ the speaker frequently referred to
the segregation bill as golden calf.
IA false god, which Moses had pre-.
s~nted to lead the Legislature astray.
This perversion of Biblical history
seemed TO get on the nerves of Sena-
! TOT w AiAsF, VINO diOsS 0hd
grayey Informed Mr.. Wendenbura
! that he did not think a Islander on an
/ a hsent party should be repeated, and
/ that lie would inform the gentleman
( II was not Moses who brought forth
| the golden calf. He thought dig
tinct injustice was being done Moses
Senator Wendenburg replied that his
1 reference vas merely figure OF
speech.
Wcndcnburg's New Bill.
I MIR NenaepburE expressed his be-
lief that The idcalistic period OF tax
alton and segregation Will come only
/ when the State lives entirely on rail-
( road taxes and wslen all other SUBJ
! iects OF taxation are segregated to
( the localities. lie introduced the fol-
/ lowing bill:
| No. 72~--t bill TO scgrcgate for the
purpose of taxation pursuant to sec
>tion 1859 OF the Constitution of Vir-
sinsa several kinds and classes 81
property Sc As to specify and deter
mine upon what subjects State taxes
and upon what subjects local taxes
may he levied and to provide Tor u
school tax ~ ten cents on every hun
4