The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-08
8TtHiEGlssuE

The issue in the next state cam.
paign! 10 being clearly defined by the
present session of the legislature. 1t
wtll be the tax laws. This issue WIS
decided more than ten years ago In
the interest of the people and against
the corporate In tho enactment of
the DAWSON tax laws. Under this
system the state direct tax was prac.
tically wiped out and 1t was ,1ky
popular as well as a most equitable
plan. The Corporations were com.
PEELED u, pay their share of tho taxes
and the state revenue was practically
all raised by special taxes. Condi.
tons have changed some since then.
The saloon license has been wiped
out and the expense OF supporting the
state Institutions has increased as
the state has grown in population.
The corporations have not been
asleep in the mean time and by the
powerful paid lobby they maintain
at Charleston they have succeeded in
blocking every effort to provide spe.
cial taxes to meet the deficit. In this
they are having the united support of
the Democratic minoritylin the legls.
lature, mostly for pure political
reason. as the Democratic party has
always been opposed to the Dawson
tax laws. They have felt very keenly
the popularity OF iwiping out the direct
state tax and have lost several cleo.
tons on this one issue. 1t is now
their retalitory policy to force an in
crease in direct taxation, II possible,
for the sole purpose OF discrediting
the Dawson tax system. If they Gun
succeed In doing this temporarily the
case will again be taken back TO the
people and unless the corporate inter.
ests have succeeded in gaining q
stangle hold upon the people OF this
state that cannot be loosened the yer.
dict will again be very pleasing 10
the masses, the common people, who
are always forced to bear most heavily
any system of direct taxation. They
have not the means nor inclination to
become tax dodgers. Their little
homes and their little businesses are
an easy prey for the assessors who
cannot always discover the taxable
property OF the bigger business in
terests.
.draE
One great injustice of the direct
tax Is that every county has differ.
emit assessor and every assessor has
Q different idea Of the value Of pro.
perty and Ia different manner Of fixing
that value. The same property may
be assessed three or four times as
high In one county as 1t is in another
and for this reason there should be
no direct tax except for local pur.
poses where the burdens will foil
equitably and the benefits will be
evenly distributed.
One hopeful sign to be seen from
Charleston is that Senator Rosen.
bloom who has been standing in the
way Of many of the forms OF special
taxation that have been proposed, and
who introduced the bill for direct
tax Of 10 cents, has given out an In.
terytew, stating that he does not favor
the direct tax He says that he is
delaying the Consideration of this
measure from time to time in the
hope that another method which Will
meet his approval will be provided to
raise the needed revenue and only
expects to push the direct tax plan
rs q last resort. Senator Rosenbloom
ts an able man. He has proven him.
self to be "a man Of much force and
weight In the senate and he, no doubt,
not only reflects the sentiment or his
district when he opposes the direct
TAX, but the sentiment of 80 per cent.
OF the people Sof the entire state. It
may be possible, with this insight as
10 his intention, that lie will agree
with the majority of the Republicans
on q plan to save his party from much
criticism and possibly defeat at the
next election. The party is on trial.
e Is Committed against tho system OF
direct taxation and il It fails to live
Up 70 its promises of the past there
viii he o sad day OF reckoning in
store, at least for, such members Of
the party as turn their backs upon
plan that has been endorsed in every
campaign for the last ten years, by
the people of West Virginia.
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