The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-08-13
REPUBLICAN STATE PLATFORM

must be stocks and other assets o
value that had not been revealed
in which West Virginia had an
equitable right. Expert accountants
were furnished the commission, who
went TO Richmond and In the lin
nod time of Ave months investigated
Virginia records running back over
period OF ninety years y report was
made by these accountants disclos'
inC net equities Of over four million
of dollars. for which It was claimed
West Virginia should have credit
On the basis Of the findings OF the
accountants a tentative offer of set
Element was subsequently made to
mo Virginia debt commission, but ~
was refused. Tho work, however, haH
not been done in vain, 1t ultimately
lod to the rcopcning Of the case and
mon the final trial the supreme court
Of tho United States allowed Wes'
Virginia a credit with equities amount
ing TO over three and a hall mllllohs
of dollars. ,.,o,
Whatever the result may ultimately
hr wc feel that the record made by
The Republican administration, since
the beginning Of tho debt litiSauoh,
is sufficient to satisfy the people ma
an honest. persistent and courageous
effort bas been made to protect their
interest," and that such effort Will be
continued.
We heartily commend the West
Virginia debt commission, ATTORNEY
General A. A. Lilly and his associate
counsel. Hon. John H. Holt and Hon.
charles Edgar Hogg for the admir-
able work that was accomplished,
and direct the special attention OF
the people of West Virginia TO tne
fact that IL Governor Hatfield had not
taken the initiative in laying plans
Cor the u~ncoverlng Of the concealed
equities, the door of opportunity
would mover have been opened to the
commission.
Tie Direct State TnN,
In the platform directed by the
Republican state convention In l9O4'
which platform received the unan'-
mous endorsement Of the members
of that convention, the Republican
party pledged itself to the elmina7
ton Of the direct tax except as an
emergency measure. Since that time
successive Republican administrations
have, from time to time, lowered the
direct state tax and kept 1t at a min
imum. Following the vote of the
people deprivng the state Of the rove
nue. received from the liquor traffic
and following extraordinary expenses
recurring tho maintenance for a con-
siderable time, of tho state militia In
active field operations, an increase In
in the direct tax became necessary In
'1915. We congratulate the citizens
of West Virginia on the fact that a
large part Of that Increase was only
temporary, and that 1t has already
been done away with, and we pledge
the Republican members OF the state
legislature to to continue the efforts
to reduce the direct state tax to the
minimum. The Republican policy
looks to the principal maintenance OF
this state by indirect taxation, and
pledges the Republican administra-
ton to an earnest effort to reduce
the direct state tax to the lowest
point consistent with the mainte-
nance Of our schools and humane in
situations on a sound basis and with
the performance Of the ordinary state
functions in an efficient ad ecoomlcal
manner.
States Finances and Progressive
Legislation Relating Thereto.
We call attention to Legislation Of
the present Republican administration
which has put the state on a sound
financial basis and guarantees a con-
tinuation Of a business administration.
Also to the public accounting and
the budget law, which insures, for the
first time in the history Of the state,
a full, complete and public accounting
for every dollar of the peoples money
spent by, the state government. For
the first time in the history Of the
state, it Is possible for every citizen,
through published documents, to know
exactly how tho peoples money has
Seen spent, and, through the general
audit, annually made and published,
the party renders to the humblest citi-
zen an account Of Its stewardship.
Review of States Finances.
The 1918 Legislature harmonized the
states fiscal and appropriation year
with the revenue year and made pro-
vision for auditing the states finances.
Information was thus disclosed and
presented to the 1915 Legislature show