The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-05-25
Shall Fortunes be Limited by Law?

Shall Fortunes be Limited by Law?
The following il from an editorial
Topic" in the Century for April: ''lf
we acquire the habit of now and then
looking at the case from this side, from
which we unhappily so seldom look at it.
the proposal to put legal limits to the
amount of fortunes will take an entirely
new aspect. We shall see that we are, in
reality, making the definite proposal that
our law shall hcnceforth forbid any Cit
zen to make the world more than so much
richer in his lifetime, TO provide employ
ment for more than a legally limited
number of those who need and desire
employment, or to be more Jealous than
the law allows in seeking out commodi-
ties or doing any similar service for The
general public. Franklin once attempted
10 reach the common sense of the British
public in a pamphlet entitled 'HRules for
Reducing a Great Empire to Il Small
One" If a second Franklin should adj
dress us, must he meet as little success in
combating the proposal to put legal limits
to The wealth of the country?
elf the proposal needed any further il
Elimination, ii would be found in the i'm
possibility of limiting the injurious re
suits Of its adoption. Human ability is
in the habit of taking very fair average
care Of itself: if prosecuted in one city, it
will not be slow to seek a refuge and a
welcome in another. If New York could
place a progressive income tax on her
statute book prohibiting incomes above Il
fixed limit, one resulfwould certainly be
a dimimution Of New York incomes; but
that would be far from all. The incomes
thus limited would rapidly disappear
from New York, while Connecticut aud
New Jersey would show a sudden, SUI
prising and coincidcnt increase of large
incomes. So, if the scheme should he
adopted by the whole United States, that
country would meet an indefinite dead
loss, to the gain Of Canada or
Europe. Human ability would find
its natural refuge and enjoy
its natural income somewhere unless the
whole world could be united against it as
emphatically as the Roman empire used
Until the proposal to limit fortunes by
law can be supplemented by n recipe for
securing the acquiescence or neutrality
of those who are to be most directly
affected uy it, it must be really consid-
cred as outside the province OF discus.
sion. If the great fortune is the result of
defiance or prostitution of law, let the
law be made to fit tho case; but if it is
the natural result of human ability, why
should it not go on benettting the com
munity up to the natural limit of human
powers of management
About Stock.
The trouble in many localities is that
the stock is better graded than the farm
ers, This is not saying much fof the
farmers. When they are graded up there
will be no trouble with the stock.
The law requiring the owners of pedi
greed horses and bulls used for public
service % post a certified copy of the ped
igrec on the stable door is a good n and
should be complied with ut once. Write
to the secretary of the association send.
ing copy of pedigree. and obtain hi Ger
~titicatc rs to its correctness. When you
do not find this notice posted in due time
consider the animal a grade.
Do not forget TO SOW grass seed with
spring grain just before the last harrow
ing and use a light harrow. When n
heavy harrow is used SOW Immediately
after the last narrowing. but follow the
harrow so closely that the settling of the
ground covers the seed. We have found
the practice of casting tue seed on the
rear end of the harrow as ii moves along
TO work admirably. Those who have a
light harrow should have the sowcr go
right before the harrow.
- So
Heavy rainshaye already begun in Mexico,
indicating an unusually early Inauguration Ct
the rainy season.
California ia giving the east cherries at
$l.25 Ter pound.