The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-10-13
AN INHERITANCE TAX.


day, perhaps sooner than we think.
Incidents which bring home to US
its needs and uses have been
wanting with us hitherto. When
enormous estates which have been
selfish)y managed fall into the
hands of heirs who continue un-
mindful of the needs of society.
attention will be" drawn to it..
The man who has acquired for
tune has an obligation to the com
munlty In which he has amassed
1t. To it he owes in great part
what he has been able to surround
himself with and to bequeath as
he chooses. He is not altogether
the architect of his own fortune.
For him his fellows of his own and
past generations have toiled, saved,
and, living and dying, have en-
dowed and bequeathed. The
greater his opportunities and bless
ings, the more his rightful though
unindentured debt to society.
Neither he nor his inheritors can
bury their ten talents. The at
mosphere of freedom-the school,
the church, the lecture bureau,
the library, the gallery and mus
eum-all have contributed to him;
let him contribute to them. Our
rich men generally have recog-
nized this obligation; and so for
eign to the spirit of American in
stitution is the law of primogeni-
ture that so far we have escaped
anything resembling its opera
tions. This is especially true in
Oregon, where existing fortunes
are the acquisition of a single gen.
Grafton. To begin with, we have
no such immense fortunes as have
brought about the inheritance law
of New York. Many of our
wealthy pioneers are still alive.
Those that have passed away have.
as rule, in life and death, remem-
bered the public and semi-public
institutions of the state: There
has, therefore, been no occasion
for general attention being direct
ed to the dangers incident to the
progressive growth of private for
tunes and the inheritance tax as
an easy, equitable and practical
source of revenue. ...',.......-.... ..-.,...
Interest in the matter has been
aroused just now in connection
with the death of the late Fred
erick L. Ames, of Boston, said to
be the richest man in New Eng
land, whose entire estate was be-
queathed without any recognition
of public needs. 1t is to be regret
ted that he was unmindful of his
obligation; and yet this neglect
will be effective in directing at
tention to the fact that society ex-
poets something from its rich
men. "None of u.s." remarks st.
Paul to the church at Rome, s:liv
eth to himself, and no man dieth
to himself" The individual is too
much a part of the social fabric
And the neglect to recognize these
obligations to the community will
only serve to hasten the day when
a certain percentage of inheri-
tances in family lines shall be ap-
propriated by the state. ~. t..- ..-
Massachusetts, will likely pass
such a law in some form soon, as
its papers have taken occasion TO
base arguments for it upon the
Ames incident. The state already
has a law taxing public bequests
and its existence will also help
draw attention to the necessityIfor'
some action. From the operation
of the New York law practical
Improvements can be and no
doubt will be suggested. 81 Thus
under the New York law an IN
heritance of$9,950 is not taxed at
all, but one only $50 larger is
taxed 500. If the amount ex
empted is $4,000, the rate, what
ever it is, should be levied on only
so much of the inheritance in any
individual case as exceeds $4,000.
And where rates are progressive
the higher rates should not. be
levied on the whole amount, but!
only on the excess above the next
lower class. ri Inequalities of this
sort are responsible for about, all
the opposition, to thelaw itself and
it is onlyaa question of a short
time when the inheritance tax will.
become general throughout the
union; and Oregon will be able to
profit by the1cexperiencego of other
states. s1:. - no bcs TsriT si;l o. tsse 2Hi
g:,ot.n--... :. IL. u - = sl1Ie SIT a25l
D'E7MILOcRAcY,Si MANY MISTAKES.
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