The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-01-06
THE SUCCESSION TAX.
PcpuIEsts should streuuousIy und E-azznes
1y A Advocate ITS A duuliou.

PUpulEsEs should strenuousIy und Earnest
ly Advocate Its a dupEiou.
There is q direct iuherit1I nee tax on
personal property in New York aud
under 10 Gould's pile OF eIOO, Oo0 600 iE
&c is that, viii pay TO the state 81, O01, 20
01G This Is nothing like what DO ought
to pay and would pay if the state had
the proper sort of graduated Inherit
aucC tax such a tax system would esz-
empt altogether small estates OF say
elU, 600 or less aud levy ra re on ali
large estates which would Increase in
proportion to the amount of property
On such vast accumulation as Giuuid'--
which thrglleu the welfare OF the com
muuity aud the independence of the
state, the rate should be at least fifty
per cent The inheritance tax on
Gould's fortune. that IS 20 say, should
have given the state ESQ, 600. 600 instead
of a paltry a, 100000
NevsEtheless, inadequate as New
YorIJs Inheritance TAX law is, it is in
advance of most American states in
levyiug any such tax at all Even here
In Massachusetts, we have no inherit
auce tax except a very small one on
collateral bequests, and there was O
strong effort am the last Legislature 70
remove even this Not only should di-
rect inherituucea' be taxed as well as
collateral bequests. but, 81 the object is
90 encourage tine division OF dangerous
ly large estates the tax ON direct in
heritauces should be, If there is any
difference, heavier than that on col
lateral iuheritances
One of the most serious defects of the
Omaha platform and of the various re-
form declarations modelled on it, is the
failure 20 make prominent the demand
for "a progressive inheritance tax The
income tax, which the platform favors,
while Just and dCsIrab BILE is "a very petty
ustrumeutalitv us compared with "a
proper inheritance tax, If the object Is
20 check uluto-racy aud curtal the
money power.
The iuhcritanc tax is moreover i'm
huitely easier TO collect tlrau an income
tax possibly eau be made. A law would
simply bs necessary requiring all evil
deuces of property which have passed
from dead TO living hands 90 bear q
stamp utre7tiug that a requisite tax has
been paid, ON peril of con hscatiuu of
the property for neglect of the law
Under such statute an Inheritance
tax would collect ITSELF so TO speak
Timid refarmers should bear iu missd
that there is nothing radical OF
''craulzy" I'm the idea of "a graduated
succession tax Ia prevails iu many
foreign countries and ia some is very
high, So conservative paper ass the
Rev York Times, I'm commenting on
the lack of any public bcqucsts in
GpuIa'S viii, strouwI 3 advocates "a direct
succession taS as the only way society
eau get even with such fellows such
a taN, it says, Is IAN expression of the
universal belief that uu man lives or
dies 10 himself and that tHs right OF
man To do as he likes with his own has
its limits. The public obligation rscog-
uizld iu the wills of pubHc--Pirited
rich mon may fairly 6e enforced against
the estates OF rich meu not publil-spir-
tied boy using share OF such estates so
tighten the common burdens"
The equally conservative Springfield
Republican CONNIE rtiug on the same
text strongly urges such q tax in Maasa-
Chusotts.
Ict us hear. not indeed less about an
Income tax, hut more about the pro-
Ere~s v1 inheritance tax. which OF the
two Is 5T far she more promising as u
reform iUalrumrnLH-itT.- T.-Ncw Nation