Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-02-09
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John Stuart Mill expresses the views
held by the ablest students of social sci
ence when he says: "lnheritances and
legacies exceeding certain amount
are highly proper subjects for taxation,
and the revenue from these should be
made as great as it can be made with
out giving rise to eyasions byudonation
during life, or concealment of property,
such as it would be impossible ade-
quately to check. The principle of
graduation that is, of levying a larger
percentage on larger sum, though its
application to general taxation would
be in my opinion Objectionable, seems
to me both just and expedient as APP
piled to legacy and Inheritance duties. +"
England in 1880 established tax on
legacies. and in 1858 the succession tax
law was enacted. In the United States
a collateral succession tax law went
into force in 1864, but that act has since
been repealed in common with other in
ternal revenue laws. In New York
there is collateral succession tax law
of S. per 500. This tax yielded in 1890
81, Ill., 37, and it is estimated that at
least 81, 600, 900 will be received from this
source by the state during the present
year. A similar law in Pennsylvania
brought to the state treasury in 1891
the sum of 81, 227. 302. The collateral
succession law reaches comparatively
few estates because this tax is simply
on the devolution of property on other
than direct descendants or progenitors
Thus the law adopted by Connecticut
in January, 1889, is as follows: "All
property conveyed by will or death of
interstate to other than to father, moth
er, husband, wife, lineal descendant,
adopted child, the lineal descendant of
any adopted child, the wife or widow
of son, the husband of the daughter
of descendant, or some charitable pur-
pose, or purpose strictly public, per
cent. of its value above the sum OF
$1,000, for the use of the state" The
Massachusetts law of 1891 is substan-
TALLY the same with the exception that
the amount taxed is $4,000 and over.
The rate is per cent, and charitable.
religi Gus and educational requests are
exempt.
The succession tax that have pro.
posed will not fall on the poor. Those
whose estates amount to $4,000 can
well afford to give 500 to the state in
return for all the protection of its laws
which has enabled wealth to be ac.
cumulated and enjoyed, The success.
sion tax is founded ON the broadest
principles of equity. maintain that
the wealth possessed by every individ
ual has been created directly or indi
rectly by the help of others, and there
fore he owes to others or, generally
speaking, to the public obligations
which he ought to repay. This is par,
ticularly true in the United States.
Every citizen, whether he be rich OF
poor, is equal in the eye of the law anG
has behind him for the protection Of
his rights the entire power of the ma
ton. 1t is therefore no more than JUS
that every person who accumulates
property should pay for the protection
that the state secures to him and his
possessions. If each state were to es
tablish tax on legacies and inherit
ances such as just proposed and devote
the money SO obtained to the construc
ton and maintenance of roads in few
years the older and more populou
states would be provided with road
equal to those of England, France ant
Switzerland; and good roads, whei
rightly constructed, can be main
tanned at comparatively small cost; ant
as the wealth of the states increase,
the succession tax would furnish suf
ficient revenue to meet all the expense
of the state after paying for the main
tenance of roads, thus relieving tn
people from all direct taxation for stat
purposes
The advantages of the succession ia,
a now being broughtvery prominent
ly before the people, In Massachusetts
the recently adopted platforms of bot
the republican and the democratic par
ties have panks recommending tn
adoption of the direct succession tax Of
inheritances and legacies- 1t is my in
tention to publish a pamphlet on tn
subject of the succession tax primaril
as means of constructing and main
tanning roads, and for its ultimate OF
ject the adjustment of direct taxation
Albert A. Pope, in Breeders Gazette
| Of
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