The San Francisco call., 1896-07-19
He Would Limit the Hmount
of Inheritance to Only
100000
Ernest McGullough's Useful Book
on Street Laws of California.
Robert Bars Mystery
Romance

Although this book assumes the form of
connected treatise, dealing with problems of
the day, it is really collection of CONF plete es-
says, considering, from the point of view of an
earnest thinker, good many of the questions
that are at present engaging public attention.
The writer is George A. Harrison, editor of the
FL Dorado County Republican of PIacerville,
in this State, and his editorial training is evil
dent in q certain clearness and facility of
style that leaves the reader in no manner of
doubt as to the authors meaning, whether
convinced by his logic or not.
Mr.. Richardson declares in the opening of
his book that Sin this. the closing decade OF
the nineteenth century, reckoned from the
earth-visit of forgotten Christ Mammon is
king of the civilized world.' He afirms the
civilized world to be il bondage to this tyrant,
and there are probably few thoughtful persons
who will feel inclined to dispute the assertion.
1t is question, however. whether wholesale
diatribes against existing institutions are pro-
ductive of any real good. The American pub
lie has had a deal of scolding of late years at
the pens of writers upon economics, ana the
result has been to awaken widespread and
deep-reaching discomfort that, thus far does
not seem to have awakened any very inteli-
gent EFFORT at bettering things. Trusts, COM
petition, the desire Tor wealth, disregard for
human rights, the tyranny of capital, the op-
preston of labor-all these evils come in for
upon which the author expends his thought is
the question of the Inheritance of wealth.
Mr.. Richardson would limit the amount of
money or property which @ man, may iuherit
from his ancestors. He contends that inherit
ance beyond modest amount, is funda-
mental wrong which should be abolished. He
does not make it quite apparent why, if a man
has right to bequeath any of his property, he
may not bequeath it all in any chosen direc-
hI1t ha haca n bic ot sr,ba
itance upon two main principles-namely, the
right OF every human being to fair oppor-
tunity to labor, ana the wrong involved in all
claims to wealth that are not based upon
some form of productive effort. The Inherit
ance OF wealth, he claims, violates both these
principles, as the person who inherits no
wealth does not start upon a level with him
who falls heir to fortune.
While there is much between the covers OF
MIR. Richardson's book that will interest and
instruct the reader, the book, as a whole, does
not rise far above the diatribe. The author
does little more than thresh over again the
straw of arraignment over which so many
fails have recently been swung. His scheme
to establish equality of opportunity among
men by limiting the amount of wealth inherit
able by a single person TO 5000, 900 and giving
the courts power peremptorily to set aside has
very little to recommend IL TO students of Do
litical economy. He also advocates compul-
sorry education and restriction of the liquor
traffic, but the chief value of his book to the
general reader will lie in the chapters wherein
he has given q clear and comprehensive expo
sition of the essential features OF the various
movements through which men have, from
time to time, sought to right economic wrongs.
Communism, anarchism, socialism, and all
the theories growing out of these, have evil
IDENTIFY received his careful attention. The
book is pleasingly written and Mr.. Richardson's
has the rare merit OF keeping his subject al-
ways in hand.