The Irish standard., 1896-04-04
TAXING HEiREssEs

And now the public, or the tenants
portion of it, is to be benefited by
American heiressess marrying titled En-
ropean gentlemen. A bill before the
New York legislature has for its object
the laying of a two per cent tax on the
dowries of such girls, the income to be
derived from such a tax to go towards
the maintenance Of homes for aged and
destitute women as we'll as for the found
ing of manual school for females. 1t
is thought that $10000,000 could be an
nually raised in this manner, as girls
who are determined to have a title would
not be thwarted by a little thing like a
two per cent tax. But why not increase
the rate? A girl would not be any more
deferred by a tax of Ave per cent than
one Of two per cent when she is bound
to have a husband and title. Baroness
Burdette Coutts istEngland gave up mil
lions in order to marry an unknown and
OF course untitled American much
younger than herself, showing the ten
acity Of the female mind once Hymen
takes possession Of her soul.
~ With home for aged and destitute
women, perhaps including old maids
who had dropped into the sere and yellow
leaf, a certain degree of satisfaction and
recompense would be felt in this country
for the money carried away by the titled
adventures. AS it. is now we get nothing
but contempt for our gold and our girls.
The titled spendthrift considers that he
has conferred honor and dignity upon
the girl and her family by the marriage;
that he has removed her from vulgar sur
roundings and placed her in an atmos-
phere OF refinement; that he has given
her badge of responsibility whereby she
may gain admittance to the society Of his
friends, but for all this she must ever
feel that it was he who rescued Ter from
obscurity and that she still carries the
faint OF plebian blood. He is the lord
and master in fact as we'll as In name. He
resents any interference on her part
with the continuation of his former liza
sons and designations and feels that she
should be content to bear his name and
his title and not interfere with his pleas
ures. Was it not so nominated in the
bond? What else did she marry him
for? Has she not obtained value
received? The impertinent upstart that
she is to attempt to question the pro-
LII HI1hor q h1ac
that is his recreation; when he loses
what is her money for but to pay such
debts? Should he treat her harshly,
lock her out, beat her, even-well, those
are the eccentric moods OF titled gentle
men. And besides she should not give
him cause to have his temper so ruffied>
She should make study of his pleasures
aud add to them as far as In her power
lies These pleasures she may think dis
tasteful but they are his not hers. And
on the other hand perhaps he would not
seriously object it she found pleasure in
the society of others besides himself.
Titled people have been known to be
thus lenient, She cannot expect him to
be billing and cooling always. He ex-
hausted his vocabulary OF fine phrases
and burned sufficient incense at her feet
when he was negotiating for her pur-
chase. for he would scarcely admit that
he ever wooed her. 1t would only be by
a stretch of the imagination that she
herself could believe that he did, ex-
cent in an ultra gallant way, which her
womanly perception must have shown
her was not sincere. She has no reason
to complain. The bargain and sale has
been completed, the title deeds transfer
red and she is at least a lady by the
grace Of himself and his ancestors-the
latter perhaps of doubtful lineage.
Should our title~hunting girls finally
discover. after the pinnacle OF their am
hilton had been reached, that after all
they would have been more content with
an American husband and then resolve
to return. much Of their former wealth
must be left behind them. Under these
circumstances it would be we'll to tax as
heavily as possible the fortunes before
they were carried away. In such cases
q substantial good would be gained,
otherwise a robbery would be committed
without the shadow of redress.