The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-14
The Collateral Inheritance Grab Law.

Editor Of Watchman:--In your correspond
ent's last letter, the discussion of the col
lateral inheritance tax question, or rather the
Vermont law, was mainly viewed from the
standpoint of the benefactor or decedent,
but the rights OF the beneficiary should also
be considered. And here, too that ancient
and honored document, the Constitution OF
Vermont, applies with equal force. 1t
guarantees the inherent and unalenable
right Of acquiring, possessing and protect
Constitution, the right to acquire property
by gift, by will or by inheritance; but this
law says, in effect, that there is no such
right. for it takes portion out of the prop
erty before 1t Is acquired and assumes the
right to take it all, which some of your con-
temporaries, in defending the law, have
claimed to be just and equitable. In fact
the right to take five per cent implies the
right to take ten, or the entire property, as
has been shown in the editorial columns of
the Waterman. But this property, five per
cent OF which is claimed by the State, is
taxed right along during the process OF pro-
batting, the same as other property. 1t Is
also subject to stated fees to be paid into
the State treasury as compensation for pro-
batting; so that the five per cent tax levied
upon an estate is 30 much over and above
the taxes on other property. This is simply
confiscating 80 much Of the estate which the
beneficiary has right to acquire. That is,
just as the person who has an undOubted
right to acquire given amount OF property,
is about to possess it, the State OF Vermont
usurps that right by rushing in like raven
GUS wolf and plunging its jaws into the be-
quest or Inheritance. 1t Is not tax in any
proper sense of the word, but grab
But for this act of perfidy, the new owner
of the property would probably have paid
cheerfully all taxes that thereafter might
have been assessed against the same in the
usual routine Of taxation, but it would be
contrary to human nature, under the cir
cumstances, II the possessor OF the mutt
lated bequest should fail to employ all the
tricks known to tax-dodgers to place the
property beyond the reach Of taxation, in
order to get even with the State for its act
of confiscation or robbery.
The law Is on par with that having o
brief existence in England about 1854,
which laid special tax on bachelors and
widowers. i selects class, deficient in
some OF the blessings OF complete family
existence, for extra and odious taxation. 1t
Is combination of three odious methods of
trespassing upon individual rights and rob-
bling people OF their possessions. 1t en-
bodies the form Of confscation as practiced
by ancient kings, modified by the element
OF primogeniture in the old English law, vi
talized anew by the spirit OF modern COM
munism, and is wholly unworthy Of place
in republican government. 1t says in effect
that when people have no direct heirs their
estates shall be confscated to support ex-
ages the disposition often manifested by
people to care for the brothers or sisters or
other near relatives. Instances are not in
frequent where young woman has appar-
emily rejected good offer of marriage that
she might care for some aged or infirm rela-
ton outside Of the direct line Of legal inher-
itance. Denying herself the usual pros
poets in life she has assumed all the bur-
dens that would be expected Of q daughter;
faithful to her trust as her charge becomes
feeble or palsied; watching in the chamber
of sickness, by the bedside of declining
kinsman. till the light burns feebly in its
socket and the spirit takes its departure; her
health perhaps ruined by her toll and care
by day and her vgils by night; her hope in
life blighted by her years of sacrifice. 1t is
such as these that this Vermont grab-law
would rob of meager pittance bequeathed
by a relative who had been cared for with
the duty and affection of daughter.
III this is to be our State Lolicy, we may
well exclaim, but with little faith that our
prayer will be answered, God save the State
OF Vermont! AS Emerson has said: "The
Union Is at an end as soon as an immoral
law Is enacted, He who writes crime in
the statute-book, digs under the foundation
OF the Capitol"
CHARLES u. SMITH.
Gaysville, VT, April 0, 1897.