The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-12
Two Persons in Vermont Opposed to
Legal Robbery.

Editor of Watchnan:-The courteous edi.
tor of the Bethel Courier, alias West Ran.
dolph Centipede," comedies now that
there are two persons out Of 1872, 422 in Yer
mont who disapprove of the new grab law
He is really getting to be liberal and gener.
Gus. Two weeks ago he would concede but
one person, "Mr. Q. G. Smith Of Gaysville
and his newspaper mouthpiece, the WATCH.
MAN"
The trouble with the "Centipede man
is, that he got his head Unto q bag" when
he stated in his editorial columns, in expla-
nation OF the law-taxing collateral inheri-
lance, that it provides a five per cent tax
"whenever person dies, leaving no hus-
band or wife, as the case may be, and no
heirs of the blood, 80 that whatever prop
erty he or she died possessed OF goes out OF
the family and to relatives by marriage"
Before he got relieved of that uncomfor-
table predicament, he apparently got meal
in his eyes, for he has hardly been able to
see since then; and hence he accuses your
correspondent of "talking through his hat"
He offers q series of questions forlhis two
dissentient friends to chew over "-ques-
tions that have been thoroughly covered by
the previous discussion in the WATCHMAN.
Personally he asks your correspondent
"where he got his authority for the state
ment that The evidence is convincing
that large majority Of the House that
passed the law did not realize what they
first authority for the statement was given
in the next issue of the WAToHMAN after
this correspondence began, and that 1t was
zone of the authors of the BILL" The author
ity is confirmed by interviews with various
persons, members of the House from differ
emit counties.
If the affable editor of the numerous Ran
dolph prints will drive out some of these
pleasant days and interview subscribers to
variously named issues OF his paper--some
of the farmers, perhaps, in whose welfare
he always seems to take such lively inter-
est-inform them of the existence of this
law, and be sure TO state correctly its pro-
Uisions, and then, without expressing his
opinion Of it, ask how it strikes them, he
will find the first question from them to be,
Why should collateral inheritance be
taxed when others are not?" He will find
secondly, after they have thought of the
matter a little that they will denounce
the law as severely as has your CORES
pondent. In the way suggested he can get
the correct opinion OF the average citizen.
Some of them will say, as they have said to
your correspondent, The law will be re-
pealed pretty SOON" But they do not know
the greed of state officials that is behind 1t;
they do not know the greed of those who
hope soon to be state officials; they do not
know how few individuals can manipulate
state legislation
Your correspondent has not found one
person in twenty who favors the law.
Those who do favor it may be considered in
three classes: First, those who would ia
vor fiat money, or any scheme to get some
thing for nothing. They would like to
have persons who have been provident and
thrifty divide up property, even while alive,
and If there is no way to compel division
before death, they would not thus stop at a
paltry five per cent, but take it all-the
principle is the same-the difference is only
in the amount. The second class is COM
posed of officials, persons who in some way
serve the people under the laws and get
stipends or salaries. This feature of the
question has been noticed in States other
than Vermont where similar laws exist.
The third class who favor the laws are law
students, or recent members of the legal
profession; persons who are fresh from
Blackstone and full of theory persons in
whom the lawyer conceals the man. When
circumstances favor the growth and devel-
opment of any one of these persons into ian
all-round man. so that the man is of more
account than the lawyer, his opinions
change and he becomes an average citizen,
one who appreciates the foundation prin-
ciples of a republican government; one who
appreciates individual right and despises
sophistry in its attempts to smother those
rights one who instinctively hates any law
which has no show of justice or equity.
but is framed for the express purpose of
trespassing on individual rights and robbing
people when they are so situated that they
cannot resist. Such is this grab law-an
abomination Of desolation," or something
worse. CHARLES q. SMITH
Gaysville, VT, April 20, 1897