The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-03
sum total Of changes represents the

experience has conclusively show
mat at such time II Is impossible I
get men TO treat 1t from the standpoln
OF the public good. In my Judgment
the wise time to deal with the matte
Is Immediately after such election.
Income Tax and Inheritance Tax,
When our tax laws are revised TN,
question OF an income tax and an In
heritnnce tax should receive the care
ful attention OF our legislators. I'm m,
judgment, both OF these taxes should
Oe part OF our system of federal tn,n
tlon ! speak di.1dently about the in
come tax because one scheme for an In
come tax was declared upcons;Itution.
al 10y the supreme court. while In add
uon II Is difficult tax TO administer
IN It's practical working. and great
care would have to be exercised to see
tilat II was not evaded by the yer,.
men whom II was most desirable 10
nave taxed, for II SO evaded IL would
OF course he worse than no tax nj all.
as the least desirable OF nil taxes is
the tax which bears heavily upon the
honest as compared with the dishonest
man. Nevertheless graduated lu.
come tax Of the proper type would bc
Y desirable feature of federal taxation.
and II Is to he hoped that one may he
devised which the supreme court will
declare constitutional The Inheritance
tax. however. Is both far better
method OF taxation and far more i'm.
portant for the purpose OF having the
fortunes OF the country bear in pro
portion TO their Increase In size a cor.
responding increase and burden of tax.
alton. The government has the abso.
iuto right TO decide as to the terms
upon which n man shall receive "A le.
quest or devise from another. and this
point In the devolutlon of property Is
especially appropriate for the impoyi
lion Of tax. Laws imposing such
taxes have repeatedly been placed
upon the national statute books and ae
repeatedly declared constitutional by
the courts. and these laws contained
the progressive principle-that Is. after
q certain amount IL reached the be.
quest or gift. IN lie or death. Is In
creasingly burdened and the rate Of
taxation Is increased In proportion 10
the rcmoteness OF blood OF the man re-.
cciving the bequest These PRINCIPLES
are recognized already In the lcadlug
civilized nations of the world. In Great
Britain all the estates worth 5000 or
less are practically exempt from death
duties, while the increase Is such that
when an estate exceeds $1,000 coo IN
value and passes to distant Llnsman
or stranger In blood the government
receives all told an amount equivalent
to nearly n fifth OF the whole estate
In France so much OF an Inheritance
us exceeds Sl0000,00O pays over n
rfth TO the state If II passes TO dis.
tant relative. The German law Is es.
peclally Interesting TO us because II
makes the Inheritance tax an impc-
rial measure, while allotting to the
individual states of the empire II por.
tlon OF the proceeds and permitting
them TO impose taxes In addition to
those imposed 10y the imperial govern.
ment. Small lnhcrltanccs are EXEMPT.
but the tax IL so sharply progressive
that when the inheritance Is still not
very large, provided II Is not an agri
cultural or forest land. II IL taxed nj
the rate of - per cent II It goes To dis.
tant relatives.
There Is no reason why In the Unit
ed States the national government
should not Impose inheritance taxes H.
addition to those imposed by the
states, and when we last had nn inner.
tance tax about one half of the states
evicd such taxes concurrcntly wi,h
HE national government. making
'ombined maximum rate In some cases
is high as % per cent. The French
aw has one feature which Is to be
heartily commended. The progressive
principle is SO applied that each high.
,r rate is imposed only on the excess
above the amount subject to the next
over rate, SO that each increase of
ate will apply only to certain
amount above certain maximum.
The tax should If possible be made 70
Icar more heavily upon those residing
without the country than within it. \
leavy progressive tax upon very
argc fortune is in no way such Il tax
ipon thrift or industry as a like tay
would lie on smell fortune. No nd
'antage comes either 10 the country "a
/ whole or 10 the Individuals mheri,iug
he money 10y permitting the transmits.
'ion In their entirety of the enormous
'ortunes which would be affected by
such n tax. and as an incident TO its
junction of revenue raising such taN
would help to preserve II measurable
equality of opportunity for the people 1
# the generations growing to man {
lood. We have not the slightest sym
'athy with that soclalistic idea which
would try TO put laZiness. thrlctlc.s-
'css and lneiliciency on par with In
ustry, thrift and efficiency. which
would strive TO break up not merely
private property, but, what is far more
the home. the chief prop I
lpon which our whole civilization I
tands such theory, If ever adODt.