The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-12-04

tnlion and disturbance IN the business
world, and 10 give the least play for
snnah ana factional motives. The SOLE
consideration should be TO see that the
ettn total OF changes represent the pun
lic good THIS means that the subject
can not with wisdom be dealt with IN the
year preceding a presidential elecuon' pee
cause "a a matter Of fact experience has
ronclusiveY shown that at such time II
Is imbnssille 10 set men TO treat II from
Tho STANDPOINT Of The public good. IN my
Judgment Tho wise time TO deal WITH the
matter IS Immediately after such eiectoh'
Income and inheritance
Tax is Favored
when our tax laws are revised the
question Of an income tax ana an m
heritance tax should receive the eafe-
fui attention of our legislators, In my
Judgment both OF these taxes should ne
part OF our system of federal taxation
l speak difildcntly about the income TAX
because one scheme for an income tax
was declared unconstitutional ~ me
supreme court while in addition i u
difiicult tax to administer In It's praeh-
cal working and great care would have
TO be exercised to see that II was not
eyancd by the very men whom II was
most desirable to have taxed for II so
evadcd ii would. OF course, be worse
than no tax at all; as the least desira-
bic of all taxes is the tax which bears
heavily upon the honest as compared
with the dishonest man Nevertheless
"A graduated income taX Of the proper
TYNE would be desirable feature or
federal taXation, and il s to be hoped
that one may be devised which the SUI
preme court will declare constitutional
TIE inheritance tax, however. Is both
a far better method Of taxation, and far
more important for the purpose of haN-
ing the fortunes of the country bear in
proportion to their increase in size
corresponding increase and burden OF
taxation Tho government has the alb
salute right to decide as To the terms
ipon which a man shall receive the be-
quest or devise from another, ana TINS
point IN the devolutfon of property Is
especially appropriate for tile imposi-
ton Of tax Laws imposing such
taxes have repeatedly been placed upon
the national statute books and as re-
poatedly declared constitutional by the
courts. and Those laws contained the
progressive principle, that is, after
certain amount Us reached the beauest
on gift IN life or death, Is increasingly
hurdencd and the rate of taxation -
Increased in proportion to the remnte~
ness of blood Of the man receiving the
bequest These principles are rceoE-
njzcd already In the leading cirihzed
nations OF tie world In Great Britain
Hu the estates worth $4,000 or less are
practically exempt from death autiSs
while the increase is such that when IN
tstate exceeds 6ye millions ~ dollars
ia value and passes to distant kins-
man or stranger in blood The gpHeru-
mont receives an told 80 amount equiv
a3c0t 10 nearly "a Httb af he whale cs-
tate In France so 1uuFh Of an inherit
tqnrr ass exceeds sic 600 600 pays over
"a hfth 10 the state ii il passes To dis
tauf relative. Tho German lnW Is es-
peCially intfres ting to MS because II
makes the inheritance tax an Imperial
measure while allottpg To the individ
nal states OF the empire portion Of
the proceeds and permitting them 10
impose taxes In addition to those tn-
posed by the imperial government
Small inheritances are exempt, but the
tax is SO sharply progressive that when
the inheritance is still not very large
provided II is not an agricultural or
forest land, it is taxed at the rate OF -
per cent il il goes to distant relatives,
There is no reason why n tho United
states the national government should
NOT impose inheritance taNfs . addi
tion 10 those imposed by the states ana
when We last had an Inheritance tax
about one half az tho states leyied such
taxes concurrently with the national
making a combined maxi
Ynura rate. In some cases MS high as 2J
pcr cent The French law has one
feature which is 70 be heartily conn
The progressive prineiple 10
SO applied that each higher rate Is im-
posed only on the excess above tho
amount subject TO the next lower rate;
90 that eacn increase Of rate win Apply
only 10 certain amount above GER
taIu maximum The tax should II pos
siblc he made to bear more heavily
,tpon those residing without the COIN
inv than within H. A heavy progress
sive tax upon a very large fortune is
in no way such tax upon thrift or iu-
dustry as like tax would be on a
small fortune. No adVantage comes
either to the country as whole or TO
the individuals inhcrtine the money by
the transmission in their /
entirety of the enormous fortunes
which would he affected by such tax;
ana Us an incident to its function Of
revenue raising. such q tax would help /
La preservc a. measurable equality of
opportunity for the people Of the gen |
.ratinus growing TO manhood. We nave |
not the slightest sympathy with that |
.nciaIistic idea which would try 90 put |
.aziness. thriftlessness and incGicienry |
,n a par with industry thri1 an6 eff
.icucv. which would strive to break Np |
not merely private property but what |
Is TAR more important. the home. the |
.btef prop upon which our whole clv- /
lizatinn strnds. Such "a theory. II ever /
,4opted. would mean the ruin of tie 1
.utlre country-a ruin which would /
,.ar heaviest upon the weakest upon /
hose least able TO SHIFT for themselves. /
2ut proposals for legislation such rs /
his herein advocated are directly op- /
5osed TO this class Of g"otaiistir thro- /
.tee our aiu ir 90 rero NIat lin
.ol., r..n,.d ... The f..t faft there |
'r, -.--. reer,.t IS in winch men arc
.b. i..- r. sraI but also - iueIst
hst there should ho an equality of self
pect and of mutual respect /
ia equality OF rights before The
av. and az least an approximate
,1ualitv iu the conditions under which
a,i, man obtains tho chance To- show
hc cum that Is in bin when compared
- bis fellows.
Enforcement of the Law
Against Wealthy Offenders.
: few years ago there was loud COM
laint that the law could not DC invoked
gainst wealthy offenders There is no
Ich complaint now. The course Of tie
apartment Of justice during the last
sw years has been such as 60 make it
,ident that no man stands above the