The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1912-11-02
New Orleans. Oct. 26. 1912

New Orleans. Oct 26 1872
10 the Editor If The Times Democrat:
In this mornings edition Of tho
Morning Star, the official organ OF
the Roman Catholic Church in Lou
isiana, is found the circular letter
from his Grace, the Most Rev. Arch
bishop and biz Lordship Bishop Van
de Ven. to the clergy Of the State
OF Louisiana, apropos of the pro
posed tax amendments. calling upon
them 10 use every influence at their
command to avert the adoption of
the inheritance tax law
Every liberal minded citizen, no
matter what his faith will. in my
Judgment, look upon this pronuncia-
mento as a very unfortunate utter
ance If it had been the individual
opinion Of the archbishop and the
bishop of Alexandria expressing their
objections to the Inheritance tax
clause of the tax amendment, there
would be no objection to ii but Il is
an official document issued ex cathe.
dra, with all the power and authority
Of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy be
hind it addressed to the whole Catho-
lie clergy in Louisiana, to be read at
all masses held il Louisiana on Sun
day. Oct. q, and therefore, brought
to the attention OF all Catholic lay
men as made part OF the services of
their church. 1t is, therefore, prac-
tical command to all Catholic laymen
to obey the voice Of the church and
vote down the whole reform amend
ment, irrespective Of its merits, on
the sole ground it contains one CLAUSE
which the church does not approve of
nues Of the church in all cases where
testator or donor should give to
the churih more than ons-half of the
disporable portion Of his estate. This
letter is based upon the church maxim
Roma ipsa locuta est: causa est fini-
to. Rome herself has spoken; the
case is at an end No other sect or
religious denomination in the State
has taken such stand. | beg leave
respectfully to suggest to the eminent
and respected divines that issued this
order to set the whole powerful en-
sinery Of the Catholic Church to work
to defeat the main tax amendment in
which the inheritance tax clause is
embodied. that it would have com.
ported better with their character
and their authority to have voiced
their objections to this clause and
to have suggested that it ought to
he changed and modified, and to have
nointed out that the Legislature in
1914 could make such change and
nut the change to the people at the
November election in 1914. Surely Q
few dollars Of legacy taxes that the
church might be compelled to pay is
no valid reason to destroy a whole
system Of tax reform, no matter how
great its merits or benefits.
AS far as | am in 'ividually con,
cerned. | commend and defend the
policy behind this clause of the in
herjtance law. Nearly all govern
ments, even those which necognize
the Catholic Church as State
church. have found it necessary te
prohibit excessive donations to the
church. Statutes of mortmain were
adopted in England at an early period
in her history, and long Def, re the
Protestant reformation was dreamed
Of These statutes were brought int
this country as part of the common
law. and they are the law today II
All the States, except as modified b!
special statutes in each State. Man!
Of the States of the Union fbToluteI,
prohibit donations mortis causa U
any church or religious society. Lou
isiana, which was never under tn
. dominion OF the common law. is NOR
liberal and permits such donation
: even to the extent Of the testator'
, power to bequeath his last will an
i testament The amendment In ques
ton does not limit that power. !
merely provides that II testator, Dc
nying the ties Of relationship an
friendship shall beuueath more tina
half of the disposable portion OF hi
estate to any religious, charitable
educational purpose, then that tn
< legatee shall pay an inheritance ia
9 on the whole legat,. The restrain
L imposed by this prvTision on test;
n tors is certainly very mild r
n straint. and in my individual opinio
J. is entirely too mild in respect to d.
! nations for religious purposes.
: The learned divines who issued tn
. circular letter say that our preser
: Inheritance tax law does not col
Germ itself with donations Int