Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-04-18

ZION, the most indisputable, the most
lfar-reaching, and the most beneficial
THAT has ever been proposed as the
lbasis OF economic legislation and
social reform. This principle is found
led on the axiom that the unborn have
mo exclusive rights to property, and
Its full development in the proposition
that all inequality of Inheritance is
unjust. Observation and reason alike
proves that all inheritance which en-
tables man to live idly without giving
any adequate service in return for his
wealth is an injury to him who re-
loeiyes it, that it renders him the
center of vast circle of evil influ-
fence through his numerous parasites
and dependents, and that to permit it
is one Of the greatest Of crimes against
lsociety.
The End Of Taxation.
So soon as this great principle is
accepted as rule of conduct and !
have as yet met with no independent
thinker who rejects ital inheritance
will be strictly limited TO the direct
living heirs. at the period of legisla-
ton of all who possess property.
Hence, as numbers die every year
without such direct heirs, as years
pass away more and more such per
sons win die, and there viii pour into
| the pub liretcasury an eVer-increasing
stream of wealth, including land,
houses, manufactures, etc, SO as to
gradually replace all forms of taxa
ton. and also provide ample funds
for carrying on the various public
services above alluded to, and especial
| " such as are required to absorb the
whole of the unemployed in productive
labor.
Will Work Automatically.
AS the application Of this great
principle will not take one penny from
any living individual, while by auto
matically replacing all other forms of
taxation it will benefit all alike, not
only by adding ito their incomes, but
I by cheapenimg all articles which now
pay duties, and BY removing the
periodical annoyance of the demands
Of the tax collector, it must surely en-
list the support Of the whole body OF
those who in any way earn what they
live upon; while even the various
classes of property will hardly
oppose it with the same energy that
they certainly would Opposes any de-
mand upon their own pockets. It is,
therefore, prominently a case of
working on the line of least resistance.
What the application of this great
principle Woul really do would be to
establish absolute equality of oppor-
ltunity,s the inherent justice Of which
| has been admitted by such opponents
| Of Socialism as Herbert Spencer and
Mr.. BENJAMIN Kidd.
Non-inheritance and Revenue.
What ! particularly wish to point
out here is that the principle of non
inheritance would so quickly bring in
an enormous revenue as to render 1t
possible for the state to take over so
vast alb usiness as the railroads. and
to reorganize them in the public inter
lests; and also, whenever it was adEis-
able, do the same with all the educa-
tional institutions of the country. In
all such cases as the railroads. the
minerals, etc, there would be no dues-
ton OF purchase no need to raise a
single pound of capital. The state
would simply take over their manage
Iment in the interest of the public, pay
| ing TO the owners or the shareholders
| the same dividends or profits as they