The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-07-19
INHERITANCE CONSUMPTION


In a recently published article the
Rt. Rev. Charles H. Brent, Episcopal
Bishop of the Philippines, takes up for
scription of inheritances as a means
of raising money in the present time
for the vast needs of the country This
idea opens up a new phase OF property
rights and certainly offers a a Of
relief from the curse Of inherited for
tunes in the hands OF incompetent
heirs. 1t means that every man would
have to stand on his own merits. and
work out his own financial destiny
The son Of the millionaire and Of the
lsborer would be on 8 par, when they
started ont for themselves, IS .ag As
inheriuns money va< Concerned
Bishop Brent is ST able man has
administered the missionary efforts q
his church in the Philippines ever
since they became part o. this
t-v. he preached s.; 81 FauIs Cath
earA II london s; he time Q. the
e-ea; inteTnsaonal gathering there
this sprins ne AZ & 1a&a whose words
demand attention Here is WIS; be
SAYS:
II tie practical consideration Of
ways and EeAas 8; ne present time
the question .: inheritance eonse-lp-
,ion should Be taken Up il detail.
The younger generation would be
deprived OF the individual wealth of
their fathers. but they would be be
ginning their lives with equal oppor-
tunities in a country of better oppor
tunity. not weighted down by an en-.
ormous debt and financial burden.
"The idea Of the abolition of in.
heritance is not new. II has been sug-
gested man. times, TO be accomplished
either by the imposition of very high
inheritance taxes or the prohibition
legacies over a certain fixed sum. !
am not urging ii as my solution OF
the present situation, but ! consider
It worthy Of the gravest consideration.
According to the charter Of our lib
critics, all men are born free and equal.
OF course, they are not all born equal.
Some are allowed to start their ca
reers with tremendous handicap.
have, in the fairly recent past, spoken
in a great many boys schools. For
the most part the students were rich
boys. And | have always taken the
position that it was a most unfortun-
ate thing for a boy to have his own
checkbook, unless he had first learned
to earn his own bread. In nine cases
out of ten it is an evil result Of in
heritance. What it does Is to debase
the value of youth. The boy depends
on his %checkbook instead of himself.
"The idea of such abolition Of large
inheritance is the very antithesls of
socialism. Socialism tends to decrease
the freedom of individual. The prin-
ciple of making it impossible for any
youth to inherit a large fortune is 4
principle of individualism; it would act
to increase the freedom of the individ
ual. In drawing nearer to actual equal
ity, it would offer to the young man
more opportunity of individual de-
velopment and individual value. 1t
would make the individual more i'm
po:tant to the state because OF his
own innate value. 1t would proceed
on a principle of individual democracy
instead of on a principle of socialism. Z
1t would mean equality of opportunity,
and that is the basis Of democracy, the
basis of our nation-what we are fight
ing for. In the present time of need {
1t would release an immense amount !
of money, and free the country from
a great future burden" d
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