A Federal Inheritance Tax
Whftt is generalij' nin by an '"Inhovlta.nee fax," Is a tax nu thé transfer of the title to ;uiy property- real personal or mixed- ei t hor by the owher's last will and textamrnt . or by the lnw.s oA ' descent. .Mr. GladStóne put the grim name of "death duties"' on the intricate system, embrácing five ilistinct Uut analogous taxes, blien in operation in Englánd. One is 'Trobat"' tax, whicli is really ;i stamp bos on the affidavit or Inveatory, required before the issue of letters of adra inistratiom 011 the estáte of a deccased person. Another is the "Acoounf' tax, to re-enforce the former and to prevent the evascon of it by gjfts during life unless made a year before deatli. A thiird is a -'.Legaacy'' tax, payablo out of personalty coming to a legatee, or heir. The fourth is a ''Succession' tax, imposed by 'Mr. Gladstone in 1853, and ap'plirallo to land as the l'Legacy" tax is tö personalty. TIic füth is an ''Estate'' tax, imv-ented by Mr. Gosehen in 18S9, and inoreasing the progressivo cliaracter of all deatli taxes. Onder ali of tliem Great Britáln levied ta 1892 as follows : Probate and account tax L■").( 2.374 Legacy tax 2.828, 1C2 Succesalon tax 1 ,)(,:; 17 Estáte tax on personalty 1,804,080 Kütate tax on real t y I _ 98,640. Total - L11,053,608 The experts, economista, and speL-i:lists who have advocated or now advocate, what is populnrly known ia tliis country as on "Inheritance Tax," get hopelessly ''by the ears" wheo attempting to desoribe the nature, purpose and . justl.iüjition of the exaction.' Many, and t'ney the larger number, vindícate the assessment as a socAalistic cuntrivance to enlarge eschea.t to tlie state, and so limit inherïtances, and redistribute wealth. The contenüon is that the state ia a co-beir. Otters regard the exactment as a fee paid to the state to maintain probate courts, and for the right to receive the property of one's father or mother. Others look on the requL-ement as a tax pure and simple, levied according to one's faculty, or ability, to contribute to govemmental expenditures. One conception is that the "Inheritance Tax'' is a good devine to collect evaded taxes after the evader is dead ; another is that the contrivance may be sustained as a way to get taxes never rmposed, or to ta.x an heir or devisee in ad vanee. Another argument is 'that the tax is supplcmentary to an income tax, an inerteased income tax, catchiing the heir, or devisee, "wlien toe ás happy to divide with the state. Whichever tlieory may be most defensible or indefensibie, the Federal government can vindícate but one, and that is tax, pure and simple. Congress cannot prescribe what shall be a valid will in New York, or regúlate New Yoi-k laws of descent, or New York inlieritances. The Federal govemment has no probate courts to maintain. Congress cannot constitutionnlly redistribute property in New York.- Harper's Weekly. A migration notiety has been formeel in Alabama for the purpose of sending negroes to África. The society will opérate a line of steamers and charge $20 per head for the passage to África. If you have a darky you desire to get rid of, send liim to the society with $20 or teil him to go south and try to vote the republican ticket. - Fenton Independent. The first blow has been struek against Michigan by the democratie majority in the house. Wool has been placed on the free list, and the act takes etfect the moment the bill becomes a law. Notwlthstanding the muliiuide of protests sent in trom Michigan and other wool growing States, tlia duty on foreign wool was removed. Michigan has thousands of dollars invosted and hundreds oí men em'ployed in the wool industry, whk'h will suffer immeasurably pr be wjiped out entirely. Michigan farmers engaged in wool growing will remember Chis next fall.- (rand Rapids Eagle. It makes us bired to hear a uewspape-r like the Ana Arbor Courier use the a-ssertion : "Woraa.ii suffrage will doublé the vicieus vote, but it will not increase the vote for just laws and uprighit officials. " It is down right slander on the nobler half of humanity. - Stockbrldge Sim. "Which provea conclusively that Bro. Glldart Is not familiar witli the very classes that the Courier referred to : the rifcious classes of our cities. The Courier allows no perspn or paper to excel it in esteem and honor of the gentier sex, and it is because of that esteem iml honor that it assunies the positiou it does. It belii'vrs in tJurowing all Uie safeguards that law can throw aroand woman tor her propection ; it believes in her educa! ion in all the arts and sciences ; il belteves in her advancement and I val ion ; but it does not believe in her enfranchisement until that enfranihi-eaH'nt doe.s increasa her advaneement and elevaliou.
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Old News
Ann Arbor Courier