Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-09-06

L
ssTaxfnE Church Propersy.'
Mr. EDITOR Under the above title in
'our issue for August %, !" Alpha y has
et forth in somewhat able manner !
: what he deems the necessity of taxing |
he property of churches" By the per-
mission, which lfeel is grantel to me
,y tine paragraph that stands perma-
lentiy at the head of your columns, Il
propose to present a few considerations
1pon the other side Of the question. |
shall endeayorl TO show, in the first 4
place, that church property is 'soso taxed |
indirectly, and in the second place, that |
this indirect method has a decided adj
vantage over the direct method proposed.
The issue then, 1 contend, between s3Al- 4
pha" and mpself is not In regard to tax
alton or non-taxation, but in regard to
direct or indirect taxation. New church
property is composed of money given
for the purpose Of advancing Christian
morality in the land. But by whom is
this money bestowed2a Evidently by the
people of the community occupying said
properly There are very few people in
this State who do not in this sense own
church property. The way an which !
claim this property is indirectly taxed
is this: AS a definite amount of tax
must be raised each year for the purpose
OF ,liquidating the expenses of govern
ment and as there is no assessment made
upon church property it follows that
there must of necessity be larger tax
in proportion levied upon the people
who support the church. { iGhef other
mode-that OF direct tax levied upon
the church property amounts to the
same at last. Suppose a tax is levied
directly upon the church property as is
desired by "Alpha,r' who shall pay it?
Evidently the people who support the
church must. How much less compli-s
Gated then does it become to simply levy
the tax in the first place upon the sepa-
rate members of the congregation and
allow the! church tax to be paid at the
same time with the personal tax. i ! -
But leaving this matter Of direct and
Indirect taxation out of account for the
time let us agree to the question as gem
crafty unden1 tood. 0nr prciudices lead
us to look Upon any thing which we
COfIsfoCt ~ 10 ecif0ssse5 W esAO O NtttssAs Va
church aud state as especially to be
esehe ewed, and, in the main, our preju-
dice Ia well founded. IL is founded to a
great degree upon our observation of
/ the terrible tendencies Of Catholicism
and Of the arrogance and assumption of
the Church of England. But it is evil
dent that if the true doctrine of christie
Snity could be ascertained and agreed
ripon--if. the simple and modest teach-
ings Of the Saviour of mankind could be
taken as set forth i'm the New Testament
there cotlldsbe little danger in placing
these upon a firmer basis by the assist
ance OF, governments. There Is more
validity ,than1cis sometimes thought in
the argument for the union. of church
and state presented by Thomas Hughes.
He claims tits not safe to trust the in
terests of Christ's Church O'the caprice
of the people. "a lie .reininds US of the
tendency of mankind to Target God and
| forsake tie teaehings He has left upon
the earth. He properly ranks the Chris
tian religion as the very greatest an1eH-
Grating influence at work upon eur race,
and further contends that as government
| is properly for the best advantage of the
governed it should become a part of its
| functions to sustain the church. ftlf7-r-
Now do not understand me as accept
| ing the full force of this argument. Our
| inability In the midst of an almost count
| less number of sects, to arrive at a doc
| trine upon which all would agree must
Influence US. am rather disposed to
look at the matter rs did the fathers OF
| the Constitution! But in the matter OF
taxation We have an opportunity of fos-
teriug the teachings al the blessed Mas
| ter, to a. certain extent, in manner
L hi ieh &c Eaor orfi tn M catsf
lty of every denomination is exempted
from. direct taxation and thus, in a gen
erai way, adherence is paid to the King,
dom of Christ. issgs .sa{ ,se ass,lst u q
But Alpha refers us to certain ricf
city chuHehes which possess costly tenn
plies valued at millions of dollars, and
tells Jus Of the. injustice of eXemptins
these from taxation, Now considering
the matter in the light of the distinction
I have pointed out, viz: that all church.
.es are taxed in an indirect way already
it makes no difference whatever, whethel
u church, is rich Or poor, whether thu
4 structure be- magnificent or uneemely
II men see fit to put millions of dollar
into churches, it follows that their re
naming millions are taxed at q proper
tionately higher rates In regard to ths
improbable supposition which was made
howell contiguous TO the costly church edi
i flee, j would say that there is no posi-
i bility Of his being the payer of any sig
lnifieant portion Of the, remitted. tax
From the description given of the prem
ises Of said indigent individual, / should
4 conclude that his tax might be increased
on account of the exemption of ths
church by an advance of from three +.
five cents per annum i The bulk of tn
} exempted tax will evidently be paid b,
the rich men of the, city in an inereas
of their individual tax. But majorit,
of these men are doubtless men VIII,
have contributed largely toward the cree
ton of the edifice and so are being taxel
i in an indirect wagon their property
Il The others areamens who are abundantl
able to pay the small advance in thei
tax thus occasiOned, and it is entirel
/ conceive that there is any wide desire T,
III shrink from the small increase of ta
4 occasioned by the exemption of churches
q We have no desire to forsake God o
leave his cause unsupported, h Franc
tried to live without God. She burne
His word and prosecuted his saints, bu
the terrible dispensation that was visite
upon her taught her the lesson that tn
Almighty- rules in the earth.l Let Il
profit by her example and sustain God
cause If we would prosper. '3i ~
NOTES FROM AFAR. =
d. 1H4la ffts sfafst --------.5s ie4ia i39a
,l suOUR OWy CORRESPONDENTS. .!iat
COrrespondence eO,ata ming Snapostans aesos 8,
keited from eceTy part of the country. If atsed I1
erGIty paid for. Writer'S ndhse dnd address y,
4ssirsd ecel.y eoiRnsunicafioss as Prisate guam
dntees good JaitA, Reiectett eoemHai ieations ~
| | returned.
sF.af ;,ttu NebraSkm. t .ui
J. strike.bu heart! 'Themistocles. -
i '~''s LINCOLN, Aug, 30th 1873.
i Employers have a right to, get fe
their labor as much as they can by Law
D ful means. 1t is lawful for them to II
fuse to workout not to stop other