New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-10-26
Taxation Of Church Property.

The following paper was read by James
| Parton at tie recent meeting of the Free
| Religious Association in New York:
| Taxing ecclesiastical property is the sub.
| Ject proposed for consideration at the pres.
ent time. Il this STATE, and, | believe. in
| most OF the States of the Union, churches,
| colleges. schools, museums, libraries, hos
pitfalls. fire Rglnehouses, cemeteries, chart
table institutions generally. and the lands
OF agricultural societies, are exempt from
taxation. lam opposed to all exemptions.
Whatever property the State protects
ought, think, to contribute its proportion
to the Stats support. But it is church
property with which we are to occupy our
selves this evening, kind of property
which nowhere in the world contributes
aught to the support OF the government
that prOtectsit. America is the land of ex-
pertinent ant audacity. 1t is right and be-
coming that here, tor tie first time, the
proposition should be deliberately discussed,
to discontinue this exemption. And let no
one suppose that this measure is advo-
Gated here in spirit of hostility to
churches: large proportion of the virtu-
GUS peopleO1 ChrlstendOm, and certainly
very large proportion of all the persons to
whom have been most warmly attached
in the courseOf my life, have been members
or freauenteE OF churches. | know the im-
portance of the part which churches play in
our modern world. and how much solace,
adnonition, elevation and entertainment
they afford o multituGes of most worthy
people in every land. But you do not
siren 5then al institution by pauperzng it. |
and you do MT strengthen it by making it |
fractional pat OF pauper, even to the eX- !
tent O. relieving it OF its taxes. An institu- |
Ion e1emptfrom taxation may be a very |
good tuDgus.bGt il comes short of being a |
living brana. Taxing ecclesiastical prop
erty, so far from being an injury to the |
church, should be one of those just wise and
timely measures which benert everybody
and hurt moody. It would send the sap !
circulating Trough torpid members, it
would extiWuish some feeble life, but it
would strengthen and vivity the fttest,
which wouI! survive. And this. l am
informed. IL the opinion of some of the
most intiuetial members Of the late
Evangelical Alliance. Conside: the state
Of things now existin: in any rep
United STATS. Let re se,ec. ono in
New Eng.an OF 10000 or $4,000 ;nhabit-
ants, and er.earor 10 see how fair taxa
ton of the churches would work in prac-
tice. In this own are seventeen Protestant
churches struggling tor life. The moral and
benevolent ntivitv o: the place-that
mobiles: part f human TOT. which is dedi.
Gated to the sneral good. or to some object
in which otlnrs share beside ourselves
this most precious Overplus of human ener-
gv, strictly limited as i. is in amount. is
chiefly expended IN keeping the breath OF !
lite Ia these sVenteen feeble organizations. |
For THIS the idles sew, contrive. beg. cook.
sing, hold flla, give entertainments. get up |
picaics. druL for The Sunday school and
move Eeaveuand earth. For this seventeen |
anxious clerymen toll. scheme and wear
out their soul. For this seventeen sections ;
pull the awfu bell, making the dav hideous |
with horrid loise. This strain upon the !
pest activity OF the place Is due to |
he simple fc: that one half Of these
churches are supertiuous. On certain F.
sunday, SOM months ago. fine day IN {
winter, it undetermined by actual count
hat the wLob number of persons attend.
ng these clutches during the day. inciud. 6
ng the two sryices, was $3.50. The entire G
'hurch- going population would be hand t
omely accommodated in one-halt the ex. I
sting eiifce. Why. then, do they not
mite! 1t is because none OF them can t
Iuite succeedin dying. While there is life | o
here is hope. They hold on, and viii! hold {
N, as long it is possible for the annual e
Expense to bmet. Thc law of the survi. c
al OF the tittst hungers for the extinction r
f half ct then; but that benefit law is a
alked and frustrated by the exemption n
fuU tdSdliO. nat DitSSeO OankcUDtcy &
Ehich Mr.. drlyle SO Justly e1tols as ma b
ure's remedyOr superhuous and misman. 81
ged activitle. hangs over them, threaten a
lg but pOwrless. because they Go aot | f;
ave to bear ter just share Of the public d
urdens. il
Macbeth va nationally alarmed when OBJ. U
5rvIng that 3anquc. though Lis brains | !
ere out, wom not die. L. was dreadful y
ling, indeed. Nothing i. more necessary . is
" the genera good than that institutions 81
lould die WIN they have no: life enough h
live. In tie midst OF these seventeen p;
eak and strug'in organizations, there is | III
le which is sSOunding in life. vigor, enter. la
rise and resution--ths Roman Catholic | vi
hurch, usual5 the largest and handsomess at
the town. nd the only one which has a lu
II congregation. Nay. it accommodates ] TO
ven congregations Oh each Sunday. From st
X II the monlng until eight ia the even. pi
z i: is alwss occupied, otter crowded. or
Id once GRAINED. On that Sunia. when | w
600 personsxere counted IL ths .eyen. ia
IN Protestant churches. in this one Cath. tr'
C church the number was 1890. And Of lie;
whom ar. these congregations com. III
sed They are composed chiefly of st'
g only classes in the United States OF
at Can spre one.half Ut their IL. th
me~domest: servants and operatives bu
cotton mills And tiny dc spapn one half. De
a class. the. spend their largeyurplus in | ag
0 ways: Firt, in extending the Catholic VIC
urch in A1erica; second, in bringing in
ar to Amerja more Catholics. Hence av
rapid growth OF the Catholic Church ito