Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-20
No Exemption from Taxation.

She state, and which does away entire
" with the exemption clauses in Chap.
1870, General laws Of 1868. The bill
is cunningly worded, and upon its face
it bears no index Of the mischief inher-
ent in it.
As opposed to the bill introduced by
Mr.. Beecher several memorials have
been presented, praying for the con
tinuance Of the law without amend
ment Among these memorials is one
from Bishop Arnitage in which he
says -
"Churches, religious institutions,
and houses of worship, producing no
revenues to their occupants, like other
property, are producers of good morals,
good citizenship, domestic and social
virtues, habits Of integrity and re-
straint. which are Of the utmost value
to the State and to every separate COM
munity in it. And the State is no los
er in giving to bodies Of men who, out
of their own means, establish and
maintain such centers Of moral health
and life, the recognition Of not taxing
the houses they build for them, as it
taxes their own dwellings and shops
and stores The undersigned forbears
to press the claim on high religious
grounds, as he might. Those who
seem to have been most active in en-
gineering for the repeal of the exemp-
ton would, many Of them scorn what
any Christian man vonld urge as to
the value of Gods blessing and the
need of his worship and service in Sc
curing it. But they viii find it hard
to deny shat Christian churches are
valuable in any community for the rea-
sons above giyen-as sources and schools
Of personal character, which raise and
sustain the general tone Of society, and
make good citizens.
1t seems that the bill Of Mr.. Beech
er is death blow to the Advancement
of morals, education, science, and in
fact, to every thing that savors Of good
or tends to build up as opposed to
immortality, Ignorance and bigotry.
We can see wherein the law as it is
proposed to have it amended, would
Operate with deal Of business, but
-.
f'
"
=, - '
-, w.,
Inc -n". oe"F'"e' IS an arueh' sup
porter OF the bill as IS the Chippewa
Herald edited by Geo. C. Gintv-who
with al his oani,s and ,n.,v o~oalI.n,
,,,,or.;o. ,.n.+ .ru1 ~. g.
f"'''''00 van ,''l'' oN''' "SS
mour says IN the La Crosse Leader
to lock arms with His Satanic Majesty,
ana say -
':Ihefe can be no question about the
justice Of these memorials Gin favor Of
taxing churches, Sc.) Churches are
exactly on the same par with opera
houses aud buildings of like character.
They all come under the head Of amuse-
mcnts."
We elm from, tho ycoJo. o~,~ao+a
from, Mr. eormonr,s ahlo o~;oIo - 10
= o.,
ie''se u ln7 oiarc'i0S anu eooca'ional
Interests of the state, which are nee
essarily broken owing to lack of space
vherev;th to nabl;sh II ap4;-o
Tboso and o.hor o,,,,n,a,,t e -,
prass ~ Ia;u aI'"- .l,,'".s ~ t"9
80 I'n -. ~ -l' o.o.,'l5 s.'o" ''i'I
:. s'o',. "'u na d, 's'n' s"Pi,o''0ss ies@''
Ire,3s,,+r H. ro' r; r1ai' - =. ,o;
tho struaris r rai;c;an =; l'S a ,o, ~,
70 onnose s,,,h hin lnt tho f 5000 ,'o oe
sc;opoo md I4or,+ur, ana -L;laatLu,,,.
r;so ~ ~ daesn.o 80 " ll p','1,'' r
A ~ 'o'''0 % A"0 " lo' ana
humanity. IF these are not on duty,
let the interests of agriculture. labor.
and art find defenders. If these all
tail, let Us appeal 70 those who are en-
gagged IN commercial enterprises, that
call into requlsltion associated capital
and labor, to repel the injustice Of
l., IL