New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-04-02
TAXING CisssTcsa Property.
GERRIT SMITH

The question whether church property
should be cXamtcd from taxation is attracting
increased attention, aud is made the subject
OF 4 recent essay b. James Parton, the histo-
ran. concedmg the Importance Of the part
which churches play in our modern word, and
how much solacc, admonition, elevation, and
entertainment they afford to multltides Of
most worthy people in every land, you do not
strengthen an institution, he argues, by pau
perizing it, and You do not strengthen ii by
making it Il fractional part OF a paIper, even
to the extent of relieving it of its taxes Tax
ing ecclesiastical property, so far from being
an lnjury 10 the church, should be one OF
those Just, wise, and timely measures which
benefit everybody and hart nobody. 1t
would send the sap circulating through torpid
members it would cXtinguish some feeble
life, but il would strengthen and vivify the
ittest, which wcnld survive. This is the
opinion OF many of the most influential menu
bers Of Evangelical Alliance.
In support of his view Mr.. Parton refers to
the state of things how existing in any repre-
sentative country town III the United States.
He cites the case OF one in New England of
10, 900 or l. 900 inhabitants to show how a
fair taxation Of the churches would work in
practice. In this town are seventeen churches
struggling for life. The moral and benevo-
lent activity OF the place-that noblest part
of human toll which is dedicated to the gem
eral good, or to some object in which others
share besides curseiycS-this most precious
ovcrplus of human energy, strictly limited as
it is i'll amount, is chiefly expended in keeping
the breath Of life in these seventeen feeble
organizations. For this the ladies sew, con-
tryc, beg, cook, sing, hold fairs, give enter
tainments, get up picnics, drum for the Sun
day-school, and move heaven and earth. For
THIS seventeen anxious c!ergymcn toll scheme,
and wear out their souls. For this seventeen
sections pull the awful bell, making the day
hideous with horrid noise. This strain upon
the best activity OF the place is due to the
simple fact that one half of these characters
are superuous. On Il certain Sunday, some
months ago, fine day IN winter, it was de-
termned by actual count that the whole
number OF persons attending these churches
during the day, including the two services,
was $500. The entire church-going pepula-
ton would be handsomely accommodated in
one-half the existing cdlices. Why, then,
do they not unite: 1t is because none of
them can quite succeed in dying. While
there is life there is hope. They hold on,
ana VIII hold on as long as it is possible for
the annual expense to be met The law OF
the survival OF the fttest hungers for the ex-
tinction OF half of them: but that law is
baked and frustrated by the exemption from
taxation.
In the case of the wealthy city churches,
Mr.. Parton points out the hardship to the
taxpayers from the exemption of church
property from taxation. How heavily rests
the burden of life upon the shoulders, and
upon the heart. too, of an average citizen and
yirtuous father of a family! For ten years he
tolls and saves, denying himself many allur-
ing enjoyinents, in order that he may make
first payment npon a modest house for those
he loves. Then he works and saves for an.
other five years to pay OFT the motgage.
When all this is done, when he is at last the
proud possessor Of the nest that shelters his