The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-01-15

Air 'ady in some Of our cities the pro
pefty belonging {, the Catholic Church
is immense. In st. Louis It'll Com
puted at twenty millions. and in New
York, say within zen miles Of She City
Hall, should suppose their pro erty
would be va'aed oy just Tax Commits :
sinners at not less than eighty millions.
Ear be 1T from ME ts blame the catholics
TOR publishing the interests of their
CWrch with so much enterprise, energy,
and tact. Their conduct is just what
their belief demands Of them They
could rot be good Catholics II. they did
not regard the spread of the Catholic
Church as the CHEF interest Of max
But the question fer US to consider-for
us who are American citizens first and
and everything else second is, l, ef
WHETHER 1T IS BEST, AND SAFE, AND
that they should go on thus absorbing
the property of tn country. Look
abraod In Sicily, Italy. SPAN. Mexico
Peru-ln most Catholic countries-
wherever you see so editice or group of
edificss that overwhelm The minds with
wonder either for it's magnitude or It's
nlagnlficence, you may be sure that it is
eccesassica'. The people-man. sacred
man, to US the most sacred object in The
uniyes' --gr"vels in huts and waIlows in
dirt, in order that the inanimate God
whsm he adorcs may d we'll in lofty TEN
pies and gllsten with beautiful gems It
IS sorry sight fore God. sorry sight!
May this portion Of America rever wit
nsss t.. AT the beginning of the French
revolution, which was the most benif-
cent explosion that history records, two
sores out of every FIVE IN all France be-
longed to the Church. And the Church
was so good q judge of land that, in a
Large namber Of parishes, the Church's
two acres were worth more than the
peoples three. France was then in a
condition SINH ar TO that of England
before Henry VIII broke up the ecclesl-
astlcal institutions and secularizsd their
properly, that is, stopped exempting it
from taxation. Now, there are but two
conceivable ways in which the increase
of Catholic proper'y can be kept wit hin
safe, just, and reasonable bounds in the
United States, and the country be saved
from the necessity Of Henry VIII, or q
French Revolution. One is by destroying
popular faith in the efctisns upon which
the external part of the Cat hello system
rests. But this will be slow process
It can only result from the gradual
advance Of our race in kno Wedge,
health, happiness, dignity, and coura ge.
And it will be the more slow because
large numbers of the Professionals still
adhere to several Of the gfesser and less
picturesque of these fctions. But the
other method is simply to
TAX ALI. ECcLRsrAsTIcAL PROPERTY
as other property is taxed. Let every tub
stand upon its own bottom. Let all the
property repeat, which the State pro
tects pay it's just proportion TO the States
support. Catholics themselves, if they
will study the past, cannot intelligently
effect to this measure, becss use it would
supply the great lack in their system
Viewed merely % an organization, the
Roman Catholic Church has only one &C.
rious defect: there is no provision in it
against its excessive development. Hence
we find in the cities Of the south of Eu-
rope and Of South America such swarms
Of ecclesiasties, such masses Of eclesiasti
cal property, that Catholics themselves,
devout and faithful Catholics, are among
the foremost in urging a reduction of the
ecclesiastical orders There is only one
just aud sure mode Of proceeding in this
matter. It is to add every portion Of the
Church's estate to the tax list. A large
portion of what religion includes may be
classed nader tho head of luxury, and
who will deny
THAT LUxURrES ARE FAIR OBJECTS OF
TAXATIONY
In religion, as In common life, there is
the bread and meat, and there .is'also the