New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-26

before be can certify That certain depths of
water have been obtained.
Very respectfully. your ohedient servant,
G. 3 COMSTOCK,
Majo. of Engineers and Breyet Brlgadier
General.
General a. 4. Humphreys, Chief of Engineers,
United States Army
The Church side of Church Taxation.
The Presiden. has stated the question of
taxing church properly from the side OF the
SAFE alone. Thus viewed. j, is easy TO see
tina. the State would gain by an impartial
system OF taxation. Hence many may sup
pose hat tle Church would ba CORES pond
ngly ne loser, But this does not follow
since 10 every proceeding OF true equity all
parties are really the gamers, as in an
hon-s. inter trade il business. l. is not to
be denied, Indeed, that church expenses
would ue somewhat increased by the tax
lac: DGt thiR would be partly met by the
decrease Of the individual tax OF the men,
beers Of the corgreg CATION. each OF whom low
pays ms own snare and a portion OF that OF
the CGurch also. The po1r churches have
cheap houses of worship. and their tax
woiid be small. They might think it q
burden az first; arc 50 they would think
insurance burden II some body had ALWAYS
PAID II Tor them; but IN time they would
become accustomed y the necessary ex-
pense. Our torebodings OF evil IN changing
IRON old customs are usually Exaggerated.
Take a parallel inst arce. The clergy
used 20 be exe1rpt from military service;
and Some Of them were foolish enough 20
complain wheL they were subjected - the
draft in The late war. But GAMER thought
showed that nations claim, in a time OF
deadly struggle, is upon all citizens alike;
and mis- claim clergyman should rejlice
TO meet, tha. he might exhibit the same
patriotism with the members of his flock.
ENs.., u-as yv1in ' nt,a :.
took from! tne brightness of ble example as
a patrio-, aud il diminished his influence
with me people. The case is the same in
the STATES such as New York which ex.
eLnpt TIE clergy from taxation 1t was
common TO balance this by deprIving them
OF right 70 vote, Or 10 hold office. But
who Can lot see that Il is more honorable
for the clergy 10 bear the sane burdens
OF taxation with Others, and then TO
enjoy similar privileges Tney are thus
more sel!-respecting, aad Can freely appeal
20 Others in matters OF State policy. The
exemption usage furnishes an argument to
intdelity. Thus Morley. the biographer OF
Noltaire, writes; The direct refusal OF the
clergy IN 100 70 consent 10 pay their share
of tae taxes like other citlzens, though
owning as much as fifth OF all the prop
erty in the realm, moved lin 70 insist, IL a
vigorous pamphlet, that tne distinction in a
kingdom between splritus! and temporal
powers is relic VI barbarism; that
superstition inevitably tends to make bad
citizens and therefore princes ought 10 pro-
tee. philosophy, which destroys supersti-
ton II needs small argument to show
that VIXEN. III this matter OF taxpaving, the
clergy and the churches shall set the ex-
ample OF rendering unto Cesar the things
that are Cusars,' they will have more
power in appealing 70 the irreligious t.
render Unto God the things that are Gods"
LIS 10 the true honor of the churches
that they should break this last Link which
connects them with the State and makes
lheu ,he recipients OF is bounty. The
primitive churches had no State charity,
IL gifts or n exemptions; and why should
modern churches receive 1t, which abound
so much more IN wealth If churches are
10 he viewed as benevolent Institutions
which they are only in part-why should
they ask others 70 assume a portion OF
their benefactiOnsi Let each man do his own
giving. As the matter now stands, the State
Of Illinois gives by tax exemption s250, U0U
every year 10 the churches, and this is ex-
torted from the taxpayers, whether they be
worshipeCs or nou-attendants al church
Christians, Jews or inhdels And vet men
talk OF no connection between Church and
Sta-e, and affirm that in this land no man
is compelled 10 pay anything toward the
support OF religious IDEAS and forms il
LItH i-e Gtts lpl tS-4tNt. w mar patty
would dare even to introduce a bill into the
Legislature which should appropriate from
TIE treasury S22jOUO, to be distributed
among all the religious denominations ac-
cording 10 their membership or their prop
erly invested in real estate! No matter
what arguments might be urged as to the
usefulness OF churches 20 the community III
moral respects, the proposal would be
unanimously rejected as incon sstent with
thorough separation of Church and State.
But the principle is not at all changed when
the same sum n taxes ia RENTED 70 the
churches. To give it to them before it
reaches the treasury is to change the torn,
but not the reality of the appropriation.
The churches should BOT be willing 70
stand IN this position, and to give occasion
Tor the raunt of the unbeliavsr. The senti-
mental idea that Christianity has kind Of
homage paid 10 it by this exemption OF
church property is a delusion. For the ex-
emption applies equally to heresy as ortbo-
doxy, 10 RoInanism as to Professionalism, to
Dsism or Spiritualism as TO Christianity.
Certainly no special honor is put upon the
truth as such, while from the point of view
Of any particular religionst the State does
great deal TO aid in the propagation of
error. The United States census OF 1870
gives the church property of the leading
denominations thus: Roman Cath0.
lies, S,0000,0O0: Methodsts. $4,000
U00, Presbyterians, SiS,000,00 Bap-
fists, s39,000,00o; Episcopalians, $4,000
0O9; CongregatiOnalists. s2j000,0 900; the
Liberal sects $4,000, 900. We omit the
fractions. Now why should Protestant
private property be compelled to help paw
the annual tax of 100000 that Ro1nish
church property ought to bear Or why
should Romish taxpayers assume part Of
the s2,300,0O0 which leading Protestant de-
nominations ought to be paying into the
State treasuriesi Or why should evangeli-
cal and non-evangelical sects be compelled
to bear one anothers public burdensF But
if all church property paid its own tax this
confusion and injustice would end, and
each class of religionists would draw simply
upouits own resources.
And then, SO tar as this should bring Pc
cuniary pressure upon the churches, as
such, the fact would be attended with sew
ersl compensatory consequences. II would
be motive for the members to pay more
careful attention to politics, that the taxes
might not be made heavy by wastefulness
and rnrrupflnp Tho epur nf snIf ;,t.uo..