Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-12-17

VI iesniah' 0IaItt annual message
Of special interest at this time, our
space not permitting a full report:
NATIONAL DANGERS AND DUTIES.
AS we are now about 10 enter up
Oh our second centennial, commenc.
ing our manhood as Il nation, il is
well to look back upon the past and
study what will be best to preserve
and advance our future greatness.
From the fall OF Adam, for his trans.
erosion, to the present day, no ma.
ton has ever been free from threat.
ened danger to it's prosperity and
happiness. We should look to the
dangers threatening us, and remedy
them so far AS lies in our power. We
are a republic whereof one man is as
good as another before the law.
POPULAR EDUCATION A NECESSITY.
Under such form of government,
it is OF the greatest Importance, that
all ould be possessed Of education
and intelligence enough to cast vote
with Il right understanding of its
meaning. A large association of ig-
norant men cannot, for any consider
able period, oppose a successful res
istance to tyrrany and oppression
from the educated few, but will IN
evitably sink into acquiescence to the
will Of intelligence, whether directed
by the demagogue Or by priestcratt.
Hence the education Of the masses
become the first necessity for the
preservation Of our institutions.
They are worth preserving because
they have secured the greatest good
to the greatest proportion OF the pop
ulation of any form Of government
yet devised. All other forms of gov
eminent approach, just in proportion
to the general diffusion of education,
Independence Of thought and of ac-
ito. are the primary steps, therefore,
to our advancement in all that has
marked our prog'es s in the past cen
fury.
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PRO
POSED.
l suggest for your earnest consid-
Grafton, and most earnestly recon
mend it, that constitutional amend
ment be submitted to the legislatures
of the several States for ratification.
making it the duty Of each of the
several States to establish and forever
maintain free public school, adequate
to the education of all the children
in the rudimentary branches, within
their respectice limits, irrespective
Of sex, color, birthplace, or religion;
forbidding the teaching in said schools
of religious doctrines, and prohibit
ing the granting of any school funds,
or school taxes, or any part thereof,
either by legislatures, municipal, or
other, for the benefit of any other
object of any nature or kind what.
ever.
TAXATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY.
In connection with this important
question, would also call your atten.
ton to the importance Of the correc.
ton OF an evil, that, if permitted to
continue, will probably lead to a
great trouble in our land before the
nineteenth century. 1t is the accum
ulation of vast amounts of untaxed
Church property. In 1850, | believe,
the Church property of the United
States which paid no tax, municipal
or State, was about sS30,O0O,00O; in
1860. the amount had doubled; in
1875 1t is about $l,O00,OOO.O00. BY
the year 1900, without check, it is
safe to say this property will reach a
sum exceeding 3,OOO.OO0,OO So
vast a sum receiving the protection
and benefits of government without
bearing its proportion of the duties
and expenses of the same, will not
be looked upon acquiesccntly by those
who have paid taxes. In a growing
country, where real estate enhances
so rapidly with time AS in the United
States, there is scarcely a limit to the
wealth that may be acquired by cor
pora,ions, religious or otherwise. IT
allowed to retain real estate without
taxation, the Capitalization Of SO vast
a property as here alluded to without
taxation, may lead to sequestration,
without constitutional authority, and
thereby bloodshed may result. |
would suggest the taxation of all
property equally, whether Of church
or corporation, exempting only the
last resting place of the dead, and,
possibly, with proper restrictions,
church ediiices.