The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-12-25
Taxation of church Property.

TGcGtton of Church Property.
The views expressed in President Grants mes
sage concerning the vital Importance he attaches
to the permanent establishment throughout the
land of free, public unsectarian schools, condue-
ted without the use of the Bible, are not at all
surprising They are such as we might have
looked for in his message after his speech few
weeks since in the city of Des Moines. But that
he should have leveled whole broadside against
the exemption of church property from taxation
is somewhat surprising. This becomes addition
ally SO, if we believe that the Democratic cry Of
his anxiety for ''third term' has any feunda-
ten. 1t is a subject that folks who desire to win
the public favor have been exceedingly cautious
to avoid. No other public individual of any
great prominence has been bold enough to take
such decided stand upon the question that the
President has, that we are aware Of. After
euumerating the vast sccumulations Of church
property throughout the country that is untaxed
be uses this language:
''If allowed to retain real estate without taxa
ton, the contemplation of so vast a property as
alluded to without taxation may lead TO ssques-
tration without constitutional authority and
through blood. would suggest the taxation Of
all property, whether church or corporation, ex-
enpting only the last resting place Of the dead
and possibly, with proper restrictions, church ed
iices."
When we contemplate that there are $3,000,-
900, 900 worth Of church property in the country
that goes untaxed, we must admit that there is
plausible ground for his recommendation of hav-
ing it bear portion of the public burden. This
amounts to nearly one and a-half times the ma
tiona debt Of the United States and if it assisted
in relieving portion Of the burden that is borne
BY the Taxpayers, that burden would be cor
respondingly lighter and such vast SUMS of money
would not be buried in church edifces, bat, if
obliged to pay taxes would be moreli likely to seek
invsstmsntin some business enterprises that would
do something for the employment of the idle
thousands that are anxious for employment
throughout the broad land. We 60 one step
farther than the President and say that the church
edifcs should be taxed without any "restrc-
tions." And we can see no justice in any ether
arrangement. Every taxpayer is taxed to sup
port all untaxed church property. A csngrega-
ton in an obscure corner Of rural district finds
it difficult matter to build frame church cost
ing 81, 900. A congregation of folks of afauence
in the city erect church costing half million
Both GO untaxed. There can be ne restrictions
without making discrimination in favor of enc
or the other. They Should both be taxed This
and this only is fair, just and equitable.
~ The white washing operations Of the
Maryland Institute meeting of the Ringites
do not seem to take we'll with the country
people. 1t was just the thing for the Demo
cratic civilization of the getty of Monuments"
but it was too deep for the appreciation of the
country Democracy unacquainted with the re
fnements of city politics under the christian
influences of the "Ring." The progressive ge-
muses. that gave impulse to the legerdemains
of the work of November I'd, will have big
task upon their s houlders if they expect to ed
ucate the country people up to their fine arts.
They may think that Mr.. Carroll is = gentle
man, but they are completely at loss to know
why that fact should make him governor in
spite of the peoples will by the preparation
of the most gigantic frauds ever perpetrated
at an election. They don't understand either
how it happened, while gentlemen of known
responsibility were at the Institute meeting
demonstrating the political proposition that
there could not have been any fraud, with no
ticing that gentlemen of equal responsibility
were at the City Hall demonstrating by actual
count of the ballots and sworn testimony that
there were frauds enough proved satisfactorily
TO unseat "Ring" member of the City Coun-
Gil and give his place to his reform opponent.
And equal frauds elsewhere that will be de-
velpoped will show that Mr. Warfeld is enti
tied to be Mayor and Mr.. Harris Governor.
@-A correspondent of the american Of
Wednesday makes the County Commissioners
Of this county the subject of q lengthy article
which is so full of misstatements, thrown to-
gether to serve the correspondents purpose, that
we do not think lengthy reference to them
or denial of the charges made worthy Of the
space it would occupy. The Commissioners
are amply able to take care of themselves as
well as Of the interests of Baltimore county,
and they propose to do so regardless of the
snars and determinations Of the disahected
ones. We trust that the friends of Reform in
Baltimore county will not allow their feelings
to lead them SO far astray in this matter as To
do injury to the cause for which we all labor
ed. Those who did not succeed in getting
places for themselves or friends should have
the manliness to abide the result with becom-
ing decency, and not endeavor TO create dis
cord in the ranks. We have abundant faith
in the Commissioners and are confident that
what they do will be done for the very best in
lara,fe Of N tba xaorIa Of The aaunfv