The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-04

MISUNDERSTANDING WI TIE isa1kcIkASSS-tbtaI
essate SEA crsdls ilf aoeie: the can dEsS
pose of H at win fofyheira benefit.
For thDss reasons tleH are reeeaaifs by tae
State se Jay pafs of this income tgsuprnss
the GeyerImenf bich protects sthem anda
their property But to taa- Chufen eperty,
In which the holders have no personal
ownership, which does not increase their
estate OF credit, Which is nossa source cfl
wealth to them, from which they can derive
40 fsFeHaa WITH which 10 r1ay fsxus rnefeous
would bean ipjustice and ppFession fn fneI
very nature of the ease. $3.50. FL % ~
ay Members of churches In irginia not Only
do NOT derive any tpeea mary income Irons
their Church property, butthey are alreaayt
t6xed. and ins sorne cases beaViiYj taxed. 70
support and keeptin, ope ration sfheir Ghnrc en-
,oraanizatiops, TO support their PASTORS pay
their Incidental expenses, carry on: tnets, nis-
slonarg operations and other Cnuren entst-.
urises 81 They t bear these burdens giadtyi
and cheerfuily, land in . Going so athey'
confer the largest and amghest iOsne-
fits upon, ssthe community and State.
Now. to- require'i them to pay ta11es
IN the States,Wouldf be toitax that which
IL nots source OF wealth or Income 10. them,s
INIT q source of constant heavy expenditure,
70 them-an expenditure borne by them for
the moral good and advancement OF the State,
and conmunity. This would bete tax and
ernlnrrass Christian effort land topiace the!
Christians under burdens NOT bornehby any
other, cllssrof persons. Is the Legislature
willing to doisthis?aiI belieyeiGnot. e The
members of utbe various ichurches In IT,
eipia.b ear their part of, thei State burdens
cbeerfulIy. and lpay theirjtaxes onttheirow
property and income promptly aud 7faith'
July: butt why; should they bear an addi-
tiorai tax property in which they have
no personal! ownership, from which
they derive, 20 pecuntary income; specially
since this Church property ertsts only for the
maintenance of Christian and beaeuolsnt
oroanisatson and eBoTtsy scttch areE for me
benefit of dtt, and without which be whole
fcnmmI1 niry would tsufferin the saddestform
+ A: vast M iority 'iof church members in
. Virginia are poor nlen--tbs sons OF toll. tln
other aud more prosperous days they ana
their fathers, through struggle:aud sacrifice,
built themselves houses in which TO worship
God. To require them to7pay taxes on this
oroperty now would be q heavg and CALLING.
burden. In the cities and towns ofithis State,
where larger ard more coInmodious churches
are required than In the rural districts, the
simplest and plaiuest churches are worth
from ten to twenty thousand dollars.
Churches Of thiskind are often ia the hands
of poor and working men, who ind the
utternost difficulty in meeting their present
church expenses. To levy tax on their
churches at the present rates of taxation
would be in many instances greatly to embar-
rass them, and in some instances to close up
tbeir churches and give them to the tax.
eatherer. The relations ard opportunities of
the writer enable him to speak what be
E,ao,oS on this subject. ,.T -aI a .#
j, ~ In some States certain individual churches
are incorporated by the Legislature. The
members of these corporations hold large
property for the Church beyond whatis Me-
cessary for Church purposes proper. They
can and do receive large requests, and other.
wise increase their estates; from these estates
they derive! pecuniary incomes: In such
cases the propriety of taxing such: property
has been considered. Such is not the case in
existence I'M the view of the law. Here the
Church cannot even receive a bequest from
one ofnits dying OF living members. Here
the Church owns no property beyond what
is necessary for religious purposes and enter.
prises.t' Moreover, in Virginia there are 70
church edjfices of:yast and Unnecessary size,
cost, and grandeur; but only such as are ne.
cessary to The wants and interests ofsthe seVe-
raj communities tiiify ;7k .Ggaa< C"a
); From every point from which we caniview
this matter it would; be. mostlimproper and
ill-adyised to levy a. tax upon the, property
used only for the worship, of God and the
moral good of men, and from (which no
.pecunisry revenue accrues to the holders.
;, s,liyl 7iIihtE~9 'tlg3 -IHt;A.TAx-P&YBR.
cDecember3d, 1915 Ia'EtaH; 71ef :" p
= This is an interesting question. We are
ready to give both sides Of It hearing.] sd