The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-06-25
State Charities.

the Democrat ON the subject of taxing
properties devoted to charitable and reli-
gfoHs purposes. The Bulletin led off with
an article in the views of which We must
in the main coincide. There is no doubt
that in this country the law onght to and
does exempt from taxation such property
only as is actually used for the purposes
favored by the law. It Is said that to tax
property devoted to the worship of God
would be to tax the Creator himself; that in
stead of taxing charity, government ought,
as it often does with rs, to pay it q bonus /;
that education is on interest of the State
and ought to be left as free as air 80 far as
State burthens go. But none of these res.
sons include properties owned by institu
| tions of either of those kinds, when not
directly used for their specific purposes but
rather for purposes of revenue.
At any rate, the law, as We understand
it, does not include such properties in its
exemption, aud, we, for our part, do not
! wish to see it include them. 1t is said that
certain property in this city, belonging es-
peciaily to the Poydras Asylum, is forever
exempted from taxation by contract with
the State, but we speak here of such pro-
peries only as are controlled by general
principles of constitutional aud statutory
law.
Mr.. w. P. Freret, the Democrats cores
pendent above alluded to, appeared to have
some misgivipgs, however, as to the true
sentiments of the Bulletin writer, aud an
swered as though the Bulletin might be Sc
cretly unfavorable to denominational or
private charities, and an advocate of State
charities.
To this the Bulletin replies with most
candid admission, quite unexpected indeed,
but still clear and Ineligible. 1t says:
We do not wish to enter into a long theoretical
disputation with Mr.. Freret the subject of
public and private charities, but since he has
put us hunt question, which we hardly
think our article the taxation of church
property was calculated to raise We shall give
force these institutions to sell their property,
and not to invest again in untaxable securities,
but to remit the question of charities to the
government, to which it properly belongs.
The Bulletin wishes charity to be taken
out of private hands ard turned over to the
State. 1t would crafty good deal of Gu
riosity if toe writer would give his reasons
for this policy. The old Pagan doctrine
that the State is everything and the in
dividual nothing will hardly explain it. 1t
must be remembered that such a thing as
charity was unknown under the Pagan
system of civilization. The rights of
wealth were magni6cently protected, but
the rights of poverty were unknown-un-
| heard of. Poverty, misfortune, weakness,
had no rights. The gladiator was left to
the lion, the friendiess babe consigned to
starvation. Humanity, no doubt, made it's
pleadings heard in individual instances, but
not 30 widely as to create institutions,
private or municipal, devoted to it's minis
trations.
Charity is an innovation upon the tradi-
tions of the human family. 1t is strictly OF
Christian origin. In it's grander develop
ments, in it's asylums, refugees and hospitals
it is generally found in the hands of religious
orders, but it impresses its law upon every
stratum of society aud influences even the
policy of those nations which are within its
sphere.
Our BuUetin friend wants to place all the
great works of charity in the bands of the
State. Will he tells US whether this is or
Christian or on Pagan principles. If on the
Inter, the experiment would terminate in
the brutal Disregard of humanity itself tha
has always characterized all of Paganism
If it is upon the Christian theory of char
ity that he would proceed, then why g
counter to all the experience and all tn
teachings and iustincts of Christianity it
self Christianity, as religion, has al
ways taken the unfortunate under it's owl
protecting wing, as sacred charge left b.
it's divine founder. The announcement
"The poor ye have always with you wa
r addressed, not to the State but to th
Church.
I Our philanthropic friend, of the Bulletir
\ would have the Sisters of Mercy and {
Charity to sell their orphan asylums, an
the Little Sisters of the Poor to turn thei
deCrepit old men and women ont of door