The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-05-11

From the Detroit Free Press.
EXEMPTION OF CHURCH PROPERTY
FROM TAXATION.
The principal purpose OF the tax bill before
the Legislature is to cure those defects in the
State tax system which the recent decision OF
the Supreme Court showed to be so glazing I;
but there are some minor changes proposed by
the bill which are well worthy critical examlna-
ton. One OF these is the modification proposed
in the section OF our present tax law which
provides for the exemption Of church property.
AS the law now stands il exempts from taxation
"all the houses Of public worship, with the
pews or slips and furniture therein; also the
land on which such houses OF worship may
stand, so far as occupied by such houses of
worship and no other purpose, and also any
parsonage owned and occupied as such by any
religious society Incorporated under the laws
of the State" The amendment provides for
exempting "all the houses of public worship,
with the pews or slips and furniture therein !;
also the land on which such houses Of worship
may stand so far as occupied by such houses
Of worship and for no other purposes, includ-
ing any parsonage. owned and occupied as such
by any religious society incorporated under
the laws OF this State. not exceeding IN value
fifteen thousand dollars"
This is an exceedingly important change,
from unlimited exemption to exemption, which
In many cases can scarcely be called such. In
the towns and villages there are many churches
doubtless which will not be affected: but in
the larger cities the rage for constructing costly
churches has left scarcely one that can be
classed as a fifteen thousand dollar edifice.
There are many OF them, no doubt, which
would have been entitled to exemption, even
under the amendment, had the societies build
ing them kept within their means; but the
actual cost, for much Of which the societies are
in debt, lie many times the amount proposed to
be exempted.
That the proposition 10 change will meet
with sharp criticism Is to be expected; but we
believe it will commend itself to the mass Of
the thinking people of the State as wise and
salutary. Warning, for the present. any dis
cussion as to the principle or want thereof in
volved in any exemption Of church property
from taxation, there can be no question that
the present system works gross injustice to the
societies owning small and mparatively cheap
churches. Take, for example. two churches
in the City OF Detroit, one valued at $25, 900
and the other at $4,000. The societies Of
both are composed Of taxpayers who are COM
PEELED as such to bear the burden which the
church societies escape. At the present rate
OF city taxation the amount escaped by the
smaller church would be $3.50, and by the
larger $1,000. This would be assessed on
other property. and OF the aggregate the in
dividual taxpayer in the smaller society would
pay precisely as much in proportion to his
taxable property as the individual taxpayer IN
the larger society. In other words. the tax.
payer who chooses to attend and assist in sup
porting a small and economical church is
actually, though indirectly, compelled to assist
in supporting also the larger churches. II Ia
an answer, Of course. to say that he can remedy
this state Of affairs by abandoning the small
church and attending larger one but the
answer cannot be considered sati sfactory. II
is not in accordance with sound public policy
that the State should even indirectly foster a
particular church or a particular class OF
churches.
The only way to secure eluai and exact
justice IN THIS matter woulc be- necessarily, &c
wipe out exemption and compei those who
want expensive church property and costly
edinces 10 pay the tax incident to an indulgence
IN such Injuries while the more moderated,
incnned are more moderately taxed But al
ibis course Is PROBABLY impracticaole IN the