, 1878-02-02

"pown with the Churches ~

This was the cry of the Paris
ian mob when they paraded ;
naked harlot upon triumpha
car through the streets of Paris
as the representative of thu
"Goddess of Liberty" under
whose licentious sway all socia
restraints were to be abolished
and Liberty, Fraternity an(
Equality" established in the
land, watered by the blood oi
the purest and best Of the peo
pie. This has been the watch
word of the communists, the lev
ellers and the destructives in
every country during the last
century, and it's spirit is echoed
in every sentence Of the follow
ing, which we copy from the
MtelHgencer, and is specially in
tended as an appeal to the pro
scriptive instincts of all who
scorn and deride religion in eve
ry form:
The question of representing King
county and the Third Judicial Dis
trict, in the coming constitutional
convention, is one that is agitating
the popular mind a good deal,
though it is below the surface as yet.
For our own part we have few pre-
ferences and no prejudices, and
shall cordially support any man, re-
.gardless of party, who is openly and
avowedly in favor of taxingal kinds
of property, except cemeteries for the
,interment of the dead. A strong
effolt will be made, as all are aware
to exempt certain property from
taxation, butno constitution so word
ed or implied, will be acceptable to
the people. We want no privileged
classes in this new country, and
have already seen the evil effects of
such work in older States. If any
such constitution is put forth by the
Convention, we will labor for its de-
feat at the polls in November as
strenuously as we will work in its
favor if taxation be made equal ard
uniform. The delegates TO the
Walla Walla convention must keep
one thing in view-if they present a
constitution which the people refuse
to ratify at the ballot tbox, it lays
every one Of them on the shelf for
life.
It is not the sentiments ex-
pressed, but those implied by the
denunciation and threat which
accompanies it, together with
the false inuendo that the eX-
emption from taxation of certain
classes of property, the proceeds
Of voluntary contributions and
dedicated to public uses, is cal
culated to establish "privileged
classes in this new country. y
No class in the community is in
any degree affected by it, unless
it is that rapidly increasing class
known as tramps," who belong
to no social organization, mol
have any interest in the moral
or intellectual culture of any
community.
Our constitution should, anC
undoubtedly will, guarantee
equal rights to all, special prlvi
leges to none, with ample pro
lection to every, citizen in hi;
freedom to worship God accord
ing to the dictates of his owr
conscience, or not to worship al
all. To exempt from taxation
all places of public worship, OF
devoted exclusively to public
uses, and from which no reven
ue Is derived, with@t any dis
elimination as to churches, syn
agogues, atheheums, lyceums, ol
other places used exclusively fol
religious or educational purpos
es, is in no sense class legisla
ton, or calculated in any degree
to promote class distinctions il
society. There is probably not
ope person in a hundred in any
community who does not volun-
tarily contribute towards the
erection of edifices of some oi
the kinds above named; every