The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-01-31
OUGHT CHURCH PROPERTY TO
BE TEXEDeo

This question finds an explicit anG
| plain answer III the constitution Of oru
state. Paragraph 10 of article of thai
! instrument roads as follows
1.-The right OF every man to worship Almighty
! God according to the dictates of his own con.
! science shall never be infringed, nor shall any
man be compelled to attend, erect support
| any place of worship or to maintain any min
| istry against his consent. Nor shall any control
OF or interference with the rights of conscience
be permitted, any preference be giren 6y Iaw to
any religious establishments or mode of worship
Nor shall any money be drawn from the treas
ury for the benefit of religious societies. or re-
| ligious or theological Summaries"
This paragraph answers the question
about rs clearly as any rational citizen
might ask. It furthermore testifies to
the fact, that every member of our state
legislature whose vote became instru-
mental In placing law on our statute
books exempting church property from
taxation, committed perjury in its worst
form. Look at this fraud upon our
statutes, witness the practice of this
violation of the constitution and then
ask yourselves by what right under the
sun men haze been compelled to pni
their hands into their pockets to make
up the percentage upon the millions that
have been thrown lavishly into the lap
of innumerable religious denominations
all steering for the haven of salvation by
their own spinal compass and pilot p
The value of church property in our
state exceeds ten millions of dollars;
this being exempt, every tax payer that
has no more interest in it than the man
IN the moon, Is compelled by this fraud
upon orr statutes and violation of the
constitution to open his wallet and make
good the deficiency whenever the tax
gatherer knocks at his door, The con-
stitut1on says, no money shall be taken
from the treasury for the support OF
religious establishments. Look at the
long list of robberies that have been
perpetrated for the sweet sake of relig-
ion? Thousands and thousands have
wandered annually into the city of Mil
waukee to support and subsidize the re-
cruiting stations of the Lord. They
call them Orphan Asylums, Sailors
Homes, and ST. Mary's Hospitals, etc.,
are exempt from taxes and hand in their
plumber besides. / know of a whole
block in Milwaukee, occupied by a
rookery called a chapa. When the
streets are paved around it the expense
goes to the property fronting this rock
cry and to the city.
The church does smashing business
besides as speculs tor and hand jobber
while its appetite for real estate grows
with its growth and strengthens with
its strength. There ought to be an end
to this steal somewhere. The constitu-
ton of our state ought to mean what it
says Or permit a union of church and
state in some form OF other so that a
law, which compells one citizen to pay
the taxes on the private property of
another, attains some semblance of right
Why are lodges, clubs, societies and
other organizations lof infinitely more
Importance and value to the people at
large than gorgeous temples of more
show than usefulness) taxed Except
one, exempt all but more just to tax all
and let every man pay for what he claims
his own. Churches are as much cor
poration as q rail road company and both
are equally liable to their share for de-
fraying the expenses the state incurs for
their protection.
1t is not my intention to discuss this
question at length, merely wish to cal
the readers attention to the paragraph
cited from the constitution of our state,
the wrong practiced in its violation upon
every man vino takes cross lots for sal
walton and has no interest in either
church, jess House, Mochee or temple.
Ought church property to be taxed I?
Most certainly. The man who claims
to be a christian and can unlawfully
help himself to benefits at the expense
Of his neighbor is no more christian
in its implied sense than the pirate who
robs at sea. Serb.