The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-09-24
The Church Tax Party.

There is more grief in store for
the party which has exempted the
saloons from taxation aud is trying
to tax the churches. The organs Of
that party paint their shirts red. but
they cant withdraw their party's
record. Neither do they seem to be
able to swim the deep waters Of a
political campaign without official
bl;ldders to bear them up, even II
they strip themselves Of everything
but their painted shirts.
No more clumsy o.. fatal move was
ever made than when they project
ed church taxation into the cam
paign. Nothing is easier than to
prove from official records that the
republican party is the party OF
church taxation, unless it be to
prove by its course in Iowa, Maine
and Kansas that it is in favor OF
free whisky.
How many of our reasonable re-
publican friends know that on the
7th OF December 1875,a republican
president In his annual message,
made sweeping recommendation in
favor Of the taxation OF church
property? See Message and docu-
ments, 1875, g." p. 5. We quote YER
batim:
I'm connection with this important
question, I would also call your at
tention to the Importance of COR
recting an evil, that, If permitted to
continue. will probably lead to great
trouble in our land before the close
Of the nineteenth century. It is the
accumulation Of vast amounts Of
untaxed church property.
In 1850, / believe, the church
property of the United Slater which
paid no tax. municipal or state,
amounted to about $83, 100000, In
1860, the amount had doubled; in
1876, it is about sl.OOO,OOO,OOO. BY
1900, without check, it is safe to say
this property will reach Il
sum exceeding $3,OOO,OOO,O0O. So
vast i sum, receiving all the pro-
lection and benefits OF government.
without bearing its proportion Of
the burdens and expense Of the
same, will not be looked upon ac-
quisccntly by those who have to pay
the taxes. In growing country,
where real estate enhances SO rap
idly with time as in the United
States, there is scarcely Il limit to
the wealth that may be acquired
by corporations, religious or other
wise, il allowed to retain real estate
without taxation. The contcmpla-
ton Of SO vast a property as here
alluded to, without taxation, may
lead to sequestration without con-
stitutional authority and through
blood.
would suggest the taxation OF all
property equally, whether church or
corporation, exempting only the last
resting place OF the dead, and pos
sibly, with proper restrictions,
church editices."
Who was the author OF those
words? We have said it was q re-
publican president. It was Grant
Did he offend the party by this lam
guage! No. For he voiced its SEN
tlments.
Is proof demanded? It shall be
furnished in abundance. Congress
did not adopt the suggestion. for the
lower house was fortunately demo-
cratic. But the Iowa senate was
almost unanimously.
And that every winter Senator Me-
Cold introduced bill to tux church
compared with which the
Bills till Was innocence itself Did
he offend his party by it? No. They
sent him to congress two terms for
his good work.
The bill was referred to the com
mittee Of ways and means, of which
one VIM. Larrabee, not unknown to
fan.e. was chairman. And what did
this VIM. Larrabee do? Why he
ah-oh dear, is it possible? Why
you see he had read the latest state
document 81 a republican admins
tratioE. Issued seven weeks previ-
ously, and he took the cue and
1--WE blnsh) he reported fayorbly the
McCoid bill to tax churches. (Sen-
ate Journal, 1876, p. 6D
The first time the bill reached q
vote 1--WE shudder) Larrabee voted
for it (p. l7S) The last time it reach
ed a vote 1--WE quail he voted for it
again 1867 And so did all the
rest OF the boys. The vote stood 81
to 10. $50 the bill passed and the
title argeed to-"
And there weren't democrats |
in that senate to have saved |
Sodom. 1t was republican scheme
out and out, and immensely popular !;
with the boys. The head and front