The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-15
CHURCH TAXATION.
SEATTLE, July IL, 1ss'

SEATTLE, July II, 1890.
To THE EDITOR: In the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
eIec,ed mentor of Attorney General Jones, one
William Butler, who, with a combination Of
modesty, legal acumen and veracity that defes
rivalry. writes: There is q good deal of sharp
ness shown in this endeavor to run counter to
the evident wish of the people and their repre-
sentstives"
William Butler, If devout believer in the
divine inspiration Of holy writ" is excusable,
being actusted in making such statement by
Rom. Ill., The fpse dirt Of Butler. or Reynolds,
amounts to little. The Indispensable facts are
that when the question of exemption of church
properly was submitted to the people of WASH
ington they voted by overwhelming msiority
against such exemption.
The representatives OF the people. elected to
frame our state constitution, fully discussed this
question. and their decision is rendere in Arti-
Gle !, Section IL, of the constitution-"No public
money or property shall be appropriated for, or
applied to, any religious worship, exercise or in
struction, or the support of any religious estab-
lishment."
And the people endorsed the decision by their
adoption of the constitution.
In regard to "the evident wish of the people
and their representatives in the legislature, 1
have just received private letter, the following
quotation from which leaves William Butler,
the attorney generals self-elected mentor, ut
terly defenseless, only for Rom. III:7:
II am sure that no one que stion was more
thoroughly decided than that church property
should be taxed. ! had the honor of serving on
the committee on revenue and taxation, and the
question was thoroughly discussed, and ! am
sure that the committee reflected the wishes of
the House when they reported the bill without
exempting church property. I have no doubt
but that the action of the legislature upon this
point is consonant with the wishes of the ma
jority OF the thinking voters of the state"
1t is lamentable that William Builder had not
instructed Attorney General Jones on what
the constitution says about ex post facto laws
SO he would not have fled that opinion on July
Sd, wherein he Declares
Nothing but the clearest and most exp!ioi
words will suffice to create the exemption con-
tended for. am, therefore, of the opinion that
the rghtof-way of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company, together with all superstructure
of every kind erected thereon. is legitimate SUBJ
ject of state taxation. aad should be so assessed
and tared this gar"
VIII the distinguished and erudite mentor Of
Attorney General Jones please at once instruct
him so he can comply with the request of the
officers and members of the Washington Secular
Union tof equal interest to thousands of other
taxpayers Of the stste), and inform the public
whylthe same facts and arguments which so
convlncinsly prove the right-of-way Of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company is legiti-
mate subject of state taxation, and should be so
assessed and taxed this year, do not apply
with equal force to church property. private
school and hospital property?
C. B. REYNOLDS,
Secretary Washington Secular Union.