Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-09
utnxFsDaY MAY 0. 1884,
r.rlna Church Property.

YrcIgfrg - an afN't' WIN" N||
=, ,tr U.spatch os sunday. our neishoor
of ihe STATE saya.
.-Tfds g. strange rhae9ninS' ana "
,,-,f,.. q, erfat surprise al ~,eing X %
s.,cb .r Intelligent conte nlf'o.afy 80 'hs
Ul-r.frh. A..
~r..- ,t Dispatch moan 10 say mat
.u r~.,- rty which docs not J'""
,.y.r.. .s q, o. exempt from ta1aiipH
Surely ao-'
w.. Tie Dispatch means 70 ray mat as
all propaf,y .s required to b" taxed al Us
yalya. tie tsx upon any given piece 81
orsperty mus, o. based upon rs seihhs
vine The afsess1Ts would not think 81
doing onsrsse. sc take H. The state
further Eayst
..pu ~ cannot admit hat chprch
has 10 value az prop ~. ThrT~ can
b. no question &c ~ tho ioi Lahn -
Land ard a1y church lDt 10 hiehi"'nu
ul bring e p9biic sale as ir1'h hO"''
a. aIoining .ots VIII bring
Yee. ,uy ofIrch lot ga Richmond vii
,r.nr ~ public sale - much money a.
a4,,lnlng lots VIII bring. but this viii
- due - the fat that the purchaser
viii have tn right to tear down the
church. wh n has 10 vaIu". and build
houses. vtl,h have yai1e.
Tine stat mistakes sentiment for valut-
real ysu., ceiling yalle-Wfrn II SAYS
that Every congregation would ray mat
iaar church IS worth NOR % them than
A.. money value. The State might have
nadea that thls is al the valve that
church has. and that paper gives iisfi
away vnen II assures us hat the value
vhich q church has r. not only not
money value. or something that will sell iof
,carsy. but an Intangible sentiment ! nai
& indeed POOR possession which con
s8.is 81 church having no money value
,.hateger. tut a value which h even Jess
than @ minus quantity. The man VINO
pays tax.s upon church pays taxes
,.-on what e costs hin money % make
o. any selling value whatever.
The state says mat O. Irch-buildings are
Insured against ire True: bat they are
not Insured az the Feutimentai value
which our urighbOr says II placed upon
them. but at the price which they would
t5ing. The insurance II basel upon the
sssumrt!0n, not that the church has any
real value. fo long "a II continues 10 be
a church, but upon tho assumption that
there are men in the church who would
from continental considerations rebuild II
Il e were burned down.
LIT the State go to the home OF the
ooogregation' and ask how much reye-
nue. the members derive from the church,
AM the answer will be. "Not dime
gych urouerty no State has right 10
tx Nothing from nothing and nothing
remains" TO tax churches Is 70 tax
what mas no such value as that which all
taxable property ought to have.
The state further says:
lyon cannot determine always the value
Of A piece - property from the revenue
81 brings. The fine houses OF citizens on
Franklin street do not yield cent OF
revenue, nor do the fine carriages In
which the rich drive
on. yes. The fine houses on Franklin
street all have selling value. ana are
al taxed al that value df the assessors
ao tbelr duty. These houses viii yield
revenue. too, II the owners VIII rent
them out.
Church-property ought TO be taxed say
the prumblers Church rallies ought TO be
mat down. Church fairs ought TO be
discouraged. and church-lotteries eiassed
Nth the Louisiana lottery. We believe
IN managing no church In any OF the
several methods we have mentioned III
there Is any innocent thing In the worid
IL IL a church Bociablc.
.sWould a congregation make sacTihces
,o build a house OF worship " II were
not worth anything to them asks the
State. We answer. Yes. thousand times,
VOC. Not only do congregations build
houses of worship which are not worth
ANYTHING TO them In the sense In which
other property IA worth money To its
owners. but they build church-houses
which they know they viii have TO Keep
In order at their own cost. To tax THIS
sentimentai value would be unfair I'M
Just, and unjustihable.
Tax churches. and thousands OF churches
will De suffered 10 go 10 ruin because
there Is not sentiment enough among
their members 10 induce them to Keep
them up. To tax such property would
he AZ indefenslble as to tax lots In Holly
wood cemetery.