Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-27

be whose citizens can invoke as witness and judge the immortal God.
 The force of these truths is felt and acknowledged also by lhe greatest states men of the present day, The echoes of strong voices proclaiming them to the world have not yet fully died out in the legislative halls. of the quirinal, Versailles and Berlin. sa.l
 Some, no. sdoubt, will say, we certain ly can have excellent citizens without re- ligion,s and if so, why not prosperous states, and in proof they will assert that there are many leading men who ignore religion, and even profess infidelity. It would be utterly impossible to eliminate at this present day from any mans life the influence of religion. For 1900 years re- liglen has been moulding, purifying, christ | ianiZing every element that could possibly enter into the formation of mans charac- ters to-day. Literature, laws, society. morals, manners, customs, traditions, have all been formed, as they exist, by their faith. These facts show that these | leading men are not what they are without the aid of Christianity. 1 have heard a respected physician say that he owed nothing to Christianity. And yet that man had a Christian mother. The first words he heard breathed of God. The most potent factor in mans life is the in fuence of mother on childhood. Such a statement was as false and as illogical as it was ungrateful.
 From this we pass to the second propo- sition. viz: This bill tends to weaken the arm of religion, to restrict its influence and to retard it's progress Studying this measure in all it's bearings, as far as can observe them, find that its tendencies are in direct opposition to moral law and to the laws of this state. On this point beg leave to dwell for moment The spirit of our laws and of our state is, l fear, grossly misunderstood by many. | Our laws are Christian laws; our state is 8 Christian state. You commence your | legislative labors in these halls by invok- nig Gods blessing through the prayer of a Christian minister. Our state proclaimS it's belief in the utility and necessity of religion by placing Christian chaplain in all her penal and refOrmatory inStitu- | tions and she aims as far as pracSicable 10 secure the same blessings for all her charitable institutions. It is true that in | her prudence, and lin this she acts wisely, the state forbears to enforce the profession of religion upon any of her subjects; but | her life and spirit breathe Christian faith.
 If then, citizenship may be judged by the full and free acceptance of the true l spirit and life of the:state, and know of no better test, it is far from true that l indifference to religion or unbeief can claim before the bar of the state equal Inherit for citizen ship with sincere belief.
 Christian belief enters fully into the life 1 of the state, accepts all it's teachings and ] it's purpose, lives it's life; indifference or unbelef rises no higher in it's aims than the letter, not of the commenting but of the tolerating flaw. Hence, while 1 I would not for a moment advocate any discrimination against indifference or un- belief. 1 think 1 may justly claim that have shown that any discrimation against religion is essentially antagonislic to the 1 law and life of the state. As such 1t [ should never receive the sanction of the ! legislative power. SelfshnesS and unre- strained passion will, without any aid 1 from restrictive enactments, weaken the strength of this divine bond far too soon l for the best interests of society.
 | But the bill before us. does discriminate against religion. First, it tends to de- grade religion by the mere fact of impos' ing tax upon it. Tn act is totally al variance with its supernatural and divine character Indeed belief in the divinity of religicn must be incompatible with the spirit which would foist this odlOus im' post upon it. Second. this tax tends tC render religion undu'y burthensome, as il will either necessitate greater sacrifices from the christian people or it will be restricted in its ministTations by these ] demands upon Its funds. Third, 1t doe: ltgislate against religion. The unjust discrimination lies in the fact that this en' actment would impose special tax upoI subject not as citizen, but as {
 religious man. and wonld moreover nol only absorb the unbeliever from all duty
 in this line but also would. in a twofolC
 manner relieve him of a share of the taxe:
 which he should otherwise pay. There. 1 fore by this jaw an alluring premium
 would be placed upon unbelief.
 Were religion supported here by some general law binding upon all, the taS
 would be antagoni>tic 10 the moral law
 but it would not result in the mischievou.
 discrimination 10 which it now gives rise
 As this may be ma ie clearer by ilustra
 ion. will suppose MT Brown and MT
 Williams own in this state properties O
 equal value for which they pay eqna
 taxes MT. Brown IS a sincere christian
 who being mindful as the blessing
 nor are they such as aim at the destruction
 of society or our free institutions. AnC
 our virtues are many and great. In puFi
 ty and patriotism, and in faith the fouH
 tain whence We have drawn those othe
 eminenlly cardinal virtue we are second {,
 no race on the face of the globe
 If however. we have faults which call fo
 restrictive measures, why not aim at them
 Surely that spirit by which We are promp
 ted to eruct temples 10 the Living God il
 order to extend His worship and mak
 HlmIknown to all mankind, is not fault
 [ his is unquestionaby the eighest virtu
 that any people could possess. Is it con
 sistent with true wisdom to stifle tha
 spirit by odious legislation? Yet this
 not our only claim to exemption from I such legislation.
 I nan Iav haS Ena
 solely to the erection of churches, whicl
 from the standpoint of the materialist o
 lnfidel renders no aid to the state. No
 only do we as citizens pay our share O
 the taxes of the state. but also as Catholic | we pay for conscience sake and for charit
 a double portion of the taxes which thi
 state imposes.
 '.In the Catholic schools of this state W have to-day 22 900 children. Allowin $25 for each child. which is perhaps no over the average cost we will have here saving for the state of $550. 900. OrphaA A
 cared for about 500. at $1O0 per annum
 $SO, ,OOO.
 In charity to the poor which certainl
 relieves the state of thls burden, I ca give no exact figures. Yet we have 1T
 parishes in the state and one dollar a da
 for each parish appears to me to be an e1 ceeulhSly ID" nBuEe, Aet tuls Woulu SlV 62, ,050; total, $692. .O50.
 l This appears to me to be a very goo , tax paid by the Catholics of the state. the purpose of this bill is to cripple tn , spirit that produces such fruit. it woul 3 seem as though it might be good states manslip to bury it so deep that it coul 2 never more see the light of day.
 Viewing the que,tion with all the car at my command am persuaded that tn present law exeu pting church propsr Tt r serves the best interests of the state, an has the entire approval ot the vast ma jorit