Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-04-18
CnUHCu ruOrlni ANluON.

| CnuRCu rHUrIHti TAXATION.
a correspondent 10 this paper asks
ior Information On suuIrot which no
thinks u interest 10 q great number Of
the readers " the News, vI& Why
should church property DO exempt
from taxation?
Ia "a general way u may bo observed
that tho overwhelming sonumDut
among all glasses OF people So ga favor
OF such exemption. People fool the
Justice OF It, even when unable g. stale
tho logical reasons, aud the burden oil,
proof therefore, would rest culiruly on
thoso who favor church taxation.
Until they arc aulB 10 provo tina, lhe
state IN lusliCs or asa mp,tor Of usuus.
siiy must cEnot contribution from
ecclesiastical bodio1, there BE- no force
whatever Ia the declarations against
thc5o Institutions on tha. ground.
The recognized principle OF equality
Of taxation il thus oxpronei By Adam
smith;
Tho subjects Of uyory state ought 10
contribute towards tha support OF ats
government u nearly as r1sHuIr lu proc
portion Go choir respective abilities, thlt
D., Boo proportion Co thO.r rUyuUuo which
They respectively enjoy under The pro.
lection of tho state.
The natural deduction from this
self evident proposition 10 that
the power Of the state O.
levy taxes IL strictly confined to its
pOllucalsubisols. That some OF them
belong to Religious deuomlnaiious,a anu
a3mu.do not il a factor entirely foreign
TO the question Of taxation, inasmu oh
A. this 10 strictly limited 10 the neces-
snry requirements Of the civil govern
menL "lho expense OF government
to the individuals Of tho natiol,D sAys
the author just quoted, "is like the ex.
pcnsc Of tho management 10 tue lots,
teuan,s Of n great estate who arc
obliged 20 contribute In proportion to
their respective interests In the estate"
Should some OF the tenants AZ the
same time be interested iu some
other estaIe, that IL no rea.
fon why they should DO 70.
qulroi 10 make second con.
tributlon toward the management OF
the frat one. In this country, whore
state and church nru entirely separate,
the latter Il that other estate. Whom
tue citizen, az a citizen, has paid his
Just share toward tho expenses OF the
state, HE duty In that respect Is dis.
charged and demand ON him for
further contribution, however blighl,
on the ground that no 10 a church
member ID In violation OF tho doc.
trino Of equality Of taxation,
since others VINO arc not Interested la
church work would so exempt from
this tax.
The consideration Of this leads to a
most serious objection agaiuBt the taxa.
ton Of churches. II the state Gssumes
the power OF imposing tax-u5t TO
say q luu-Cn church membouhlp,
great barrier would BIO raised against
tho progress Of the work. The state
cannot alOrI to do that, because the
ohurohosa are one Of the CREATES, factors
Tor good Ia the state o. far a. public
morals sTu concerned, From tho rul.
pits loyalty 60 the government has
aeen proclaimed; through the churches
the poor sud hclplos5 have been aided;
Individuals on the road to crimu
checked, and tho sentiments iJs.
tered without which no decent
government would boo possible. f.
this wo.k 10 be- impeled by the
state demanding position OF Gho gsucI-
ally inadequate funds Of w. buuchct0r,
auI divertlug 1t 20 uses iIr which 30 |.
was not originally Intended? surely |
the state cannot shori 90 resort TO that |
Kind Of economy. lfits lusta pro- |
Ior to exempt acha.ls, hospitals aud |
aritaUIe Institutions, d, would be- au |
ubaurdity TO tax the rhurcHys, the |
source mi grulcIt Promoter Of all /
benevolent charity.
Church property 10 Truly the com. /
mon property OF tho waolo people.
80 individual derives any revenue .
y.m D.. q, therefore, ,hu que, lon IS I.
U., Eug 10 tuu uurlvu should iu Ius, I.
laa MI ON the outIrc community /
aud net On the few by /
whose voluntary donations il w /
maintained This is thu principle T.
recOgb,1od iu countries where the T.
church, or particular church, o. .
maintained ny the atate, aaa il ls uu- |
duubIgdly correct q taxation OF |
church property lis 90 bo admitted I,
stall.
The objection exemption that bus /.
been urged with the great.sl appear
Gncr Of concluavsuois he that 10 yirtu.
ally amouas to union Of church anu