Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-01-03
If the Dodgeville Sun can prove the

church people, in Its article in favor Of
taxing church property in last weeks
issue, and IL 1t is true that large
portion Of church people use churches
as places to show the latest fashion
and follies of Dress to talk SANDER
and scandal, and to practice
hypocrisy, the people should not only
favor church tax, but they should
tax all churches out Of existence.
1t is easy to utter such charge,
and it is another thing to prove 1t.
And further, the editor Of The Sun
must have had peculiar set Of
church members around him, to call
forth such q statement. 1t Is possible
that his church experience has been
somewhat limited and one sided, and
he cannot speak for the church at
large. The editor builds his argument
in favor of q church tax, upon the
idea that there are many who do not
believe In the maintenance of religion,
or the church; and consequently by
exempting churches from n tax they
are unwilling contributors to these
churches; because, then Individual
taxes, by reason of this exemption, are
so much higher. And 80, the differ
ence between church tax and church
exemption, represent such unwilling
contributions
This Is q fair statement; but there Is
another side to this, and that Is, these
church tax exemptions which the edi-
tor of The Sun calls unwilling church
contributions may now represent what
these non church goers, and contribu.
tors, pay for their use Of religion and
church privileges at certain times.
The extent of this use is u matter of
fact in every community, and cannot
be disputed In Mineral Point, the
trustees Of the M. Il. church, for years,
and the 7. M. church, last year, kindly
gave their edinccs for the public
school graduating exercises. No
charge was made; and you cannot
open a church, and prepare 1t for such
exercises without some extra expense.
And we can say, because of these
church tax exemptions such buildings
are, In one sense, u kind of public
property, such rs the court house or
city hall; and the children of non
church goers and payers can accept
without any feeling on the subject,
the use Of such churches, for
graduations, etc. But tax these
churches ns private property, then 1t
would require some nerve for the pub
lie to ask tho use Of these buildings
without some compensation. This
church tax would, of necessity, in this
way eliminate the public character of
II church building, and make IL more
or less private property; and so no ono
who was non church goer and con
tributor, without he had a great deal
Of nerve, could ask the use of the
church or Of the minister, for certain
services, without u reasonable compen-
sation; which Ia not now tho case.
"This unwilling contribution to
churches by this church exemption,
gives such one n right to ask such
favora, which right he surrenders
when 4 church tax Is imposed. The
church becomes the property Of II
private corporation and no one outside
of its rights and privileges has any
claim which he might have by these
church tax exemptions. We will not
intrude upon private matters; but it
is well known fact that the history
OF every chufch reveals now that non
church goers and church payers have
made use of the church for marriages
and burials, involving church expenses
for payment of fuel, lights, organist
and janitor. The burials without
religion, In some shape or form, are
very rare in every community; and
with churches and religion taxed, in
such case, who will pay the bills for
their Christian privileges? The non
church goer pays something now
through these tax exemptions, but in
the above case he would pay nothing
And would this be fair. This may
not be Christian view; but 1t is
business; and upon that idea the