Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-03-18
CHURCH TRXATION.
Spirited Debate IN The assembly over The
Bill

Tom MeDonald's bill TO tax church
Is was up for consideration last week.
The following from the Milwaukee
Sentinels report Of the debate is a
synopsis Of the leading arguments
pro and con on the bin:
Mir. Paul Carpenter Of Milwaukee
opposed the bill, in his own words.
as a matter Of course. He said it
had become the rule to leave God out
OF discussion in such matters but the
earth Is Gods and the infnitismal
part of il dedicated to his use should
be free from taxes. A liberal nom
sectarianism required not that the
state should show its separation from
church BY imposing burdens upon
he church, but by keeping its hands
of from the management Of church
affairs. This would come under the
head 81 exceptional legislation which
would give to Wisconsin a bad pre-
eminenee Aside from all considera-
ton Of church interests, exceptional
Legislation was harmful to the state
as had beeu demonstrated by several
western states which had engaged in
such law-making. Mr. Carpenter
went into details Of the value OF prop
ertv held BY various Catholic organi-
cations ia Milwaukee to show that
the church has not abused the priv
lege Of exemption on even eNerted it
in full. Much had been heard Of the
wealth Of the convent Of Notre Dame
in Milwaukee. The society had never
owned any other real estate than that
occupied for its convent, schools,
chapels and eight homes OF some OF
the teachers and the gardener, upon
the latter of which taxes were paid.
The only personal property which it
owned was a mortgage for 81, 700 and
it owed more than the amount of this
mortgage and had no money in bank.
The sources of its much-talked about
revenues was found IN the pay Of the
sisters who take the veil and who are
sent all over the country to teach in
the parochial schools The average
salary paid to these teachers was less
than $500 per annum, and after sup
porting the teachers the balance from
this salary list was the revenue of the
convent. He was moved to exclaim
with CARLYLE, oh. Thrift What a
revenue thou art" From time to
time there were donations FROM friends
which helped to cover deficits, and
the fancy work and the tapestry work
OF some Of the sisters last year, making
no allowance for labor or wages in
any way. had yielded $98SS0. The
inmates Of the convent numbered 500
of whom two-thirds were bringing no
revenue. The number included the
superanuated sisters and teachers
who had come to the mother house
to spend their last years. and from 40
to $50 girls who were educated for
teaching free of cost.
Mr.. Carpenter said that many of
the churches are heavily in debt and
in the great cities the large churches
which are hit by this bill are the
churches of the poorer people, both
Lutheran and Catholic.
The Rev. Adam Fawcett of Portage,
who is Baptist clergyman, said that
the only objection he had to the bill
was that it provided for any exemp-
ton. He believed that the life of
Americanism was more essential than
the life of any religion. No one pre-
tended to believe in less than the en-
tire separation OF church and state in
this country, and yet there was not a
brick in an untaXed church OF any de-
nomination which was not to the ex-
tent Of the value Of its exemption
burden on the public for the benefit
OF the church. We may start in with
the proposition that God owns the
whole earth, Mr.. Fawcett declared.
but we must end with the fact that
under the constitution we do not har-
Dor any church in this country. Not
more than one-third Of the people in
this country belong to any church.
The two-thirds are being coerced to
support religion to the extent OF tax
exemption. He was convinced that
fair taxation was the best thing not
only for the taxpayers, but for the
churches themselves. The cathedrals
OF Europe were architectural wonders