Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-14
TAXATION OF CHURCHES.

FANATION OF CHURCHES.
\ 4 number Of Chicago citizens have
started regular agitation for the pur-
pose Of inducing the state legislature
to tax church property They are hold
ing mass meetings and passing reso-
buttons In the interest Of their cause.
The movement Is supported by the
Turner's, the Federation Of Labor, and
some other societies, representing i ~
estimated. about 100000 persons.
They think the churches In the Unit
cd states hold an immense amount Of
property, in fact, one billion dollars
worth. and that Il Is great injustice
to other taxpayers that this property
IL exempt only one-thrd Of the poo'
pie. they argue, have interest enough
in churches to become members Of
them. and the other two-thirds do not
think the churches do them much good,
although they are not all free thinkers
By an means The result Is that two
thirds Of the people are called on to
nay taxes for the benefit Of the other
third. They must pay JUST as much
more than they ought 70, rs the amount
Of taxes from which the churches are
excused
The leaders Of the movement are
rather suspicious Of the churches. They
claim to see in their existence dan
ger TO our free institutions, One OF the
speakers at mass meeting expressed
that fear az follows.
"The problem before US Is whether
we are 10 have secular society or a
spiritual society Are We TO be able to
keep the state distinct from the church,
as the Constitution ordalns II, or go
back TO the bad times Of a religious
government? Taxation IS a powerful
means Of changing social conditions.
Ever since men began to think clearly
about It. they have understood that Il
was wrong that some men should be
taxed for the benefit Of others, II the
church property Keeps increasing under
us unfair privilege the time may come
when the church viii have power
enough TO destroy free government
The milionaires IN Washington might
make deal with the church and crush
out the liberties of the people
1t Is difficult to see how there Is any
more danger in the purchase OF the
churches by millionaires, than there ls
Of their buying up the various or
CARNATIONS that clamor against the
churches tut II there is any danger
in that direction. II would certainly be
augmented by the levylng of taxes on
the church property For many
churches are now struggling with Il.
nanclal problems that ice cream parties
and other cheap methods Of obtaining
funds fail TO solve satisfactorily. Were
the burdens stlll further augmented
selling out to mlllionaires would seem
to be about The only recourse open to
number Of them. The proposed rem
edy would perhaps preclptate the very
evil now regarded as future rossbll-
ity.
The fact is that the property Of the
churches generally represents but the
voluntary contributions of all classes
Of citizens that pay their proportion of
the taxes 10 require them TO pay an
extra tribute to The public treasures
for the privilege Of contributing to
phlanthropic institution, from which
they derive no financial benefit is
hardly just and equitable The state
and church are separated In this coun-
try, But The state cannot do well with
out the religious influence Of churches
The Chicago agitatOrs may think that
they derive no benefit from the pulpit
but they do. The influence Of God
fearing men aud women In a commu-
nifty even II they are few, Is so great
that Il cannot be measured in dollars
and cents, Why, the Almighty, We are
told, would have spared Sodom, had
there been but ten righteous persons
in the doomed city Is there no lesson
In The fact that the world today clear
ly shows that material prosperity.
progress and enlightenment closely
follow the path Of the cross? What
would the United States be. were the
country deprived Of the religious life
and Hight it enjoys? France once tried
the experiment Of extingulshlng such
light as IL had and substituting reason
but the failure was terrible The
churches may be weak and erring in
many respects. But they more than
repay the state for the privilege they
enjoy Of promulgatIng the principles
Of morality and loyalty. In houses free
from taxation