The Irish standard., 1906-03-10
TO TAX RELIGION
Would Do to Rob the State, Says
IN Attorney.
The Governments Debt to Re-
llgion and Charity.

cation, Of the city of Pittsburg, he1t
that the $1.0OO.ooO mortgage given b.
H. C. Frick to secure the balance o
the purchase money for the cathedra
property. and held by the Rt. Rev
Bishop Canevin as trustee, is not sub.
iect to a personal property tax. Tht
court held that the mortgage is helt
for the benefit of the congregation. ant
is. therefore. not liable for tax, be-
cause OF the charitable and religious
work carried on by the Church.
In his mastery presentation of the
case to the honorable court, Charles D
Gillespie. attorney for Bishop Canevin
demonstrated in a striking manner the
incalculable benefits conferred by re-
iigion on civil government. The fol-
towing excerpts from this notable ad-
dress are quoted from The Catholic
Standard and Times:
Religion was. and always will be,
let us hope. the solicitude of our gov
crnment, and has been q favorite with
our legislators from the inception Of
our existence. The object Of all gov
ernlnent is to promote the happiness
of mankind. Nothing tends to secure
this result SO much as religion; there
fore. the nourishing and fostering Of
religion Is prime governmental func-
State are separated, it is not so re-
specting State and religion; they are
united. and always will be. else an
archy will result. Religion is inter-
woven with our Jurisprudence; 1t
forms its very warp and woof. We owe
our birth as a State to religion and
nothing else. In the great charter Of
Charles II. to William Penn we find
the averment that The Glory Of God
the reason and the end of all govern
ment.'
Religion can exist without govern
lnent. but government cannot exist
without religion. Without morality no
State can exist truly remarks Lieber
in his learned work on Hermeneutics.
Justice Duncan, in the Upde-
graph case, recognizes this great truth
when he says that christianity is the
flrmest auxiliary and the only
stable support Of human laws while
the venerable Plutarch observes. We
have met with towns unfortifled. illit-
crate AMI without the convenience Of
habitations; but people wholly with
out religion no traveller hath yet seen.
and a city might as we'll be erected in
the air as a state be made to unite
where no divine worship is attended
Religion Is the cement of civil union
and the essential support of lcglsla-
If We attempt to analyze the direct
financial results conferred by religion
on civil government, an insurmount-
able obstacle is in our way; for its
effects are so far-reaching and so
ramifled that accurate computation is
impossible. But in respect to cduca-
tion we have some reliable data. There
are mo available figures as to the
amount spent by our good Presby-
tcrian brethren in this laudable work.
but we know the Episcopalian, Presby-
terian, Lutheran and other denomina-
tions annually cxpend large sums. In
respect to that spent by Catholics in
the diocese of Pittsburg we have ac-
curate knowledge of the following sta
tistics:
1.-The number of children attending
the parish schools last year in that
diocese was $4,000. The average an
nual cost of educating child in the
public school is $3.50 per annum; thus
the amount saved the State on this
account alone within the territorial
district of the diocese of Pittsburg last
year was $71S.999. Allowing $50 pei
pupil as the cost of housing then
(Which is below the avcrage), we hav.
total of $4,Soo. 900 invested in ground!
and buildings. the annual interest OF
which amounts to $22s,ooo. q total an
nual saving to the State Of $1,006, 600
In the archdiocese Of Boston 71,03
pupils attend the Catholic parisl
schools. at an annual cost of $1,997,
767. The amount invested in, groun'
and buildings in that territorial dis
trict is $10,700,000 If the same rati
is maintained throughout the countr
in proportion to population, we hav
100000 pupils annually attending tn
Catholic parish school, at a saving t
the respective local governments &
s2o,5oe.000 per year in taxes, withou
counting the interest on the 3135.000,
600 invested in ground and building
Are these figures not stupendous
And yet religion, and that alone. is tn
cause. Does religion not repay tn
government many hundred fold the ia
it abstains to collect? Strike bal
ance, and who would be the creditor
II the members of this denominatio
would cease such work, the entire bul
den would Immediately fall on the go,
ernment, and taxes would jump Sky
ward; for the state is bound to instru