Arizona republican., 1910-11-20
Work Of Constitutional Con-
venti0n Yesterday
CEhTERED ON THAT BILL
Provision for Graduated In
heritance Legacy and In
come Tax Spirit of Lib
erality Toward Religious
and Other Institutions.

The constitutional convention yes
terday disposed of a proposition pro-
viding a general tax scheme for the
new state of Arizona, and it was or
dered engrossed for a third reading
and final passage. The proposition
is a substitute for proposition 1O2
and all others dealing with the subject
of general taxation.
The consideration of it was begun
early in the committee of the whole
and the last paragraph was not con-
cluded until half past four in the aft
ernoon. A great many amendments
We're made. generally intended TO cor
rect the phraseOlogy or change the
bill in some minor particulars.
The most time-consuming phase of
II was the part relating to the exemp-
ton from taxation of the property of
religious organizations and property
devoted to educational purposes.
This exemption was opposed utter
" by Mr. Morgan of Navajo on the
ground that he did not believe in
churches, and he claimed that their
usefulness in the world was doubtful.
Such exemption as was proposed, Mr..
Morgan believed was a sort Of recog-
milton of the church and ought not
to be given in a nation which had
fundamentally declared for separa-
tion of church and state.
on this point he quoted from Gen
eral Grant and others, and as to the
geenral inutility of churches he quoted
from Thomas Paine, of whom he said
he believed he was the only delegate
present who had ever heard. This was
Mr. Morgan's first extended address of
the session, and it was a vigorous
one
1t recalled an earlier one by the
gentleman from Navajo. That was
four years ago when he was a mem
Der of the legislative assembly from
Navajo county.
There was some i'll founded hope
at that time that the territory would
be admitted to statehood, and it was
decided by the Legislature to get ready
for the blow 1t was proposed that
the constitution adopted sixteen years
before in foolish anticipation of state
hood be brought out; that the accu
mulated dust be brushed off of it and
the declaration in favor Of the free
and unlimited coinage of silver be
cut out along with other anachron-
isms and some other isms not worse
than will probably infest the coming
constitution.
1t was thought that the old con-
stitutiOn might be revamped in two
or three meetings. II was near the
close of the session and there was
little time to be devoted to this extra
work, so that night sessions were
agreed upon. One was held the first
night the subject was brOached and
all of the members of the assembly
were present and entered upon the
work with wondrous enthusiasm.
The preamble of the constitution
contained a recognition of divine prov
idence, and when that early point |
was reached Mr.. Morgan called halt
and addressed the assembly for hours |
on the improperly of recognizing |
something of which the assembly knew |
nothing except by hearsay. Mr.. Nor |
gan quoted literally from Haeckel /
Kant and other philosophers, of whom
few of his colleagues had ever heard /
to prove that there was more or less
conjecture regarding divine providence /
with the evidence rather against prov
idence.
This discussion lasted until after 10 /
O'Clock, when the preamble was laid |
aside for future consideration and the
subject was not thereafter taken up |
in that session or at any other time.
II was after noon yesterday when
a recess was taken at the conclusion
of Mr.. Morgan's remarks, and when
the committee sat again the amend
ment to include converts, Y. NJ. c. A.
property and Y w. G. A. property
within the exemption was under dis
cussion.
The champion of the Y. NJ. c. A and
the sister institution was Mr.. Parsons,
who believed that these institutions
were the greatest force in existence
for moral upbuilding and for induce
ment to clean living.
Before he concluded Mr.. Morgan
entered the chamber and inquired
what was going on in the Y. NJ. c. A.
buildings. Under the impression that
the question was asked with hostile
intent, Mr. Parsons entered upon an
aggressive defense of the institution.
He described the baths. the pool and
billiard tables. the bowling alleys and
other forms Of amusement not evil
per Sc, and said that they were calcu-
lated to attract young men who might
seek the same amusements elsewhere,
but amid debasing surroundings.
Mr.. Morgan said that the object
of the institution appealed to him, but