The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1918-11-03
WILL THEY TAX THE CHURCHES ALSO?
(By Bishop w. A. Candler)

if On philanthrophy and an embargo
upon learning that the results of the
d1scouragements Of generous people
who might endow our colleges and the
enfeeblement of our educational in
situations
| Not one Of the objections made to
the exemption of educational endow
ments from taxation has any force.
Some have said it was a union of
church and state. But this is untrue
| If to exempt from taxation endow-
ments results in union of church
and state, why does not the eXemp
ton of grounds, buildings libraries and
apparatus But the constitution of
1877 exempts grounds, buildings IL
braries and apparatus from taxation
What is there in endowment that
works a union of chruch and state
that does not inhere in other forms
of educational property?
| 1SOISld cAenpISu "uuOWInSHto dhu
all other educational property from
| the foundation of the colony to 1877.
Did Georgia have any union of church
and state during all those years?
Most all the states of the union, and
all of the original thirteen states ex-
cept Georgia, now exempt college en-
dowments from taxation. Is there a
union of church and state in those
states? Virginia, for instance. does
low exempt and always has exempted |
/ educational endownents from taxa
ton. Is there a union of church and
state in Virginia, and did such union
exist in the days of Madison and JEFF
ferson without protest or objection
| by either of them?
Again every tariff bill passed by the
i federal government from the first I'M
til the present has exempted from i'm
port duties all articles imported by
an educational institution, and these
tariff bills have been signed by Wash
ington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
and Jackson. Did these fathers and
founders of the union approve meas
ures involving union of church and
state?
The exemption of chuch buildings
from taxation would much more near
ly approach union of church and
state than the exemption of education
al endowments, and this argument
against the exemption of college en-
dowments leads logically to the tax
alton of churches and graveyards.
Indeed, when the bill to submit to the
people of Georgia this amendment to
the constitution was under discussion
in the legislature a member of the
house of representatives, who be-
belonged to the small minority who
opposed the measure, said to me that
he believed all the churches, and
graveyards of the churches ought to
be taxed. He would not say such a
thing publicly, but he saw the logic
of his position forced him to favor the
taxation of church buildings and grave
yards, and he fatty avowed privately
that he wanted such taxation. And
why not?
Why not tax religion if we are go
ing to tax education? Why not tax
Miss Berry's church at Rome, if we
are going to Icy IN embargo upon
the endowment of her school?
1t is no time to be taxing education
in Georgia. We are approaching the
end of the war and we are as unpre
pared for peace as we were for war.
Great tasks will fall upon our people
which will require all the intelligence
possible to meet and carry them. We
have not enough educated men and
women to meet the demands of the
situation. Everything possible should
be done to encourage generous men
and women give money for the endoU
ment of our schools and college.
In the city of New York
there is one educational institutional
which belongs to neither the
Estate nor a church, which is worth
more than all the educational insti
in, hn Cn1fh on6 itc
resources constantly increase. When
will we overtake in our educational