As Mr. Remsburg's article (Truth Seeker, Jan. 14, 1911, p. 22,) is not
now available except to those possessing files of the paper, no apology
is required for reproducing the following paragraph from it:
"Ecclesiastical property is confined chiefly to cities. One city
in Massachusetts owns nearly one-third of the church property of
Massachusetts; one city of Pennsylvania owns nearly one-third of the
church property of Pennsylvania; one city in Missouri owns nearly
one-third of the church property of that state; one city in Nebraska
owns nearly one-third of the church property of that state. One city in
Illinois, Chicago, owns more than three-eighths of the church property
of Illinois. St. Paul and Minneapolis, practically one city, own
one-half of the church property of Minnesota. One city in Louisiana owns
more than one-half of the church property of Louisiana. One state,
New York, owns nearly one-fourth of the ecclesiastical property of the
United States; while one city in New York owns more than one-half of
the church property in that state. One city in Rhode Island owns
nearly three-fifths of the church property of Rhode Island; one city in
Delaware owns nearly three-fifths of the church property of Delaware;
one city in Colorado owns nearly three-fifths of the church property
of Colorado; while one city in Maryland owns nearly two-thirds of the
church property of Maryland. Thus, a dozen cities own one-half of the
church property of their respective states. This property includes only
church buildings. The proportion of ecclesiastical property other than
church buildings owned by the churches of these cities is much greater.
Two-thirds of the ecclesiastical property of these states is confined to
these cities. And yet, nine-tenths of the churches in these states are
outside of these cities. One-tenth of the churches in these states,
therefore, own two-thirds of the church property of these states. Adding
the other cities and large towns of these states, it is safe to say that
one-fifth of the churches own four-fifths of the church property. The
property owned by four-fifths of the church organizations consists
principally of modest, inexpensive church buildings. If church property
was taxed, the amount of taxes levied on these churches would not be
great. The greater portion of taxes would come from the costly churches
and from the real estate owned by wealthy church corporations in the
cities; and even the advocates of church exemption cannot deny the
justice of taxing this property. Municipal taxes are enormously high;
and the exemption of so large a property imposes an unjust burden on
those who have to pay these taxes. In every city is to be found property
that taxes have devoured--families who have been rendered homeless by
excessive taxation."