Talk:Toleration Party

Adding citations
While the sources and the links are good, more citations are needed throughout the work. Also a reference to the impact of the 1818 Anniversary Election Sermon by Croswell, the leader of the New Haven Episcopal faction, should be added.Harrycroswell (talk) 15:59, 6 December 2013 (UTC)

Last Established Church?

 * I question the accuracy of the statement that all other states had disestablished by the 1790's. If this is true, then what was Thoreau mean in Walden when he asked why he was taxed to support a preacher (in Mass.?) about a half-century later?  72.105.3.238 (talk) 23:35, 1 October 2014 (UTC)

A good observation, and thanks for the links -- but it only shows that Massachusetts had abandoned the established church while keeping the historical blue laws and much of the Puritan culture. While a single state church was "disestablished", the state still "offered" to collect taxes for a church of your choice that your joined. The entire passage reads:


 * "Some years ago, the State met me in behalf of the Church, and commanded me to pay a certain sum toward the support of a clergyman whose preaching my father attended, but never I myself. "Pay," it said, "or be locked up in the jail." I declined to pay. But, unfortunately, another man saw fit to pay it. I did not see why the schoolmaster should be taxed to support the priest, and not the priest the schoolmaster; for I was not the State's schoolmaster, but I supported myself by voluntary subscription. I did not see why the lyceum should not present its tax-bill, and have the State to back its demand, as well as the Church. However, at the request of the selectmen, I condescended to make some such statement as this in writing:- "Know all men by these presents, that I, Henry Thoreau, do not wish to be regarded as a member of any incorporated society which I have not joined." This I gave to the town clerk; and he has it. The State, having thus learned that I did not wish to be regarded as a member of that church, has never made a like demand on me since; though it said that it must adhere to its original presumption that time. If I had known how to name them, I should then have signed off in detail from all the societies which I never signed on to; but I did not know where to find a complete list."

The wit is effective and charming. We have a lot of silly old forgotten laws today on the books that are quite similar. He goes on to note that when he refused a "poll tax" he was thrown in jail. The church tax was a public service collection agency which you elected to pay; the poll tax was coercive. Harrycroswell (talk) 00:52, 2 October 2014 (UTC)