The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-05-06

COP IN THE CoNsTITUTIoN.-We notice that
they are still hammering away at this thing,
down East On our first page, we copy an excel
lent communication the subject, from the Bos-
ton Globe. The proposed amendment would lead
to Just what is therein related, as having once
occurred 1t would be made warrant for relig-
ious fanatics to enforce their doctrines by law,
and to disfranchise all who presumed to think
for themselves. In the last century, the Legis-
lature of Maryland, composed of this class of fa-
natics, enacted the following law, which has new
er been repealed to this day:
Be it enacted by the Right Honorable Lord Proprie
tor by and with advice and consent of his LOrshp
and the upper and lower houses of the Assem-
bly,. and the authority of the same:
Willingly malciousy and advsedly by writing speak
ing basphsme or curse God or deny our saviour Jesus
ty the Father Son. and Holy Ghost the GOdhead of
shall utter any profane words concerning the Holy Trinity
of the thereof and shall thereof be convict
the tongue fined twenty pounds he levied of his
body. And for the second Oense, the offender shall be
stgmatized by burning in the forehead with the letter b.
and fined forty pourds And that for the third oense
the offender shall suffer death without the benefit Of
clergy"
Scotland has rich soil for religious fanatics.
Here is what was done there, in almost OFT own
time:
A ".
by the name of Thomas was indicted and tried
at Edinburgh for having denied the inspiration of the
cold wished himself in hell that he might get Not
wthsandng the poor boy reeaned and begged for mercy
he fOnnd guilty and hanged His body was thrown
in hole the foot of the scafod and covered with
stones.
Here is what they did in Illinois, less than
twenty years ago. A writer in that State thus
tells it, and we give his own indignant and en-
phatic language:
The supreme court of Illinois decided in the year of
grace 1856 that unbeever in the existence of intel
court His wife and children might have been murdered
before his very face and yet in the absence of other wit
nesses the murderer could not haye even been indicted
only blind but deaf He was liable, like other men, to
support the and was forced to contribute his
share towards paying the salaries of the very who
decided that under no circumstances could his voice be
heard in court This was the law OF Illinois and so
remained until the adoption of Constitution BY
such infamous has the Church endeaored to chain
the human mind and protect the majesty Of God The
but eSrry citizen Is aioWsd to have religion and God
of his to reject all religions and deny the existence
will understand and appreciate the genius of Govern
ment-
Only year or two ago, in q convention in
New York, for the very purpose of furthering
this religious amendment, an eminent doctor of
divinity breathed the spirit that is at the bottom
of the movement, thus:
What the rights of the atheisti would tolerate
him as would tolerate unatc would tolerate him
hold his lands and enjoy his home-he vote but
for any higher advanced citizenship he is
| hold utterly disqualified"
In the light of the past and the signs of the
present, speaking on this subject, an able writer
truly says:
fruit Of all the will turn to ashes the lips of men