The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-02-28
PL4TFORM OF TIE M TION4L
LIBERAL LEAGUE.
FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL. ELECTION OF 1880.


1. TOTAL SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND
state. to be guaranteed by amendment of the
United States Constitution including tn G
equitable taxation of church property, secu-
1arization of the public schools, abrogation of
Sabbataren laws, abolition of chaplaincies,
prohibitionsOf public appropriations for relig-
ious purposes, and all other measures necessary
to the same general end.
2. NATIONAL PROTECTION FOR NATION
al citizens, in their equal civil, political and
religious rights; to be guaranteed by amend
ment of the United States Constitution. and
afforded through the United States courts. o
3. UNIVERSAL EDUCATION THE BASIS
of universal suffrage in this secular republic:
to be guaranteed by amendment of the United
States Constitution, requiring every State to
maintain a thoroughly secularized public
school system, and to permit no child within
its limits to grow up without a good clement
airy education.
RESOLUTIONS
1. Rescued, That the National Liberal
League, convened at PHILADELPHIA from July
First to July Fourth 1876, respectfully petitions
the Senate and House of Representatives, in
Congress assembled, to recommend to the sew
eral States for adoption such a Religious
Freedom Amendment of the United States
Constitution shall effect the total separation
OF Church and State i'll all branches and depart
mentS or the government, national, State, and
municipal, and protect all American citizens
in the enjoyment of their equal religious
rights and liberties; that petitions he circulated
throughout the country in support of this pc
titiOn, and, If possible, a million signatures to
the same be obtained; and that the Board of
directors OF the National Liberal League are
hereby instructed to carry this resolution into
effect ...- FIT.
5. RESOLVED, That all American citizens.
whether orthodox or heterodoX, Christian or
non-Christian, possess an equal natural right
to hold, to utter, and by all orderly and peace
able means to propagate their private and
ligious opinions: that they all possess an equal
right not to be taxed directly or indirectly, for
the support of religious opinions they do not
hold, Of religious societies of which they are
not voluntary members. or of religious services
they do not personally approve; that they all
possess an equal right to employ their time
and the whole Of it, as they judge fit, just so
long as they commit no positive treSpass on
the equal rights of others; that they all poss-
eSS an equal right to enjoy for seven days of
the week all public libraries, art-galleries,
museums, parks. gardens, thoroughfares,
other institutions or facilities for the support
of which they are taxed, and not to be debar-
red from such enjoyment on Sunday because a
part of the people do not choose to avail them
selves of these things on that day; in fine that
they all possess an equal right to live under q
government which shall respect all mems pri-
waite religion, but favor no mans.
f. RESOLVED, That morality is the supreme in
terest OF civil society; that its foundations lie
in the natural relations of man to man; that
its great laws of right and wrong shine by their
own light and are only darkened when thrust
under the bushel-baSket of ecclesiastical pa
tronage; that truth illness, honor integrity
courage, self-respect, patriotism, natural
and not theological virtues; and that such viz
tues as these, fostered by the establishment of
thorough civil service reform and the abo-
iition of machine politics, are the sole foun-
tain of chat purified public morality for which
every upright citizen longs.
5. RESOLVED, That, so long as the Church insists
on retaining its present political privileges, in
violation of Justice, liberty, and equal rights.
it is guilty of oppression, sets an example of
public unrighteousneSS, renders It's social in
fluence immoral to that extent, and thus helps
to demoralize the community at large.
RESOLVED, That the principle of State Secular
ization means that the free State has it's own
sufficient basis in the laws and needs of human
nature, totally independent of the Church,
that this basis is the social necessity of MAIN
tanning equal rights in religion genuine morality
in politics, and educated Intelligence in all the
citizens,-and that this object is defeated by
permitting the Church or any other organzsi-
ton to usurp its own authority in any degree.
Resolved, That we affirm the immense moral
importance of the principle of State Seculari-
cation, and the moral obligation of all good
citizens, irrespective of their religious creeds,
to join heartily III the movement TO earry 1t
more consistently into practice.
Reso!ued, That the State secularization ques-
ton can never be got out Of politics until it is
settled forever by being right
Rescued, That the Liberal League movement
has nofhlng whatever to do with the Christian
or any other religion as such, either to favor
or to oppose it; that it is directed simply
against certain glarng political usurpations of
the Church, certain actual and grievous inter-
IefenccS DJ IL WITH Un6 state. IndI Ine purpose
of this movement is enlinently positive, de-
fensive, and constructive, not negative, ag-
greSsive, or destructive, since it only seeks to
carry out more faithfully the principle of di-
vorce between Church and State on Which the
Constitution was founded, and thus fulfil
Washington's ideal of a purely secular State;
that the Christian or anti-Christian character
OF this movement is solely question OF prl-
waite Interpretation, to be answered by each
member of the Liberal League, according to
his own definition of Christianity; that all cit
liens who favor the total separation of Church
and State are in good faith cordially invited to
work with us; and that no Christian can accuse
the Liberal League OF being anti-Christian
without thereby confessing that Christianity
as he himself understands it condemns the sep
aration of Church and State.
Res0Jued, That we accept the offer of the
Boston Index to be our official organ of COM
munica ton with the public, for the publica-
ton of announcements, acknowledgements,
and'other official papers of the Board of Di-
rectors; but that we assume no responsibility
for anything else published in its columns, and
claim no control or influence in its general eds
itoral management.