The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-13

". ". MulL, w. hleTlueIl, Wv
7. l.. Powell, Guthrie. KY.
s. +. Woodward, Osborne, O.
J. N. Huller, Michigan.
J. l.. Clickener, Eugene, Ind.
Butler Graham, Covington Ind.
Gale w. Waterman, Eugene, Ind.
Schuyler La Tourelte, Covington, In
ID. Moore, Adrian, Mich.
B. LuKens, Jr., Pendleton, Ind.
G. N. Davidson, PendIeton, Indiana.
H. f. Pennington, Charlotte, Me.
D. b. Morton, Groton, N. Y.
A. G. Stone, rrevlle, N. Y.
James Tuttle, Atlanta, Illinois
E. c. Holmes, Atlanta, Ill.
H. E. Juergens, Pittsburg.
c. Conard, Carthage, Mo.
F. B. Dem, Carthage, Mo.
B. Il. Babbitt, Rushford, Ny,
J. Z. Kramer, Pittsburg.
H. l.. Green, Salamanca. N. Y.
The Convention was promptly opened at
the hour assigned, Hon. Elizur Wright, of
Boston, presiding.
There were l19 auxiliary Liberal Leagues
represented.
A large number of ladies were in attend
ance, and felt quite interested in the pro-
ceedings.
Mr.. Wright delivered an opening address.
He commenced by saying:
"Among the alleged objects of the Con-
stitution OF the United States are, to es-
tablish justice and TO secure the blessings
ofliberty.' If these objects had been fully
attained this National League would have
no reason to be. TO establish Justice
had always been the alleged object of
every government. But. till our Constitu.
ton was framed, Liberty had been very
little provided for. In every nation of
Christendom religion had been established
by law, and the most precious of all Iiber-
ties, that of thinking and speaking had
been suppressed in Its favor. But the
Constitution ordained that Congress
shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech or of the press. Here is
proclaimed, as the fundamental national
law, the perfect secularity of the civil gov
ernment and the perfect liberation of all
opinions and teaching in regard to religion.
Here the most precious of all liberties is in
words provided for"
He went on to argue that religion, if not
established by law, is subsidized by exemp-
ton of church property from taxation, and
that $500, ,0OU, ,0O0 of capital be diverted from
industrial to ecclesiastical purposes. He
went on to cite authority of church men
and statesmen to show that the early idea
was that religion should be purely self
supporting without aid of the civil power.
From this question he proceeded to the
kindred one of religious persecution and
proceeded to denounce the YAng Mems
Christian Association as the parent of the
Society for the Prevention of Vice, and
the latter instead of the present admins
tration, he claimed is running this Govern
ment.
"a society so backed, with no organized
opposition, Wields political power over
any administration very dangerous to any
individual who may be obnoxious to it.
This has occurred in the case of d. M. Ben
nett, editor of heTruth seeker, now differing
imprisonment in the Albany Penitentiary.
The safeguards of courts and executive
have given way before it, and We see such
a perversion of justice as has not been seen
since the days Of the old Star Chamber"
He rected the previous attempts to i'm
prison Bennett, and the decision at Wash
ington twice releasing him after he had
been arrested by agents of the Society, and
says the Society sWore vengeance, and finally
found a Jealous Assistant District Attorney
and obsequious Grand Jury, through whom
his conviction was finally brought about
Speaking of the religious people, he says:
IF they are sincere they will rely Who'll
ly on God the Holy Ghost to sustain their
faith and carry on their cause, and not in
the least on the arm of flesh. II they are
patriots they will shun the very appearance
OF being paui iers, parasites and dead-heads
of the State"
Col. Bob Ingersoll was on hand, and
when. dispute arose about platform, he
said I'VE should make our own platform by
which every one could stand. If we are to
make platform we want to make it our
selves. Let the League make its own plat
form" His short speech was loudly ap-
plauded. He tiien moved that the League
proceed to business and that a committee
of nine be appointed on general business.
Mr.. lngers0ll wanted platform fixed up
first before outsiders should have anything
20 say in the proceedings.
The Committee asked for by Col. Inger-
soil is as follows:
On programme of business-W. J. An
ten, r. G. Ingersoll, Dr. &. L. Brown, Blng-
hampton, Ills. DIR. J. c. Mitchem, Gen. b.
A. Morten, VIM. BarnsdalI, Titusvile, Pa;
VIM. Perkins, Hannibal, Mo. Henry Damon,
Boston. Mass. Mrs. O. NJ. Hetchtman.
The President stated that he had received
several dispatches from outside friends of
The League. One was from Minnesota and
the otner from California.
Mr.. Morton moved that the delegates
present their credentials. This was done.
Mr.. Abbott, of Boston, moved that no
one be admitted to the session except such
as were delegates or friends of the League
1t was moved that committee of three
oe appointed on credentials, one of them to
be Mr.. A. L. Rawson, the Secretary. This
was carried.
Mr.. Abbott made speech asking that
the clergy be excluded. ....... .
DIR. Twehey said that the Congress was
not in session to.talk about theological SUBJ