, 1880-09-19

HE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
practically. postal censorship is constructed
which violates freedom of the press and speech,
US wcll Us the right Of property; that by the
tsc1 Of Letter 9F n gens af 16e
agent, under these laws, gives jur1sdtctoon 70 q
United States court over comnun-laW oHenses:
60 TINT trial u had before Judge % appoanfdea INT
vjcinagc of the accused. aud where the
definition Of the Court may yonIfat ieave tsaf 5ae
while, therefore, we do not approve o., OF
any oUenses that may have been committed ~
Lant, Train, Haywood. Bennett, and others. We g
outrages that far exceed any ot8enses which
wcre punished. We regard such cases IS nt1
tacks upon our common.1aw and constitut1onai
rights and liberties, which must be resisted
hereafter to the uttermost: and we recomneno
the appointment OF Il special defense cofnmittee
Of this League, under Art ., Sec 4, OF 1ts con a
stituuon. to which questions and cases Of this
kind and all others. within the meaning
of that section may De referred Tor al,
propriate action nnd defense. we dcmand y,
ulso u change in the administration of tho
law in regard to such cnsc5. 80 that the Jury
and no Judge or censor, may make nud apply IN
each case the definition Of ohscentty.@so X u,ni
the jury may be the judges OF both the law anu
the fncts in all cnses OF obscene lbet ,s they
are now III all other cases Of libel: that all inws
r. rexard to tness S9eG,s ~ T, nnon
and the seculNr Government only, that me State
amateur societies above referred to should DC
abolished andnfhony Comst9ck @ h,n anu ~ s'1ar mr
tense Of legal sanction or protection In their
course Of inquisitiun. falschood. and Outrage. !,
BralIanahs H 1S SIS soccty an ana the BRUSSELS Conven-
ton Of Free-Thinkcrs, md authorized the otfa-
GERS Of the LcaEns to appoint delegates to II
'eVH Whon tha rsane Of the platform was
'coL. INGEHsoLL
arose from his scat in the back part OF the hall,
speak whep dozen shouted 7 Platform, and
score or more appiauded him. When be reached
the platform he said:
as substitution for tho fifth ana sixth resolu-
uons: ...
Isesolrel, That the Committee OF Defense twhen
appointed), whenever it is claimed thht person
has been Indicted for what that person claims to
have been an honest exercise Of the freedom OF
thought and It's expression. shnli investigate
has been guilty Of no oifense, then It shall be
the duty st said Committee TO defend such per-
son il he is unable to defend himself.
sons: do not, have not, i never shall, accuse
or suspect a solitary member Of the Ltberal
League Of the United States OF being In favor OF
We Mi Claim freedom Of speech, and it is the
germ Of the human SOUL We a1i clalm me
ever occur to any Liberal that he WISHED to ex.
press any thought that might really, truly. and
legally be considered immoraR How does Il
happen that Toe have au interest I'll whit is
known us immoral literature? deny that the
Liberal League has any, interest in that kind OF
literature: lApp!anse. Whenever we mention y,
a false position. What do we want? We want
to see to.it that the Church power shall not
smother the literature Of Liberalism: We
intellectual slavery shall not sting our cause
We want it SO that every honest: man, SO that
every honest woman, can express his or her
And tho question, and the only question as to
whether they arc amenable to the Law, In my
mind, is, Werethey honest,-was their effort to
And no man, no woman should be convicted OF
any ofense that that man or woman did not 1n-
TEND to cnmtnt~ [Applause] Now, SUPPOSE
work written by him Is immoral,-that It Is
q Pefe5ss ne ,ssas ssa%ino ,r that nasn case e
rrumple. out free thought In the name OF Inn
morality or under the cover Of criminal law, let
US defend that man to the last dollar we have
lApplauEe.] But we don't wish to put ourselves
In the position Of
GENERAL DEFENDERS OF ALL THE sIUsH
that may be written In this or any other coun-
Try. [Applnnsc.] You cannot afford to DO It.
You cannot afford to put into the cunning
sur. You cannot nford to do 1t. Aud this
meeting has not the time to go into the question
Of wnhs me ongo ery ,s3d Gnes9on 9 agG
embraces many others. Hus the Government
u right to say what shall 20 into the mails?
Why in 9ns sense ass4rea Rs4 Craip'y ye1 they
horse and wagon BY mali. Laughter and ap-
plause:1 They have certainly the right to tix
some tlmlt; and the only thing VIC want is that
HtprtNffe literature rE0tfps
free thought,-shall not be Disseminated against.
And We know now as well as though 1t
strated, that the literature Of free thought
know it. We call upon the Christian
I3pplause:1 We say, nntii that is espunged we
demand that the laws against obscene literature
shalt be executed: lApplausc] And how can
h1 al te Sc
have always been in favor Of such an amend
ment Of the law that BY no trick, by no device,
mnn should be subjected to punishment simply
for giving. his best aea his honest thonght
[Applause.] What more can We needt What
friend Mr.. Wakemnn Gun be to the assumption
of the Church that 1t is the guardian Of moral
[ty. If our morality is to be guarded by that
naturnl instinct Of sclf-detcnsc In all mankind
and in all organized society is the fortress Of
morality IN mankind. The Church itself at one
but now the feeling has outgrown the Church.
[Appiause.l Now, then. we Will have u Com
nittce Of Defense. That Committee will cxnn-
inc tho case. Suppose some one has been 1n-
dictcd, and suppose he Is guilty. Suppose he
has endeavored to oil the human mind. Sup
pose he has been willing to make money by
panderfng to the lowest pussl0ns in the human
breast. What will TINT Committee do with him
them? We viii say :
''ao ON; LET THE LAW TAKE ITS COURSE"
[Applause.] But IT, upon reading bis book, we
lind that he is all wrong, horribly wrong,
wrong, but make up our minds that'
be wns honest in his error, will give us much
US any living man Of my means to defend that
man. [Applause.l And believe you will all
beur- -me witness when ! say thar | have the
cause OF intellectual liberty ut heart as much us
nu1 capabie Of navine anything ut heart. Zap
puuse.1 And know hundreds of others are
lust the same. I understand that under
stand their motive. ! believe it to be perfectly
good, but really and honestly think they are
If We have nn interest III the busi-
ness would light for it, If our cause wns as
sailed by law. then I say fight: and our
Cause is assaled. md shy fight They will not
allow me, in many States Of this Union, to tcs-
tify. L say fight lupplause] until every one Of
those laws is repealed. They discriminate
against man simply because he is honest. Re-
peal such laws. The church, If it had power to-
luy. would lrau1pie out every particle Of free
iternturc In this land. lAppiause.1 And when
they cndenyor to do that, l say fight. But there
is d distinction wide as tho Mississipp-yes,
Sf1pt.fir-xHi1or rh,a,, nj ha