, 1880-09-19

sacred regard for the rights OF suffrage.
Ihey 1ecommended that me E1ecnuse s., G LON ON
sible after the fall election, all kindred orguoiza-
Hons and all independent men and women who
National Convention for the. purpose Of form
Ing new party; that no Presidential candidate
be nominated this Year. -
Action was deferred until the Committee on
Resolutions had reported.
President Wright then read paper, in which
he reviewed the history OF the Republican, DEM
met the wants OF the Liberals, who could vote as
they pleased. or put up ticket Of their own. !,
Nve-mtnute speeches were called for, and
ifght b ] eserywhere: ta also Mrs. % Severance. m Who
deprecated getting stirred up because some one
expressed his honest thought, This was u slap
also nude by several others. Two Of them we're
devoted TO Masonry, the speakers having with
drawn from the lodge because it WIS too relie-
ions-one, also, because women we're excluded.
Several Others were In favor of female suffrage.
The Committee on Resolutions then came In.
Cot 1ngersoll moved that, In all votes upon
and the vote taken by yeas and nays Of delegates
sir. Green wanred 70 build up great party
accord. # they could tide over the issues, four
years hence they could nominate Col. 1nKersoll
for President; LApplause.l He moved that the
The irrepressibla Mrs. Coleman. who said she
was old enough to be the Colonels mother,
didn't believe in tidlng over anything.
The motion Of Col lngersoll was agreed to. =
Mr.. Green renewed bis motion, but did not
press it On account OF the opposition. -
THE RESOLUTIONS
Mr.. Wakemarl4 from the Committee on Reso-
luuons, submitted their report saying he hooed
it would be received IN the spirit OF cornpro-
mise In which it had been necessary to make 1t.
Appended is the platform:
]. RcSO}reI, That We rcnf1iEm and declnre the
main purpose of the National Liberal League
to be the realization in the States a1d General
Government Of tho objects stated in its stand
ard platform. These are given above
2 Kesotped, That we claim it to be the duty Of
every citizen. man or woman, to extend to all
eams etnss fo1 s 5sat and a 0efy there that asoa ID
social disabities discrimInation Dis , or ost1ac1sm m
or o
laws Of the States or General Government max
ing any so-called religious tests in order to
to testify, Or to sitou jury or or to do any public
or governmental act,' should be repealed rs
relies ut barbarism; and that all laws in regard
yorce, births, and buriais should be placed on a
purely secular and scientific basis, and have
their Justification only In their use to society.
j. Ressipe1, That VIC deem it expedient for the
Liberals in all parts Of our country to act
or to cooperate with others as politica!
the objects Of the above platform, and
to nominate candidates for Office for that
purpose as soon as they hare organized in sulh:
agreement to do SO effectively; that such norai-
nations should be FIRST made in Assembly, Legis-
lattve, and Congressional districts; and that we
shalt have Presidential ticket In the field. In
the meantime We mutually pledge each other
that We will cast our votes and use our political
honestly believe viii most effectively further
Essolss Tsat; is tIs spfis e our platform
uxHFsfcF TY1t&r
laws as will securely guard the freedom of the
press ant of Speech and the fnvlofaoiiity OF the
mails lapplausel, and will allow free circulation,
papers, and letters, irrespective CT tho religious
or other views they may contain, 50 that the
literature OF science and general knowledge and
thought, and the expression Of thought, may be
placed under no restraint except to answer any
abuse Or injury. done by 1t before tho regular
courts .ad, and tpFes s Of o9r people LApplaHss
for all, and the consequent freedom Of the press
and Of speech and the invloiability Of the mails,
We do not do this to aid. abet or encourage OBJ
scenity> lotteries, financial frauds, bogus med
icAl diplomas, nor any form OF immortality,
crime, or wrongdotug whatsoever; but that, On
the Gont5a we utterly t opposed to the Dis
means, of obscene literature, whether inspired
or uninspired. {Appause.] We hold in meas
dsseminaters; hat at Ne 5erefore her TO ' cali UPON pom
the so-called Christian world to expunge
from tho so-called sacred Bible
covering the cheek Of 1nodesty with the blush Of
shame. fApplAuseJ And, Until such passages
are expungcd, we demand that the laws agaiust
partially enforced. (Appiuuso.l Dutwe are in
favor Of, and guarantee our influence to Gu
force, reasonable and effective laws in aid Of the
diplomas, financial und other frnuds. But we
believe such cfcnses could be ;1nQuestionably
effectively punished and reprcsscd in the sau1e
common criminal Mws and courts, aided by
police and detective officers, who shall be re-.
sponsble 10 the people or to the elected officers,
aud will not be responsible to churches or
amateur semi-theological criminal societies.
y. Hesotued. lhat, upon the grounds before
statsd we are nnab!e OF sheso:alca
Governments: and We believe the results OF it
have proved it to be fraught with serious danger
TO the equal rights and liberties Of our people.
First. In that the incorporation within the sey-
erul States Of ufmatuer criminal and theological
societies, and the emplOytnenL of their .ixc1lts,
in no way responsible to tho people, to make nc
cusations and arrests under laws cn,.ctcd ut
their instigndon, Is an exhibition of theological
assumption and governmental interference
hostile to the impartiality and equality Of secular
and popular government, which should be Of
the people, for the people, and By the people;
thai such laws and administration Of Grim
bis W st os oer ant mi f!13a Gs n
5ures another's person orprnpcrty, or is accused
in the first instance hv i Grand Jury Of his
us the agent Of the StAtes aud people, in pruyid-
ing postal service. holds i'll time Of peace auh-
stantinily the relation Of II common carrier;
ttnt to admit its right to discriminate as to the
kind OF mattcnshich it will carry would be to nd
NIT power that may be arbitrarily used for the
suppression of particular classes of thought on
political, religious, social. and moral sub
jccts, and would therefore be incousis-
tent with the total separation Of Church ana
State. which is the prime demand Of
the National LibeEafsLfcague: [ApplauseJ We,
urge the repeal OF the present United
States Postal laws, known as the Cumstock laws,
for these among other reasons: That, in the
view Of many whose Judgment VIC respect, such
laws are unc0nstit itusionnt; that they give to the
United States courts q criminal jurisdiction,
dangerous and unlimited, extended to every Of
POST Office may have been misused in it's COM
mission: that such laws make the employment
of decoy letters, deceit, and espionage neces-l
sary and recognized process Of our crt,nina
law. AMI 80 breaks down all confidence Ia the In
viola bility Of the mails and IN public morali-
Ter s1ch laws, printed matter may
bo condemned and contiscated