Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-09-21
BradIauEh and tho British Parliament.

meDt6 Wnlcn you OlO me tue nOuOr 10
make on my late correspondence you
left Mr.. Bradlaugh In rather WORSE
dposition than before I tried to set him
fright, and as the fault is mine, in med
: dling with the business, 1t is, perhaps
: proper, that should try-I trust with bet
81 ter success than before-to correct an
Yerror into which you have fallen in saying
i that that much abused man "lhrust his
atheism upon Parliament" and "inso
i lently refused to take the custom ary
Aeath."
The history Of the case, according to
4 my recollection of the reports and &C.
fcording to ON article recently published
in the Boston Commonwealth. from which
: l shall quote, is briefly this: On appear.
ing before the House of Commons to take
his seat after his first election, Mr.. Brad.
l. laugh requested permission to affirm, be.
&lieving he had that right, but "he did not
refuse to take the oath, nor did he pub
l,cly declare himself an atheist, or state
L any reason other than preference for at:
Afrm atisn." His request was granted and
HE took his seat by affirmation, pending
1.-THE de cision of committee, which was
Happointed to determine the question Of
Hhis right to affirm as in court proceed
Kings. That committee decidedly a
majority Of one only-against Mr.. Brad
laugh's view OF the case, and his seat was
[declared vacant. This was followed by
the commencement of legal proceedings
8agaiDst Bradlaugh, at the instance Of Ger
tain "unco' guild" persons to punish him
: for having voted in the House Of Com.
mons without taking the oath-he having
i so voted by authority Of the House, which
accepted his affirmation instead of the
oath. The spirit which prompted that
. prosecution may be christian, but il
would be deemed dishonorable among
horse jockeys.
At the election, held to fill the vacancy
thus created, Mr.. Brsdlaugh was re-elec:-
ed. Seeing, by the late action Of the
RIAOusc, luot uc "OuAO AoS NC pSAMAtNS>A "
take his seat by affirmation, he decid ed
to take the prescribed oath, and offered
TO do so, declaring that it would be bind
ing on his conscience" Yet, "without
$ law or precedent" the House voted not
to allow him to take the oath or Lis
seat.
Even if he had previously refused to
take the oath, caviller might say that
/ it would have been better christianity, as
we'll as better law, to receive the repent
ant sinner.
l think Mr.. Bradlaugh acted inju.
diciously and unwarrantably In appeal
! ing to force to gain his seat; have no
excuse to offer for that action; but if l
wanted to find an excuse for it would
quote your own words, "Rights cannot
always be secured by peaceful meas
ures."
Whether Mr.. Bradiaugh was consist
ent with himself in Offering to take the
oath will not say, but 80 far as his Of
fetal action is concerned, can see no in
consistency IN 1t. 1t is Parliament that
is inconsistent.
A witness comes up to testify and re-
|quests permission to qualify by afirma-
|tion; the court thinks he ought 10 swear,
but, being in doubt, refers the question
and takes the witness affirmation. In
the middle of the witness examination,
the referee reports that he must swear.
He thereupon offers to take the oath, but
the court overrules the finding of it's ref:
cree, refuses TO swear the witness or take
his further testimony, and proceeds TO
kick him out of the courtroom. That is
Substantially the position of tue House
of Commons in the Bradlaugh case. II
has not leg to stand on-except chris.
ftian sympathy.
As to that sympathy being with the
: right, Bradlaugh doubtless believes he is
right in his atheism, just as the christian
believes he is right in his theism. Let
each follow his faith in peace, and let no
mans religious opinions he used to de.
Fprive him of his civil rights.
The special object of the Parliament
( AIRY oath is to secure fealty to the crown
and the state; the general object Of oaths
lin courts of justice is to elicit the truth.
In either case the affirmation or word OF
a m an of thought and principle is great
] er safeguard than are the oa,hs Of the ma
(jority of the men who take them. Fear
|of punishment in another world but sell
dom prevents men from lying in this.
Every week I sec scores of men take an
oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, then kiss the. Bible
with an unctuous smack and proceed to
lie like drygoods drummer.
Truth is not peculiar to christianity,
nor has any religious sect patent upon
honesty. Men who adhere to no religious
creed may have selfrespect, honor and
Justice enough to be honest and truthful;
and they who do right for rights sake, Or
for humanity's sake, practice higher
morality than they who do it for Gods
sake, or-in view of future rewards and
|punishments-for their own sake.
As to Mr.. Bradlaugh's atheism, though
I have not the slightest objection to his
holding that belief and preaching it from
the house-tops if he likes, it seems to me
that, if not an illogical and wholly un-
tenable position, it is at least unwarrant-
ed by the scientific researches, which
have doubtless led to its adoption. The
nebular hypothesis and the theory of evo.
luton as opposed to creation by fiat, If
admitted to be established beyond dis
! ute, by no means prove, either directly
or indirectly, the non existence of God.
1t only removes the First Cause step fur
Their back. Science has never accounted
nor attempted TO account for the chaotic
|nebulous matter from which it tells US
1.-The cosmos has heen evolved thr0nph the