Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-28
ILLUMINATED BY THEF.
Declaration of the Principles of the Free
Thinkers-A Radical Platform,

a EOAM1NAIED BY IuE 4. l..
Declaration of the Principles of the Frs
Thinksrs-A Radical Platform,
ii WATKINS, N. Y, Aug. 27.-The fellowin,
resolutions were adopted to-day at the New
York State Free Thinkers association:
First-That discussions in science, the in
ventions in mechanical arts and the genera
progress of eociety in knowledge, refinement
comfort and good morals which disting uisl
the present from the past are the natural out
growth OF the cultivation of human intel lec
ana freedom IN various departments of in
| quiry.
Second-That the only men in the worlG
who cannot rejoice in this freedom of thought
and whose material interests are promoted by
Ignorance are the clergy, who oppose
1t and its advocates because the spirit
OF untrammeled research in the field
OF criticism threatens to destroy the claim
they make in behalf of the Bible that it is a
revelation from heaven, plainly and infallibly
inspired, and that they are the divinely COM
missloned and only authorized expounders of
Its contents. We owe it. however, in justice
to the Bible, to say that the Bible itself teaches
no such doctrines, but that the claim was
hoisted by the English clergy at the time of
It's translation to serve their selfish and ambi-
Iious ends, since the only passage in it QI
timothy which served to teach the dogma of
plenary inspiration has been correctly rendered
by the revised Now Testament and proved Ito
teach that the pro6tableness of any writing
| is the test of its inspiration.
Third-That the war upon the church. nm.
IKE The war upon us, is simply one of un-
| selhshness; that our motto b-ing equal
rights for all, and special favors for none," we
now earnestly contend for the right to believe
her creeds in all their variety and contend for
the right to reject them; that all we AK under
tne secular constitution of government de-
| signed to serve the purpose of this world, is
that there should be no discrimination by law
| In favor of any class of citizens on account of
| thelr religious opinion, as in the case of ex-
| emption of church property from taxation
and employment at public expense of the chap.
iains, to say prayer for the religious gratifica-
| ton of congressman, soldiers and sailors and
others who may be there.
Fourth-That whereas the church although
email minority of the people In point of
members, exercises her power for evil by dint
OF pro-organization and the sleepless vigilance
OF her agents in watching their chance and
carrying out their purposes, we earnestly
urge upon the freethinkers of the United
States the duty Of associating together in
local leagues auxiliary to the National liberal
league Tor the purpose of defending
themselves against the wiles of the
church and preserving the secular
ity OF the national constitution: To
this end we advise the promotion of liberal
libraries for circulating liberal books, news
encouragement of a monthly paper called
Man, employed by the national league and
general agent to be supported by voluntary
yet monthly contributions of local leagues
and whose duty shall be to visit and encOur-
age the leagues and organize new ones, to pre-
serve the circulation of liberal journals and
thus marshal the hosts of free thinkers so
that the public may know who they are and
w9at are their opinions and purposes.
fHth-That we scorn to play into the hands
OF our enemies by an apologize explanation
OF our defeuses and disavowals on the vile and
hackneyed subject of obscenity, into which
we are all treacherOusly inveigled, believing
that wherever there are freetbinkers at all
they are almost without exception remarkable
for intelligence, purity, patriotism and general
excellence of character ID all relations. Meth.
er can We condescend 10 retaliate upon an ad-
versary, as we easily might, by calling pub.
lie attention to the statistics of prisons and
penitentaries of tie country and institnting
comparison between the number of clergymen
and church members on one hand, and the
freethlnkers on the otner, who have forfeited
their liberty by forming the criminal class of
eiety.
Sixth-That we as liberalists of this coun-
try embrace spiritualists, nationalists, deists,
agnostics and other classes of thinkers, who,
in their speculative opinions, agree In their
practical opinions as TO encroachments and in
preserving the secular character of the na.
tional constitution and laws, and we earnestly
urge that they in their journals aud efforts of |
all kinds, try to cultivate mutual respect ard |
consideration as allies in the great moral |
work, not using their weapons on each other, |
but reserving them in all their sharpness for
the enemy.
The following on woman and her cause
was also adopted:
WHEREAS, Under the middle Roman laws
woman had secured great property rights and |
personal independence, which continued until |
Christlanlty became the dominant religion of I
Rome; and
- WHEREAS, To the same fonl touch of &C. |
clesiasticism can he traced the degradation of |
woman's property and personal rightat COM
mon law; and
WHEREAS, Through the acceptance cf |
these systems of jurisprudence by the United |
states at large and several of the states indi. |
there already exists a union of |
church and state cpntrol over the rights of |
women.
Resolvcd, That in the opinion of this coz
vention no invidious distinction should be |
made which denies to woman the right TO be /
man's competitor for any position to which |
she is eligible.
Resolued, That having abolished sovereign |
rights and kings and priests, we believe in the /
same rights of labor; that it should be the |
sovereign Of the earth; that labor creates the |
wealth of the world, and the wealth of the |
world should be justly distributed among
those who produce it.
We extend our hearty sympathy 10 those |
many tOlers in cur own land and |
Others who do not receive their due
reward. We assert that free thought |
m axes room for industrial liberty. |
1t ID the churches. and theology that have |
crushed the masses. 1t is other worldliness
that has made this world hell, to those who
earn their bread by the sweat of their face.
We believe in the dignity of work and it Is
through work that the worship of the future |
shall be expressed.
ReSotUed, That we look with favor upon |
the efforts of the liberals of the west to found !
a national liberal orphans home at Liberal, |
Mo-, and we most heartily recommend that |
noble enterprise to the earnest consideration |
OF our friends and solicit their support in aid |
of the undertaking.
The Roland Reed Comedy company, which |
this evening will open the season at the |
Opera house, in "Cheek," will arrive this |
morning from Milwaukee, where, as is an
nounced by telegraphic advices, they closed a
brilliant engagement on Saturday evening. A |