Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-24
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CHURCH AND STATE.
The American Secular Greatly Alarmed
AT the Outlook for the Future.


AT the Outlook for the Future.
CHICAGO, Oct. 23.-The sixteenth
| annual congress of the American Sec
ular Union was called to order this
morning III Berry's hall. A large num-
Der OF delegates were present. After
the meeting Was called TO ordsr by the
president, {. III. Waite, made an open
ing address. He stated the objects of
the union IN forcible manner and
talked at some length of the alarming
union of church and state as disclosed
by the recent action of congress IN
closing the worlds fair on Sunday.
Continuing, Mr.. Waite said: To-day
we are an astoniehed people. Know
ing that our government was founded
upon principles of religious and civil
liberty, We rested quietly under the
clamor for religious legislation, not be-
llevIng for moment that congress
would yield TO such demands. Now We
awake from our lethargy 10 find a
union of church and state already in
augurated and alliances of the govern
ment fully committed to the require
ments of religious hierarchy. The
character OF this rellgo- political despot-
ism, which Is 10 kc the place of our
lCC ido lAOt CT bNNli lOlA1
developed; the particulars are not all
arranged. 1t has not yet been deter
mined which OF the two grand divisions
of the church shall in the first instance
represent the christian religion; mucn
less have the subsequent struggles for
precedence in the favored party Itself
been anticipated and provided for.
What makes the situation more
serious and alarming is the fact that
the supreme court of the United States
on February 29 last, in the case of
Trinity church of New York VS.. the
United States, by another decision, laid
the foundation for religious legls-
latlon by deciding in effect that
the christian religion is a national
institution. As Chief Justice Taney,
went into history IF the country to
show tnat II had been considered that
colored people mad no rights which
white people were bound TO respect, so
Mr.. Justice Brewer reviewed the his
tory of the country for the purpose of
showing that the propagation of the
Christian rel glon WAS the principal fac
tor in the settlement OF the colonies
and IN the establishment of the state
and federal governments, and mad be-
come so interviewer with our national
institutions rs 10 become part and par
eel thereof. Though Justice Brewer is
not SO bold in his utterances as was
Judge Taney, yet the logical outcome
of the decision is that disbelievers are
bound TO respect.
Mrs. Hattie A. Freeman, the 'secre-
tary, read II report for the last yesr's
work, showing an encouraging state OF
affairs. AT the afternoon session John
+. Geetlng, # TINS city, delivered an
address on 1.-The Field of Free
Thought He reviewed the history of
the secular society from It's incipIency
70 the present time, aud showed how 1t
had steadily advanced IN spite of oppo-
sitlon and dlscOuTagemeuts. Mr.. Geet-
ing made plea against the use of the
bible or of any form af rellg Gus wor-
ship IN the public schools. He said:
"By the use of the bible and forms OF
religious W rship in the public schools
children afe taught how TO think but
not what TO think
Thomas +. Walkmsn, of New York
city, talked on "The Sunday Question"
He wanted an open Sunday. At the
conclusion OF Mr.. Walkmau's remarks
Horace {. Bennett took the stand and
talked of "The Responsibility of the
American Secular Union"