The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1895-10-26
Address to the People Issued by
/. the Convention.
POLITICS AND RELIGION MIXED
Declaration That the Two, 10 Re Kept
Pure, Must Be Forever Entirety
Separated.

Salt Lake, Oct 22.-The democratic
territorial convention held in Ogden
September reconvened here today.
call was read stating the purposes for
which the delegates were called togeth-
er. All the officers of the original con-
vention were made permanent, 0. w.
Powers of the democratic campaign
committee being made permanent
chairman. A committee on credentials
was appointed, also committee COM
posed of one member from each county
to formulate an address to the people.
In the afternoon the credentials COM
mittee reported all counties represented
with the exception or Garfield, Grand
and Piute.
The report of the committee on adj
dress was the next order of business
and while waiting for the report the
time was taken up in speech-making.
The report was not ready at 5 o'clock
and adjournment was taken uphill
O'Clock.
THE ADDRESS.
At the evening session the committee
on address presented very lengthy re-
port, the larger part of which was re-
view of the religion and politics of the
ment Of this valley up to the present
time. 1t notes that for many years
there was complete union of church
and state and gives an account Of the
struggle between the Mormon and lib
eral parties. All the facts relating to
the division of the people on national
party lines are detailed. The history of
the parties during the last three years,
with the relation of church to state,
is brought up to the time of the recent
priesthood meeting. While no charge is
made against the church itself, an open
charge is made that some individuals in
the Mormon church are using church
influence to further the cause Of the
republican party and that such inf1u-
ence resulted in the election Of repub-
licans at the last election.
The address closed as follows: eve
declare the truth to be-That man may
worship his maker as his conscience di-
reefs; that no state or political body
has the right to interfere with this
great privilege; that mans first allegi-
ance politically is to his country; that
no church, ecclesiastical body or spir-
itual advisor should encroach upon the
political rights of individuals; that in
free country no man, or body of men,
can with safety use the name or the
power of any religious sect or society to
influence or control the elective fran
chise; that trust is imposed upon each
citizen in a free country to act politi-
cally upon his own judgment and abso-
lutely free from control or dictation,
ecclesiastical or otherwise; that no po-
litical party can be required to obtain
the consent Of any church or the leaders
thereof before selecting it's candidate
for public office; that no citizen by rea-
son of his association with any church
can be absolved from his duty to the
state, either in times of war or of peace,
without the consent Of the state; that
all men should be, and of right are free,
to think, free to speak and free to vote
without fear, molestation, intimidation
or undue influence.
"Thus believing, whenever designing
men have seized upon the cloak of re-
ligion to hide from view their nefarious
designs, and while appealing to mans
spiritual faith have sought to direct his
political action for selfish ends, the
democratic party since it's organization
has denounced such course. It has de-
clared in the past, and 1t declares now,
for every mans political freedom, what
ever may be the governmental views
of those who guide his spiritual well
fare.
eve therefore, in the most solemn
manner say that we will not be dictat-
ed to- interfered with or hindered in our
political duties by those selected to
minister to us the consolation Of the
gospel.
1.-THE people being sovereign in this