Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-07-25
THE FRAuD RESOLUTION
Editor NaMs.

/
against socialism that it is opposed to
religion, at once some we'll primed So
ciallst is heard to reply: "Oh, no, it
is not. Why, in our national conven-
tion at Chicago in 1903 a resolution
was passed in which it was declared
that religion was a private matter
and that the Socialist Party had moth
ing to 40 with it, And the objector
| the presence of such overwhelming
proof of socialism's love for religion.
In this paper we are to consider this
oft quoted resolution.
The resolution of the national con-
vention as finally adopted in Chicago
in 1900 reads as follows:
1.-THE Socialist Party is primarily an
economic and political movement.
1t is not concerned with matter of re-
ligious belief.
Such was the resolution carried by
the stupendous majority of one vote
out of total of 157. A resolution car
ried by such a majority is likely to
have history attached to it and such
we find the case with this resolution
and in the light of it's history we shall
be better able to understand its sig
nifcance. Here is the history. The
first recommendation ON the matter of
religion laid before the committee -on
Platform at this convention was differ
emily worded. 1t read: "That relig-
ion be treated as a private matter a
question of individual conscience. -
When this was read Comrade A. M.
Lewis, socialist author and lecturer,
arose and moved its rejection: ''1f we
must speak," said he, II propose that
we shall go before this country with
the truth and not with lie. So
Comrade Lewis thought the above
recommendation was lie-in other
words he considered that religion
should not be treated as private mat
ter. In this view he was supported by
other delegates and they were certain
| ly right from socialistic point Of
view, for according to the philosophy
of socialism, religion is but the pro-
duct of economics and as a social ques-
ton must be matter of state concern.
I Comrade Lewis however acknowledged
that honesty might not be the best
campaign policy and therefore prefer
red that nothing be said upon the
matter.
Mr.. Morris Hillquit, one of the most
noted of American Socialists, then
offered as an amendment the resolu-
tion given first above. Explaining the
necessity Of some euch resolution,
Comrade Hillquit argued that some
answer must be ready for the social
ist orators of the soap box variety. Ii
these are suddenly asked the question
eyes, but won't socialism destroy re-
ligionY'' "They will answer" said
Comrade Hillquit, "No, we don t
agree on it. / personally may not be
religious, but socialism has nothing to
do with religion. Such was Com
rade Hillquit's s view of the resolution.
1t would furnish neat little subter-
fuge behind which the socialists might
take refuge when driven to the corner
on their religious attitude. Comrade
Ernest Untermann, socialist author
and translator agreed with Comrade
Hillquit. He argued that it was non
sensical to urge men to become atheists
before they had become socialists
"We must first he said, ''get these
men convinced of the nationality of
our economic and political program
and then after we have made socialists
of theIg, n we can talk to them
inside ar ranks y of the logical
consequences of our explanation of So
ciety and nature, These logical con-
sequences, of course, as we have seen
are materialism and atheism.
The meaning of the resolution was
becoming more and more clear. Com
rade Robert Hunter anil Comrade Vic
tor Berger joined Comrade Untermann
in approving Of this vote catching sub
terfuge of Comrade Hillquit.
However not all the delegates were
of this mind. Comrade Van der Por
en- was impatient at this showing of
faintheartedness and said: "As long
as we are too cowardly to express what
we believe, we should be silent entire
! ly." -, "Is there man." he contin-
ued, "who will dare to say that relig-
ion is not social question:" Nobody
dared. They all knew of course, that
| it is a social question and that as such
religion must be of interest in the
most direct way to socialism. "Let
us say nothing" continued Comrade
Van der Porten ''or say the truth. To
spread forth to the world that religion
is the individuals affair and that re-
ligion has no part in the subsection of
the human race we lie, when we say
it,. The report of the proceedings
here inserts, ''Great applause" an
evidence of the appreciation with
which the Comrades words were re-
ceived.
Comrade Strickland, of Indiana, al.
so had some ideas on the matter. Said
he: ''If economic determinism be
true and if moral and ethical princi-
pies of society be based ultimately
upon the manner of economic pro-
duction, how dare You then say that
we have nothing to do with religion
The delegates present were not so lack
ing in intelligence but that they could
see the force of Comrade Strickland's
logic, but it was not the truth or the
falsity of the resolution in which they
were interested so much as its availa-
bility as a campaign vote catcher. So
for policy sake, in order to save their
face before Christian people the res
olution was finally passed by majori
ty of one. Such is the history of one
of the greatest fraud resolutions which
any political party ever attempted to
foist upon an intelligent people Ac-
cording to the testimony of the dele
gates present in the convention the
resolution is lie anil does not express
the attitude of socialism towards re-
ligion. 1t was in the debata upon this
resolution that Comrade HiIlquit made
tho ra,uarly uuotad III INV lost :, aro,. q @