Statistics of churches in the United States, published here yesterday, prove the truth of the principle adopted by all progressive people: religion must be a private matter.

Only forty per cent of the population of the United States are members of religious alliances (churches). In other words, they are in the minority. And that minority is split up into several dozen sects. Under such conditions it would be detrimental to the public if religious matters were united with matters of state.

If the state were to pay money from its treasury for the support of churches and priests, the majority of the people would be exploited, for their money would be used for matters which are of no concern to them. The affairs of the minority would be supported by the money of all the people.

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If laws were passed to punish people for refusing to adopt a religion, the larger percentage of the people would be restricted. Sixty per cent of the inhabitants of the country would lose the freedom of their conscience, and would forced to live not according to their convictions but according to the dictates of the forty per cent.

If religion were taught in schools, the majority of parents would have to tolerate the fact that their children were being forced to study something the parents do not consider beneficial. At the same time, the parents would be paying money for the unwanted classes (for the schools are supported by the taxes pain by all the people).

The minority would govern the majority, the minority would dictate to the majority, the majority would servr the wishes and affairs of the minority even in such an important and sensitive thing as a person's conscience!

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But this moral slavery of the majority would be only half the damage. The restriction of freedom of conscience would bring worse consequences.

The believers themselves, as we have mentioned, are split up into various sects which not only fail to agree, but which are often fighting each other (take, for example, the fight between our Roman Catholics and Independent Catholics).

If religion were so privileged that the state would force people into it, the various religious alliances would strive to use the tools of state against each other. Each would attempt to gain control of the state. Fights between the partisans of various religions would develop in our law enactment bodies, in our elections, courts, schools and everywhere. Such fights would increase religious intolerance and fanaticism.

In places where one church was victorious in gaining control of the government, it would persecute the followers of other religions. In other places, where the same sect was weaker, it would be persecuted by its stronger foes.

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As a result, in this manner all the inhabitants of the country would find themselves in the plight of persecuted and downtrodden people-- those who believe and those who do not. Even the Roman Catholics, whose number is greater than the number of followers of any other church, would feel the yoke of other churches on their necks in many localities.

This is why the Socialists have included in their program the demand that religion must be a private matter.

Matters of the church must be separated from matters of state, and every person must be guaranteed the fullest freedom of conscience.