before this country with the truth and not with a lie.... Now I do
not propose to state in this platform the truth about religion from
the point of view of the Socialist philosophy as it is stated in
almost every book of Standard Socialist literature; but if we do
not do that, let us at least have the good grace to be silent about
it, and not make hypocrites of ourselves.... I say, let us either
tell the truth or have the good grace and the common sense and the
stamina and the manhood and the self-respect to keep our mouths
shut about it. Therefore I move this be stricken from the
platform."

Delegate Hillquit of New York urged the following amendment as a
substitute for the one the ratification of which Lewis had tried to
prevent: "The Socialist movement is primarily an economic and political
movement. It is not concerned with the institutions of marriage or
religion." Hillquit then went on to say:

"The fact that Comrade Lewis as a scholar, as a student of
psychology, of history, of ethics and of everything else, has in
the domain of religion come to the position of an agnostic, and
that ninety-nine per cent of us have landed in the same spot, does
not make Socialism agnostic, nor is Socialism Christian, nor is
Socialism Jewish, Socialism hasn't anything to do with that side of
our existence at all. I say to you, Comrades, if we are to follow
Comrade Lewis's advise, and to say in our platform and declaration
of principles what is true, let us not be afraid to insert in it
the things we are advocating day after day and on all occasions."

Delegate Unterman of Idaho, speaking in favor of the adoption of the
religious plank as originally proposed by the platform committee and
read by Simons, added:

"Comrades, no one will accuse me with any sympathy with
Christianity, either as a church or as a religion. I am known in
the United States as a materialist of the most uncompromising
order. But I want it clearly understood that my materialist
philosophy does not permit me to strike this plank out of the
platform. I want it understood that my materialist dialectics do
not permit me to forget the exigencies of the moment for our ideals
in the far future.... Would you expect to go out among the people
of this country, people of different churches, of many different
religious factio