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Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.): n. Sunday, May 31, 1908.

Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.): n. Sunday, May 31, 1908. Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.). 400dpi TIFF G4 page images Blade Publishing Co., Lexington, Kentucky 1908 blu1908053101 These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.): n. Sunday, May 31, 1908. Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.). Blade Publishing Co., Lexington, Kentucky 1908 $IMLS This electronic text file was created by Optical Character Recognitio n (OCR). No corrections have been made to the OCR-ed text and no editing has be en done to the content of the original document. Encoding has been done through an automated process using the recommendations for Level 1 of the TEI in Librar ies Guidelines. Digital page images are linked to the text file. r c Pvo i t BLUE GR ssl3LADEl t Volume XVII Number 6 LEXINGTON KYM MAY 31 igo8 Published Weekl DEVOTED TO THE PROPAGANDA OF FREEDOM OF THOUGHT I It JOSEPH HAIGH 21 Westeri Pioneer and Freethinker i tt 2 BLUE GRASS BLADE Joseph and Edward Haigh The uncertainty of existence finds ample demonstration in this brief sketch for it is required to serve a double purpose a double duty as it were In the first place it appears as a birthday anniversary commemoration of one who finds the shadows falling towards the west and at the same time a memorial for one loved while living and honored now dead who was on this side of life when the poem given on this page was first penned but died shortly thereafter For many years the Freethought propaganda in America found no warmer friend nor more ardent supporter than Joseph Haigh formerly of Chebanse Illinois now residing at Kankakee The Freethought press has from time to time been enlivened and enriched by his contributions from both pen and pocket while some of his writings have been published In pamphlet form at 3 his own cost and expense The Free thought gatherings of the country found him a constant and Interested attendant and he never lost an opportunity to ad j vance the cause of human liberty Recently Joseph Haigh passed hlsj eightyfourth birthday One year ago he slipped upon an Icy pavement fell and so Injured himself that he is now compelled to use crutches as a means of support In moving around He was born in England March 25 1824 He came to America at the age of twentyfive years and settling at Chebanse began life as a farmer and was soon followed by his brother who took up an adjoining farm Here they lived and worked side by side for half a century There was neither town or village about them at that time but they both lived to see a prosperous community grow about them While living in Chebanso Joseph Haigh was the oldest inhabitant but after wards moved to his present domicile in Kankakee 11 1908 Is dead of was born raised We did not like the of and both that the gross By Halghl Im years today quick the time has away comes to us Jt Is just when die we turn to dust Life may bring joy and Or with it comes pain and My fathers family ten Some of them women some were men these died but Ed I And shall follow and And after all plans the best it give us rest The rich oppress the poor And strive to do so more and more The poor turn out upon a strike And try to run things as they like There is no god no no hell That talk about so well That is the way that life began And it end on that same plan Illinois March 25 1908 One of the books written and to 01 by Mr Haigh Is entitled the A B C of Religion It was written In a humorous and vein and while he offered It sale he gave most of the copies away to friends still has a number of copies on hand a sketch of the lives of these two brothers we cannot do better than to allow Haigh to tell his own story in his own way The was sent by him upon the recent death or his brother The poem pIg 1iWri 00 i herein was written by him to commemorate his birthday anniversary i Kankakee Illinois May Another My brother Edward Haigh twentyfifth day of April and funeral services were held In his own My brother and I were and in England government the country we found Christian religion was nothing but a superstition gotten uri by persons to deceive the eooooeoo BIRTHDAY POEM Joseph eightyfour old tHow and passed But we napplness distress numbered All have and we by by this For will perfect humble heaven preachers will Kankakee published Interesting for He Regarding Mr following communication appearing 1litlj jt Freethinker bnmJInterested Englandwas a Freethinker He believed the laws of Nature were the all In all the only god He died without the slightest fear or trepl dattor as to the future as calm and as peaceful as a child goes to sleep I Upon coming to America we landed In New York but soon settled In Philadelphia We were both poor and had to work hard for a living In our youth we were taught both Industry and economy and the In struction given was always useful to us A few years later we went west and settled In Illinois We entered upon gov ernment land and making adjoining farms we became pioneers in the state The present generation can know nothing of the hard times experienced In settling the new state Once In a lifetime Is enough We Improved our forms and In time owned good farms and rood houses We lived on these farms for fifty years My brother died on his but I sold mine out a few years ago and moved to Kankakee to finish my life Edward leaves seven living children and twentv irrnndcMUlron Edward Haigh was a well read man and t t well Informed He never Joined a church did he attend one Neither did I We I WA4Hcr4nor always enjoyed the respect and good will of our neighbors My brother never had a quarrel or a law suit He wrote out a sketch of his own life which was read at his funeral I have my funeral address all written and ready for some one to read at mine We both managed to accumulate property and could live independently If we sp desired Edward was seventyeight years of age Now I am eightyfour JOSEPH HAIGH d tf ffiL ti rffi tiJl 1 I BLUE GRASS BLADE 3 I Against Political Tyranny Western Writer Defends Lincolns Memory Against Present Republican Assaults By George Leeson The most uniform characteristic of man is his desire to securely enjoy perpetual happiness Mostly by ruling his neighbor with or without his consent This his political ignorance fights for pays for votes for and dies for Religiously he as ignorantly fights for it pays for it persecutes for it prays for it and dies for It Yet he has not left a period in history where the average life was worth the thralldom and tribulations of woe it cost thetthe wisest and the noblest of all Orthodox theology teaches that mans pravity is Inevitable it being his share of r Adam and Eves retribution Rational scientists repudiate this theo logical theory as not being in accord with moral justice or sustained by credible thority Natural causes produce the effects complained of Conditions are man made Mans ignorance is mans enemy Hence mans Inability or disability to better his conditions depends on the truth or falsity of his being divinely ordained praved So long as even a minority believe themselves victims of depravity whether true or false such belief will produce praved conditions Like begets like hence the Issue should be joined viz Orthodoxy vs Heterodoxy and prosecuted to a logical demonstration If mans depravity is divine ly ordained it is wicked to oppose divinity with moral justice If it is not divine we should know it enjoy the benefits of the knowing and thank divinity for being more just than his dominating Salvations Armys popes saints and priests have represented him to be Thus far history characterizes the truth of divine depravity The only remaining question is does mans depravity result from mortal or immortal divines Should the divinity of mans depravity be disproved then man would abandon his prodigal career of national expansion and factional strifes His mental vision would broaden Into a new birth of democratic equalities his philanthropy would Inspire a more uniform reciprocity of democracy that first lit the lamp of Church State and Human Liberty It gave hope to the op I pressed of every clime it made American Democracy the famous founder of the nat ural rights of mnn But alas what has be came of this Democratic prodigy of Americas greatness during the past 40 years Has it also became a victim of de pravity that now permits the natural rights of man to be destroyed by a Republican JackoLantern delusion of sophisms t This divinely ordained depravity has transformed 1230000000 of greenbacks the life blood of the peoples prosperity into nontaxable interest bearing bonds Which with the demonetizing of silver gave us almost a tinuous 20year panic gave to speculators and corporations without a dollars con sideration a body of land equal to four states as large as Colorado Increased the value of government bonds in violation of original contract 50000000- has also increased crime 600 per cent transformed national tranquility into fac tional strife destroyed democratic equality the mother of happiness dethroned honor truth justice and virtue without shame transformed the Church Into a moral mock ing stench to the conscience of man or dained Class Capital Supreme Umpire over the Executive Legislative and Judicial de partments of the nation cunningly ooper ating the ministry and subsidized the press transformed a democracy Into a Capitalized Class Conspiracy ignoring anti defying law thus creating strikes ignoring pluralities the sovereign right of the people sending the Constitution to hell and denouncing the Declaration urn old Philadelphia lie paid the Pope of Rome 7500000 to get the Catholic vote In the Republican party under the pretext of the Infamous Friar Land Conspiracy that cost McKinleys life be cause he said the Friars must go and the lands go back to the people they were stolen from placed a mocking cross of gold on the throne of power a poisoning crown of grafting thorns on the utilities of the brutal subjugation of the Philippines by the sword without a hear JR or their consent thus depriving them of thte right guaranteed by our Constitution Is a return to tyranny a flagrant bane to the conscience and honor of cannibals Yet Taft Teddys dictated successor to the presidency has no more respect for truth of the defenseless dead than to say That if Loncoln was living today he would be a Republican It may be affirmed without hesitation that he would have approved he PhlMoplnf policy from the beginning to the end not as a departure from but as a vindicator of the principals of the Declaration of Independence In reply we will say that if Lincoln now lived he would not be a Republican because ho could not and be the defender of com mon decency that he always was but would say to such as Taft Teddy Peabody and their class Depart from me I know ye not I never knew ye ye are workers of Iniquities ye are wolves In sheeps clothing devouring my people Be gone ye scamps Why are vile monsters thus allowed to slander the immortal Lincoln as a violator of the sacred truths he so faithfully defend ed while living Here is what Lincoln said about your Philippine Imperial Expansion Mr Taft Let no one be deceived The spirit of seventysix and the spirit of Imperial ex pansion are utter antagonisms and the former is rapidly being displaced by the lat ter Fellowcountrymen Americans South as well as North shall we make no effort to arrest this Already the liberal party throughout tho world express the apprehen sion that the one retrograde Institution In America the retrograde Imperial policy of America is undermining the principles of progress and fatally violating the noblest political system the world ever saw This Is not the taunt of enemies but the warning of friends Is it quite safe to disregard It to despise it Is there no danger to liberty Itself in disregarding the earliest practice and first precepts of our ancient faith t In our greedy chase to make profit of the negro of the Philippines or the coolie let us be ware lest we cancel and and tear to pieces oven the white mat s charter of freedom Our Republican robe is soiled and trailed In the dust Let us repurify it Let us turn and wash It white in the spirit if not in the blood of the revolution A LINCOLN Tho Republican party like religious parties was born in blood survived on a bloody shirt bribery deception fraud and their polutions of ignorance and crimezDAVES LETTER To His Dear Heavenly Father No1 Copyright by F H H 1908 My Dear Heavenly Father My burros r name is Hasuse that means Jesus ish We didnt name him but the Mexicanywe bot him of already had him named and tho papa dont like Christians very well he said It was a very good name for him Is he any relation to the blessed savior He Is so patient that I didnt no but he might be and he was born In stall of a stable to but he likes his father and mother and his brothers and sisters At least I guess they are Papa says all the burros in this county are half brothers and sisters How many half brothers and sisters has your Jesus Of course Hasuse cant talk but he noes more than Joe about lots of things some of the time and more than the majority of Los Angeles people about some things all the time for he would not go to the Owens desert to get alkali water to drink Why do you call them asses In heaven We call them jackasses here In Los Angeles but their real names Is burro Papa says an ass means a fool Have you any fools in heaven t He does not think Hasuse could ever learn to talk he says Baalams ass was a jlnny because she talked so much Will Hasuse be a jinny if he goes there when he dies Joe says there is no sext in heaven and that there is no men and wi men there but they are all wlmen and have hair wings Papa says they are all asses but he was not In a very good humor when he said It He had just heard about the stature of Steve White that the Cathllcks are going to put up here Do you know Steve Is he in heaven now with Durant and Orchard Papa new him here before he was purified by death Did he wash In the blud of Jesus before he went Into set with the purified there Papa says If they would lean the stature up against a telegraf pole and fix it so that beer froth would run out of its mouth down over Its wiskera and clothes on to the sidewalk It would look very nat ural Do Durant and Steve sit on the same bench They are both from California and must be glad to see each other I wonder when you are expecting Bob Burdette Are there any others there from Los Angeles t What kind of llker do you use In heven for the blud of Jesus They use red wine here but In Nebraska where papa lived once they used whiskey every day after the regular meeting and all the old pillars wood commune and have a grand awakening and you could hear them enthlzo half across the township and they would keep it up till the whiskey was all gone Was it whisky that David drank when ho danced naked before you and the wlmen Will he have to ware his epod when Comstock gets there t What kind of P O regulations do you have there Can you send a naked picture of Jesus thru the males here Well I must go to hang a may basket now Answer DAVE Note same j t 9 3I4 fBLUE GRASS BLADE Neoplatonism ITS INFLUENCE ON CHRISTIANITY Dy F Hall- PREFACE I have written and compiled this short concise history of Neoplatonism and early Christianity for the express benefit of the men of common Intelligence who have not tho means to buy or ability or time to find the many books necessary to an understand ing of the subject I have never yet found any short essay covering the ground I have attempted to present to the reader One Is surprised at the Ignorance und credulity of the early church apologists and the Christian fathers as shown by the records I have found many men during my lifetime who wished to know more about what Is called Christianity but were barred because of the expense of books and the extravagant lan guage of the writers Tho study of com parative religions during the past 30 years has opened up a new view of early Christi anity I have taken most of my authorities tram Christian writers and all liberals know they never were known to tell more than they were obliged P B HALL Augusta Michigan March 190S When Catholicism became the state ligion under Cons antlne it gained in power and presumption and with a spirit of intol erance It stated to the world that it hud the only true way to heaven and all the other Christian sects were heretics As Cathol icism was only one of many different sects at this time this preposterous claim was remarkable Let us consider the beliefs and teachings of some of the various sects at this time A D 300 as all were equally true their adherents opinions IInAt this time Catholicism was not in a majority of the other sects and and certainly it could not claim a pri ority to some of the others Taylor in Dlegesls says there were ninety 90 differ ent heresies during the first three hundred years of Christianity That is there were ninety 90 different sects within the first three hundred years which the church said had not tho true way to heaven and were hereticsjust as all that differ with the Catholic church today are called heretics This was inconsistent and an assumption as tho Catholic sect knew no more about God or Jesus or his teachings or had they In any manner a better right to bo called tho true faith than any of the others Tertul lian a father of the church about 200 A D speaks of two heresies Iti the time of the Apostles towit tho Docetal who believed that Jesus had existed In appearance only a spirit and tho Ebionltes who believed Jesus was not born of a virgin As there were a number of sects of Ebionltes there was also a diversity of belief All told they were a numerous sect about 200 A D Docetlsm was not a sect but a belief or tenet of many sects This Docetlsm says Dr Lardner seems to have derived its origin from the Platonic philosophy For the fol lowers of this opinion were principally among the higher classes of men and we o chiefly those who had been converted from heathenism to Christianity Did this learn ed Dr Lardner see with a 20th century eye wr r ll even in his day that In the early centuries his heathenism and Platonic philosophy were Identical Many of these sects did not believe in the resurrection many more did not believe in the divinity of Jesus Tile Arlans outnumbered the orthodox sect There were nearly forty of the Gnostic sects They wore all indoctrinated with Neoplatonism and were all believers In Docetlsm that Jesus was a spirit only It sprang up In tho first century and had spread over the whole civilized world In the second century The Gnostics had an arls tocrary of mind powerful and exclusive And such was the fascination Gnosticism exercised over tho mind that had it not been for the Innumerable schisms In its own camp which prevented its alliance with the political power of the day it would have stood Its ground much longer All we know of the Gnostics we derive from their Jewish and Christian adversaries wno confessedly took especial pride In representing them and their beliefs In their darkest hues They feigned a naive surprise at not being fully recognized as most faithful followers of Christianity and members of the large Christian body- Chambers Encyclopedia from which the above is taken must like all good records of events keep close to the Catholic side of questions The fact remains today that tho earliest Christian writings which havo come down to us were written In refutations of the heresies of tho early centuries show us what tho division of lie llof was in those days If the reader has followed my presentation from history ho will tnily understand that Catholicism haJ many competitors in the field who openly denied Its priority and its claim that it had tl only true way to heaven Now as there not a rite emblem precept or cor nvjiiy in Christianity which Is not foiiul In the older rOIfclons and as its mythoil vir gin horn sailor Isa 1000 years old and on Its many phallic emblems are yet other 1000 years old it behooves us to inquire who were the transplanters of these old cults iinder a new name In Palestine We know that In Alexandria Egypt the first city In tit world In tho first century there was a Neoj tonlst elective school where scholars from all parts of the known world gathered to discuss and disseminate their different thoughts and views on metaphysical and philosophical questions Here in this school which began in the days of the Ptolemies we may without doubt find by a study of Neoplatonism and sonic of its chief ex ponents some light on this Important question Nepolatonlsm Platonic philosophy Neoplatonism was a religious philosophy the same as all philo sophies up to the 18th century This school at Alexandria and its different branches throughout the East taught this philosophy It wnaa vain endeavor to solve the mystery of life and the cosmos through the sciousness of humanity In a mystical way it endeavored to show the relation of human to the author of all things and to the- universeto explain the mystery of creation and its existence The ancient religions of tho Fast had a peculiar Interest for the Neoplatonist In tho days of Plato a sus picion appears to have obtained that reality certainty and truth could only be attained 1 i Jp tf fI HI L I by selecting something from every system of religion Judaism Buddhism Brahmtsm Parsee and Neoplatonism all had their In terpreters within a small distance of the temple of Serapls which was the heal of this philosophy at Alexandria Egypt It is said of Plotlnus one of its exponents A D 200 that after ten years of etudy under the great teacher Ammonlus Saccas he agreed to never divulge tho teachings of his master He made such an impression on his hearers that many gave up their fortunes to the poor set their slaves free and devoted their time to contemplation study and ascetic mysticalTrinitymeans of reaching the absolute unity is very much like Pauls Faith alone Is clent untosalvation Real science and pure knowledge had never before been so undervalued and utilised by the leaders of culture as they were by the Neoplatonist Professor Harnack says It must ho affirmed Neoplatonistthe highest and purest ever reached an tiquity Philosophy must cease to exist as a science in order that mans assertion of the supernatural value of person and his life may receive full recognition Phil osophy as represented by the Neoplatonist claimed to be not merely the absolute philosophy the keystone of all previous systems but also the absolute religion re Invigorating and transforming all previous religions Hence the existing religions after being refined and spjrltuallzpd were made the basis of philosophy A new world was discovered for the sake of which every thing else was abandoned to make sure of that world Insight and Intelligence were freely sacrificed and in the light that streamed from beyond the absurdities of tho present became wisdom and its wisdom became foolishness Let tho reader digest this quotation and see if it is not what is called Christianity today The Brlttanica says If Neoplanton Ism is understood in the widest sense as the highest and fittest expression of the religious movement at work In the Roman Empire from the second to tho fifth century then it may be regarded as the older twin sister of the church dog matic which grew up during the same period tho younger sister was brought up by tho elder then rebelled against her and at last tryannlzed over her But the im portant fact is that the relationship was acknowledged on both sides Tho Neo platonlsts themselves characterized tho theologians of the church as intruders who had appropriated tho Platonic philosophy and spoiled It by the admixture of strange fables It must be confessed that when Christianity began to project a thology Jt was deeply im pregnated by Neoplatonist influences These church writers have over feared tho name even of Neoplatonist and in this quotation Prof Harnack has broadened out somewhat For three centuries Lewis says Neoplatonlsm was a formidable rival to the greatest power that ever appeared on earth and if it succumbed in tho struggle It only fell with tho civilization of which it had been the last rampart Tho Brittanlcn says why Neoplatonism succumbed in the con filet with Christianity is a question which the historians have never satisfactorily an swered Tile forces that conquered Neoplat onism after assimilating nearly everything that it contained was Catholic Christianity and Catholic theology Tho battle ground was the empire of Constantine and j1 t L jf J ii 4iIt J t lt BLUE GRASS BLADE 5 Theodoslus It is only when these and all dulyrealizedChristianitycontributed must be assigned to the organization of the church theNeoplantonlstsligious community It had entirely modeled the ancient religions with a view NeoplatonIsmWe claim it was not only tho name was changed to Christianity to correspond with stostheyIe not true that the birth and infancy of both infancyfrom the Jesus of the one to three year ministry in our gospels Alas there wa near thirty years between the two and God did not make any use of his saving why worldwassomethingthatChristian writers of the past are even mysteriousbeliefs condemnmysteriousmoglcally ChristianityIs aridenticalaccretions after Constantinos time Paul knew nothing of Christians and one o knows the time that the Neoplatonists StAugustine irstandfauatlcalhisshalllaythmythicalsecurelylocked Isthethat Neoplatonism had no religious founder formulateacheau a great part of his life and was strongly tinctured with Neoplatonism as all wereAugustlnoplatonism and at the same time ho most clearly perceived and most fully stated mltydUfered whatthetimes protestants as well as Catholics vicing to impress strongly on the people andI witnessethey exceptiontotruthful Many of his reasonings are basedIon false and untenable premises Dut ho holthemp s before he died he frankly acknowledge such Continued on page 12 fI h7 lt If 14 The Bible Teacher AttemptedConversion Sent to the Aged Freethinker By James S Scott IgnoranceIt theIlresentation faitrInorganicis for this reason that numerous Indi h mytnof Science Spiritualism sand kindred cults Coming back to the clues whitfornthroughglorifieshisadvicehave resulted in the perpetuation of an In normltype oItwomany theoutInrespects you personally she feels hurt at religionYoufew plain facts and referred her to the au huUyOUfreoreoIIglonllrlvatelyowned mwouldbelnSdefeatedcorner and sot up that good old Pagan c thingsyouwell meaning but is handicapped by bad n teachIngof Paul This Is natural Paul was a nar tlaverageattracted to him through tho natural law affinity Given the religious tendency nii n theological environment and it follows as a matter of course that the young woman out of place In a world of knowledge an aPllfirentwhenyour belief or disbelief whichever you choose to call It You Mr Rockwell do thobagagegovernUyher that tho old testament contains no do punismeatyou will find It stated In the Ency i Li fk JlP i b 5versolanguagescription not the refined Indecency of the writers of the Elizabethan period but thee vulgarity of the dive that the Jews of the old testament were little better than a band of marauders that they came In con toprofitarchitecture of that ancient empire and be ing unable to cut timber straight secured the services of the heathen to build theirtemple That the story of Moses was related of a King Sargon and is known to i Thatourorigin That the Chaldean tablets have re 11creationof the Dead sea has disposed of the Imag andthe r ttChurch has perpetuated this mass of absurd itsopposition surgery resulted In Europe being repeatedly theworldsso recent that tuberculosis and other evils are still with us which otherwise would have long ceased to curse mankind That the dissemination of scientific was impossible thecollegesYou may say to her that the liberty she enjoys In this 20th century was never rcured for her by the church It was made theChristianmany centuries The older civilizations have passed away and darkness and bar barism have swept thin earth but the old thefabledagain appealed to that love of justice that r never dies BURNING IN EITHER PLACE9a By Geo Leeson playrypromises When Evallne said to Fern didnt Lucile say s07 Yes she did re tohnlie When Luclle retorted God will burn 1you for the lie you told this morning ho isis 1I verdit to you so that you may give the kids of warmdLAWS AND rLAWYERS IJ consider athenlawsh k IttSlave 1 v 6 BLUE GRASS BLADE A = Current Comment on Public EventsZ The Christian evangelization of the cities has been solved at last For this the church owes a debt of grati tude to Rev J Wilbur Chapman of PhiladelphiaHis to hold simultaneous services in every district upon the TorreyAlexander style These meetings are to be held on the streets and sinners called to repentance As the people refuse to attend the services already provided for them the services are peolleI one It is an old method revived It has been tried and abandoned It worked well for n brief sea son but the people tired of It New methods were then sought and having run the gamut j a return to the old is thus made necessary Undoubtedly the Rev Chapman Is a great manIn his own mind It remains to be seen what his colaborers will think of him as his methods are being put to a test The failure of the church to attract the masses finds additional proof with every service The rich humor of John D Rockefeller Jr in telling the members of his Bible class that the rich man who old lies destroyed mens reputations and took advantage of those weaker than himself must have brought a smile to the lips of all who heard It Considering the methods by which the Rockefeller wealth was acquired for which an Immense fine was administered by a Federal Judge as a means of punishment therefor it is fitting that they should en courage and show a high regard for that Christian humility so vigorously expounded from the pulpits The wonder is that the ruined homes lost fortunes and broken hearts of the independent oil operators men sent to premature graves because of the op pressions of the Rockefeller trust do not haunt them day and night and make life miserable for them It Is easy to preach love of god with untold millions In gold at their command but there is another side which the Rockefellers do not care to hear from r r William H Taft Is a candidate for presi dential honors Like Bryan ho has an eye to business Both want the Christian vote and both are making strong bids to get it From time to time we have been regaled with the deep religious sentiments of Bryan The dally press has gushed over with it Taft seeks an even break and intends to divide the honors with him In a recent speech delivered before the Laymans Mis sionary Movement in New York he took oc casion to sing the praises of foreign mission ary enterprise stating that he had been won to this view by reason of his ex pxerlences abroad He insisted before his hearers that the spirit of Christianity is the only basis for the hope of modern civili zation and the growth of popular self government Now we wonder who told him Did not Mr Taft know that civiliza tion and popular selfgovernment only came in spite of Christianity Did he not know that both were denied by the Christian Church while at the zenith of its political power Of course It is an easy matter to distort facts and misrepresent history when br S votes are needed but neither Bryan or Taft have been able to win the respect of the Intelligent portion of the American people by their professed piety It is a great pity that a voters choice has got to fall upon one or the other r r r When priestcraft and kingcraft refute to itisfair Reports from Servla state that Father Sava Kesitch an army chaplain in a sermon recently delivered scored the reigning dynasty because of its alleged criminal operations and we are further told that King Peter in whose service the Ohruilalu was then engaged was a listener to the scath ing denunciations delivered It Is now pected that the priest will be fired from his JobThe strangest part of the affair is that this same priest had full knowledge of all the shame and disgrace hanging over the Servian monarch and his church when ho accepted the Job Having frequently in voked the divine blessing upon his king and the Servian court there must have been some hitch in the program that brought on the denunciation To be consistent he ought to return all the cash ho has hereto force received for salary but when a priest does this the mlllenlum will be near at any event it Is a good sign for the old saying still holds good that when rogues fall out honest men may get what is due them Christ was and Christ therefore is now Let the nations humbly confess him Come you infidels admit your ideas are all wrong and get in the orthodox band wagon before it Is too late If you prefer doing so you can wait until the eleventh hour and then confess him The scripture assures us that this will do just as well In any event Christ must be confessed for we are told that indisputable evidences are at hand of his being These evidences are said to have actually startled the religious world al ready believers so we can guess what greater power It should have upon all unbe lievers From among the embalmed cats and bats of ancient times has come a linen towel upon which is Imprinted a likeness of Christi thereby furnishing undeniable proof of his existence on earth This towel is in the possession of the Church San Bartholomeo at Genoa The great care taken for its preservation may be perceived by the fact that it is kept under twelve locks and keys Of course it Is not said Just how the likeness got there but the legend has it that Christ simply put it there himself With It Is a fragment of manuscript said to be in the handwriting of Christ and consists of a letter addressed to Abgar King of Odessa Considering the fact that even Christian historians admit that Christ even did he live never wrote a line there being no evi dence that he could write the wicked sceptic will pronounce even this a forgery and the towel picture a fake But what of a divinely ordained religion that must be compelled to depend upon such evidences tWT Vl 1 Were the writer god almighty and had the power and the priests I had apoplntod and annolnted to represent me I would drown the layout like a litter of blind puppies for not being able to put up a better fraud r We have been told that pride goes before a fall but the maxim seems incapable of making any serious impression upon the present day followers of the Galillean in New York the members of the Catholic Church devoted one full week to a celebration of their centennial For this occasion Cardinal Logue primate of Ireland crossed the Atlantic without asking the popes consent and took quite a promi nent part therein During the celebrations there were street parades and holy pre- cessions for the edification of the populace In the latter priest arrayed in their gorge ous costumes took part Snapshots were taken and one of the pictures appearing In the public prints shows that the procession had halted for the very purpose of beingtphotographed Eyes are turned towards the camera indicating a keen desire to be shot to the best possible advantage Pages carry ing the long trains of the head priests are given In the picture but what appears In sharp contrast are the smiles on the faces of those who lined the sidewalks There is a world of argument in those smiling faces They are stronger than spoken or printed words But let us imag ine if we can the procession made up for the alleged triumphal entry of Jesus in Jerusalem and then compare with the gorgeous splendor of this New York procession and we have a still stronger argument against the follies and extravagance of modern Christian worship If the record be true Jesus had never a home Not even a boarding house He had to take chances on getting a square meal He rode on an ass the record sug gests two and was followed by the rag tag and bobtall of that Judean metropolis But how time works changes r There is much to commend in a recent discussion of revivals in religion as judged from a scientific standpoint Indulged in by Rev John Malick a Unitarian preacher of Great Falls Montana The history and pathology of all sorts of revivals were thoroughly gone into and he denounces the evangelical methods of modern Christians as producing a condition of frenzy and convulsions marking as it were a psycho logical condition that bodes no good for the betterment of mankind It is a well admitted fact that there is no field so much needs the corrective of the impassioned and calculating mind of the scientists as that of religion and in tracing these conditions from a remote period in the history of man kind Rev Malick has laid bare an array of facts that exposes the hallucinations of modern religious conversions Although a full report of that Sermon has been sent to the Blade it is Impossible for lack of space to print it yet we wish we could do so as it is worthy of a wide circulation The tendency of the sermon however is suf ficient to arouse intelligent thought It clearly distinguishes between religion so called and morality This Is the position assumed by the rationalist and the follow ing excerpt will be enough to draw the line of demarcation that finds greater recogni tion among the thinking classes Rev Malick said among other things In popular Christianity yet there is no necessary or vital connection between being good and being saved whatever that means i lttt C 0 1t BLUE GRASS BLADE 7 In that last analysis it is said the real thing is belief It has to be either belief or mor ality It cannot be both If god deliber ately loses a soul and chrIst saves it and neither consults the person then it doesnt make any vital difference whether you are Judas or Paul If one is saved to the future by his own effort and the laws of the universe it does not make an atoms difference whether Christ is historical or mythical If one is saved by belief then morality is only a little ripple on the sur face Your good life wouldnt save you Your bad life couldnt lose you This is the logic of the position Dancing is yet prohibited by the Methodist church authorities and secretly indulged in by members of the Methodist churches While realizing the situation intensely the conference refused to repeal the prohibition hurch law well knowing that young tethodlsts would continue to violate that e law and no action be taken against them Naturally the average Methodist shrinks from taking a forward step or adopting a new law that would bring his church abreast with the times Orthodoxy is always retro gressive It appears however that the bishops of the church taking part in that conference were to a man in favor of repealing the law and that the lay members were against it In other words the bishops who know the situation were In favor of liberalization The lay members who also know the situation were not in favor of removing these shackles from the limbs of the younger generation Whenever a church law Is not considered to be binding and Is kept on the books just for the sake of trying to fool somebody the tendency is to put all church laws in contempt so long as it stands unrepealed and not enforced Then what becomes of the church A dead letter law cannot add to its Influence and glory Such a condition very readily sug gests that while the church demands one thing and its members openly practice another and the church Is powerless to say aught In condemnation but timidly wink the other eye it has reached a stage of harmless disuse and can be dispensed with as a factor in human organization What is true of the Methodist church is true of every other church standing in precisely the same attitude upon questions of individual dis cipline From this we may infer that the end is rapidly drawing nigh i If any among the socalled modernists ever dreamed or entertained the notion that the attitude of Cardinal Newman upon scholastic Issues would be displeasing to the pope their notions are now shown to be at variance with the facts and their dreams must perforce be dispelled Cardinal Newman Is not a modernist HN theology is safe and sane He is In high jinks with the Vatican and American Catholics are in no danger of being shut out by reason of their allegiance to him This much is given by the pope in person who in a recent com munication on the subject expressed a wish that all Roman Catholic prelates were as sound in their theological doctrines as Cardi nal Newman The pope even goes further and declares that Newmans enemies could profit by reading and adopting his views This is bully for Cardinal Jim Now that he knows he is not to be condenmed or excommunicated he ought to manifest a great increase in his religious fervor With the pope for him he cannot miss the New Jerusalem special and it would even wait for him should he be late in reaching the station But there is something deeper i F f j All under this declaration of the pope New man represents some millions of Catholic worshippers in America These worshippers are reported as being the very best and prolific contributors of cash to the Vatican exxchequer To thrust Newman out of Catholic favor and heavenly grace would be to antagonize his many friends and Rome would suffer by the process This the pope knows full well and he simply could not afford it Selfprotection and profit made him endorse Newman Verily there is a method in his madness and Rome keeps its eye on the business end of the game Count von Waldersee of Germany isan ideal husband and the Countess who was formerly Mary Esther Lee of New York is a happy woman although married to a foreigner Despite the notorious misery and unhappiness that have attended these international marriages and the fearful lessons they have wrought to the title hunting women of America the Dutch Countess insists that she at least is happy in the possession of a title and we have no desire to enter into a dispute with her on the subject If vain show silly pomp and pride the tinsel and glitter of fashionable life can be productive of happiness then the former Miss Lee of New York ought to be among the happiest of women for when it comes to strutting on dress parade the German military officers can beat the band But the Countess in an alleged Interview has urged as one of the grounds of happi ness that her husband who before their marriage was wont to spend this Sundays on pleasure and business bent according to the German fashion Immediately after their marriage and without even the formality of a request from his bride the Count adopted a rule of going to church every Sunday strictly observing the church rules but she added in deference to my wishes Here the Countess has inadvert ently let the cat out of the bag for with out my making a request she took particu lar pains to let him know what she wanted and like a dutiful husband the Count went to church in deference to my wishes In this case as In thousands of others throughout Christendom the man goes to church not on hid own account but in deference to his wifes wishes Most hus bands prefer to follow their own wishes and are willing to permit their wives to have the honor of church going It is not necessary fora man to attend church in order to be a dutiful husband This fact finds abundant corroborations every day of the week When a male man actually finds pleasure in attending church you can put it down there is something wrong with his mental makeup Moral and mental peace is not to be found among the Christians of Oklahoma Instead of loving each other as themselves they Indulge in all sorts of accusations from stealing to lying and this holy sport has been carried to such an extreme that damage suits are threatened Rev R E L Morgan of the Southern Methodist Church has made written accu sations before the Investigating Committee against certain and sundry church mem bers accusing them of drinking dancing cardplaying and cigarette smoking Certain professors are named in the written charges The letter containing the charges was addressed to Dr N L Linebaugh of MAlester a member of the Committee A4si1 t iMfi r 1 and was found in a room at the Arline professorsbelongsity and in some mysterious manner it found its way into their hands The rumpus r followed The professors contended that the letter was picked up in the room that had been occupied by the Committee Dr Linebaugh denounced the professors as liars and insisted that the letter ad been stolen Liar and thief became common expressions Norman reuses to retract and the professors threaten to bring suit The whole muss appears to be due to the fact that the preacher is one of those Meddlesome Mattles who imagines that he has been commissioned by some deity to manage the affairs of his neighbors Both sides are prepared with legal talent to enter the judicial arena On with the dance and let the band play This is the effect of orthodox Christianity upon men If the plea of insanity is successful in allowing Rev S A Coffman of Fairmont West Virginia to escape punishment for the brutal murder of his wife then the au thorities ought to take Immediate steps toward suppressing religion which was the f cause of nls mental derangement Under a wise law no man can be punished for a crime committed during a spell of Insan ity Insane people cannot be held to a criminal accountability During such an attack the mind is a blank reason files and the judgment is sus pended The reports state that Rev Coffman had been conducting a revival service He left tho meeting for home About midnight ho and his wife discussed the services when he suddenly sprang towards her beat her with a poker chased the unfortunate wo man into the garden where he caught her and cut her throat killing her In an Interview shortly after his arrest he stated that he was insane when he committed the crime but at the sight of his wifes lifeless body his reason at once returned In a still later interview he said it was his In tention to kill his entire family and himself Like Joseph of old in the Fotlphar scan dal the young man gives himself away by protesting too much Admitting for the sake of argument that he was Insane when he killed his wife and that reason urned immediately thereafter It appears td us that he remembers altogether too much of what his intentions were during his attack of Insanity and his ability to state those Intentions while sane indicates a continuity of thought and action that will not sit well In a court of law if the casexis brought to trial before a just tribune Medical jurisprudence has very happily gone deeply Into the subject of murderous mania and the state may be able to prove that the reverend maniac has talked too much In an effort to establish a legal defense for his crime In any event there can be no disputing the fact that sane or insane at the moment of the uxorcide the excitement of a religious revival has got the blame for laying the precise foundations of the crime and had this been committed by a Freethinker instead of an Episcopal preacher every pulpit would have thundered in denuncia tion of Infidelity But great Is the power of our blessed religion 1ii A ffap 4 li we6s reyPwe ar sw csa 1 r V H tltd 8 BLUE GRASS BLADE BLUE GRASS BLADE Published weekly at Lexington Ky Founded by Charles Chilton Moore In and edited by him until his death February Jas E Hughes Out Manager and Publisher John Charlesworth Editor 1268 N Limestone St Lexington Ky P O Box SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mall postpaid 160 per year In advance Five new yearly subscribers at one remit tance 110 each Five trial subscriptions sent In with one remittance for six months cents each Trial subscriptions cents per month Foreign subscriptions postpaid 200 per year ADVERTISING RATES One Inch single column Insertion cents one month or tour Insertions 100 six months J60u one year 800 Quarter column single one insertion 200 one month 400 six months 2000 one year 3000 Half column whole column or larger advertisements rates upon application The bnJv the right to reject any and all advertisements offered GENERAL BUSINESS RULES ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS to the Blade will be discontinued at the expiration tehal term for which the subscription has b up in advance The address slip on the paper will show subscribers the date of expiration of subscription Back numbers or numbers omitted will be sent if asked for upon renewal in case of discontinuance SHOULD ANY SUBSCRIBER change his or her address advise this office giving both old and new rrTHE OFFICE dtpublication the Blade Is at 128128 North Limestone Street Lexington Kentucky to which all Freethinkers will be given a hearty welcome THE BLADE Is entered at the Poatofflce at Lexington Kentucky as secondclass mail matter ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO THE BLUE GRASS BLADE P Box Lexington Ky 1ooXox xxiBditoltial oe INFIDELITY CLASSED WITH CRIME Contrary to all the facts and evidence In the case offered by unbiased history repre sentatives of the orthodox Christian church still Insist upon declaring that infidelity is a crime and as such It ought to bo recog nized by the statute law From time memorial statutes have been enacted against unbelief In the prevailing orthodox creeds and penal punishments imposed against and applied toward the unbeliever This prac tice would still bo prevalent could the orthodox have their way but In the liber alizing efforts of progress Improvement and development aided by the refining Influences of education the tendency of the popular mind has been In an opposite direction and penal punishment for unbelief Is now an impossibility It Is currently reported that one Rev C W Blodgett pastor of the North Avenue Methodist Church at a dinner given in PIttsburg by a set of religious leaders called tor = the Down Town Club gave expression to his views upon the subject of divorce and requested the support otall orthodox denominations for the antidivorce act that has been made a pet hobby by Robert H Heath reported as being a candidate for the Pennsylvania legislature from the twelfth district We have not seen this bill nor anything purporting to be a copy or draft of It We know nothing about Its provisions but being against divorce It may safely be presumed that it had Its origin in sonic gos pel mill and as means of acquiring the church vote this candidate has undertaken to father the measure It Is not of the bill Itself that we purpose to deal but rather with a suggested amendment thereto pro posed by the preacher aforesaid at the din ner aforesaid and in the manner aforesaid The aforesaid preacher very evidently has got a bad case of religious delirium truineiis mud for the simple protection of society ho truth to be confined Commending the antidivorce bill and seeking support In its behalf this preacher Blodgett proposed that additional grounds for divorce be specified In the bill The original purpose of the bill is to prevent the multiplicity of divorce suits But few grounds for absolute divorce are said to be contained among its provisions The amiVidmqnts proposed as being grounds upon which awlccree of divorce should bo granted upon petition and proper proof were Infidelity insanity and drunkenness We opine that In suggesting Infidelity the preacher had no reference to a disbelief In deity for were this meaning to be given to his suggested amendment the grounds for divorce would be multiplied Instead of being recrlcted and Innumerable suits could be filed As a matter of fact this would con stitute a ground for divorce for fifty percent of the American people Then It could operate both ways If the husband were an unbeliever and the wlfo a Oallovor both would be Infidel to each others views Husband and wlfo belonging to opposing and antagonistic religious sects would also come under the definitions of being infidel It Is evident that the friend sending us the clipping containing the report of the parsons utterances adopted this view of the situation but wo are inclined to accept the term as meaning one of the parties being unfaithful to the marriage obligations instead of assuming a religious bearing As for Insanity that has always been a ground for divorce since divorce statutes have become so extensive It is manifestly unjust to compel either husband or wife to remain mated to one who Is under Judg ment of Insanity Love will keep the heart unaffected In many cases but where love declines to accept the situation the courts have Invariably recognized Insanity as a ground for annulling the marriage bonds In many states if not nearly all habitual drunkenness is m do a ground for divorce F b sw u especially If there be a wasting of the sub stance of art estate or a failure to properly provide is attendant Habitual drunkenness Invariably Is accompanied by cruelty and privation and properly proven It is accepted as a Just ground for separation From this It will be seen that parson Blodgett is decidedly behind the times It apears to be another instance of trying to talk upon a subject of which tho speaker know nothing Absorbed with theology church building he has probably not had sufficient time In which to make an In be possible that in suggesting infidelity as a ground for divorce pars nn Blodgett had reference to tho subject of religious disbelief the Blade could then an opportunity for thousands of men who are unhappily mated to orthodox wives who spend their husbands earnings for church missions and church work If this is what he meant and were it to become the law many a parson would rrun short on salary when tho husband refused to put up EPISCOPAL UNION WITH ROME If there is anything In the proposed amal gamation of the Anglican church with that of Rome It must mean the extinction of the Episcopal church for it is not to be sup posed that the Vatican would consent to any union unless it be upon terms decidedly ad vantageous to tho Vatican In some quar ters of tho Episcopal church the proposed reunion or return to and with tho Romish church is denied but In high Catholic circles It is admitted that a movement has been Inaugurated with that object In view and Archbishop Ryan has expressed the opinion that It will ultimately come to pass and that too In the not distant future As a matter of fact the Anglican or Episcopal church Is but little removed from Romanism Founded by Henry VIII of England to gratify his marital ambitions and enable him to become a many times widower over papal protests tho Anglican church adopted and embraced much of the ritual and ceremonials of the Roman church Both pretended or assumed to worship the same deity but each In a slightly different form Much of the paraphernalia used was tho same but one looked to the pope for all church authority and the other looked to the king Tho reasons for bringing the Episcopal church into existence having passed away It can go back to Rome with out materially altering Its particular faith and the world will hardly know that the change has taken place Of course tho re union would mean more revenue for Rome and the pope and his bishops and arch bishops ever with a practical eye towards the business end of the game can be relied upon for forcing tho Issue as far as they are capable of doing so without appearing to bo too over anxious c2 tj i l W BLUE GRASS BLADE 9 RELIGIOUS LIBERTY THREATENED POSTAL AUTHORITIES TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS MADE AGAINST THE BLADE FREETHINKERS AROUSE Tile Blue Grass Blade is under Federal espionage Notice of a probable investigation with a view to excluding it from the mails has been served upon the editor and publisher The liberty of the American press and the religious liberty of every citizen in the republic are at stake and the issue is of vast importance to every anti orthodox publication in the country Should it ever become necessary and we can get the necessary financial means we will carry the case to the Supreme Court of the United States should an adverse ruling be made before submitting to any arbi trary authority- No citizen no institution no paper or periodical in America can be or ought to be discriminated against because of its antireligious or antiChristian utter ances as the Constitutional guarantee of religious liberty includes the right to express a lionbelief in god as it does to express a belief in god It is a right or privilege to worship or not to worship at the shrine of an orthodox superstitious faithaccording to the dictates of the individual conscience We do not believe in god andwe assert the right to declare our unbelief to the same extent as the pious fanatic insists upon his right to declare his belief Monday night MHy 18 last James E Hughes the business manager and publisher of the Blade was notified in a casual way by Postoffice Inspector Keys of this district that complaints against the Blade had teen made to the United States Postal authorities at Washington from Canadian sources Two copies of the Blade were shown containing marked articles They are of date July 1007 Both had been mailed to a Canadian subscriber whose name we did not see nor leave wo seen at the time of this writing It is evident that the copies of the Blade were purloined and extracted from the mails by Canadian officials the articles marked and then sent to Washington They wore thereupon Deferred to the inspector in this district Tile papers and the complaint have been in Lexington for nearly ten months and no notice was given until the date above stated Tile inspector stated that ho would take the matter up at some future time The foregoing is practically all we know of the case Receiving such a notice wo at once tooksteps to prepare for holy investigation that might follow Able counsel leave been retained stenographer will also be employed to take down the proceedings in full to transcribe them and prepare them for publi cation Having no doubt or fear concerning the result we can state that the report of these proceedings will be given in full in the columns of the Blade The only question now confronting us is our financialabil ity to make any extended contest We purpose carry ing the fight into Africa but we have no money to engage ill such a contest Friends of liberty everywhere This is not our fight alone but it is also yours It s being threatened against you through the medium ship of the Blade It is a direct blow at the religious liberty of every man and woman who refuse to kneel at the shrine of faith and subject themselves to the dictates of the orthodox creeds The Blade is essentially an antiChristian anti orthodox publication It is as its title page states devoted to time advancement of Froethought as against the teachings and donnas of Christianity It is also an uncompromising foe to priestcraft and all that it impliesIteach anarchy socialism or any other of the modern isms that prurient politicians have assumed to befdestructive of the principles upon which modern society is based The Blade is a stanch defender and protector of the home It has no special political 1Aswhat steps the postal authorities will take in the premises We publish this as a timely warning to our friends and subscribers If we have got to fight for our right to live we shall need your help and plenty of itIf these are to be more of the times that tried mens souls we ask that every Freethinker in the country will take a land in the fight and stand by usIduring the contest until a final adjudication is made Concede the right of the government or any of its representatives in the postofiicc department or out of it to exclude the Blade from the mails because of its antireligious or antiorthodox sentiments and no 1 paper or periodical in America devoted to the propo ganda of rationalistic thought would be safe for any j length of time We have said that our ability to fight depends upon our financial ability to keep it up Our friends know full well that we Lave not the means The burden will q bo too enormous for us to bear alone and in order that we may feel assured of support should the fight come we simply ask that lovers of liberty will write i r fr JD i i3LUc GRASS IMAM us and offer such financial help as they are capable of giving No call will be made for any cash until it is certain that the fight will have to be made Pledges are now all that are asked for These pledges can be redeemed on call We have already expended money in retainer fees for counsel to watch our side of the A BRAINLESS BIGOT The doctrines preached by Ingersoll and his like are vicious and If we were to have- a community made up entirely of people of this belief It would be unsafe for a person to pass through in even in broad daylight The newspaper clipping containing the foregoing choice criticism was sent to the Blade by L J Post of Jacksonville Fla The author is said to be some sort of a 2 by 4 preacher who publishes some sort of a f 2 by 4 paper at Whitehall Ill The name of the preacher is given as H E Bell The clipping purports to be a criticism made by Bell against an article appearing in a White hall paper commending the erection of a proposed statute to the memory of Col Ingersoll at Peoria Ill Before proceeding to discuss the Issue thus presented we wish I to further quote from the same article by the same author as follows We didnt even Insinuate that Ingersoll didnt obey the law and live a life of purity neither did we say anything regarding his truthfulness and honesty Taking both of these quotations together and reading one with the other the inde pendent thinker can readily discern the arrant hypocrisy and utter Inconsistency contained therein And yet sucli an argu ment is deemed to be possessed of merit by the aping parrots of orthodoxy who refuse to think and accept the dicta of the clergy ipso facto If It be true that Ingersolls truthfulness and honesty are not to be questioned how is It possible that a community of Inger solls would be a dangerous place for transit and habitation Honest men truthful men are not criminals Honesty Implies all that is good and noble endearing to the race Truthfulness is not a trait of the clergy however and in this we can discern the cause of their animus towards those of an opposing form of faith The majority of men today have no faith In the Christian religion They are to all intents and pur poses of the same Idea and thought as was Col Ingersoll Yet our penitentiaries are filled with men who claim to be followers of the meek and lowly Jesus who believe exactly as this preacher believes Existing facts would Indicate that It would be un safe for any person to live in an absolutely Christian community Instead of the con many years the locality known as Five Points and the Bowery in New York City were considered unsafe for pedestrians FpfIUIl 4 ease This was necessary in order not to be caught unawares Friends if you are willing and ready to help in case of necessity send in your name and address and the amount for which we can call upon you as the fight proceeds to pass through at night Numerous rob beries to say nothing of murder have been committed about them So far as is known there was not a solitary follower or a per son who believed as Ingersoll believed in either of those notorious localities History further records that locks and keys came into existence with the development of Christianity for tho crime of theft was al most unknown in pagan countries The same preacher suggests that Peoria Ill is a fitting locality In which to erect a statue to Col Ingersoll because ho says No doubt there is more graft stealing murder bloodshed suicide and scandal of every possible description in Peoria than In any other city of its size In the world To make the above sentence complete the preacher ought to have added that with the exception of Joliet the city of Peoria had more churches and Christians to the square inch than any other city in the world If his opinion of Peoria be true then we are forced to the conclusion that the crimes he attributes to the people of Peoria are directly attributable to Christianity and Christian Influences It may be that when erected the statue of Ingersoll will throw a different atmosphere over the city and the great apostle of liberty will be able to life its people out of the depths of degradation to which the disciples of Christ have con signed them But why this harangue against Peoria and Ingersoll Ahl Peoria was the former home of the great American now dead Its people have a reverence for honesty and truthfulness which this preacher has not Of all the cities in America It has sought the statue that Is to be erected to the memory of Ingersoll and In sodoing it has given offense to the narrow brained bigots of the orthodox faith Had Peoria refused to ac cept the statue and denied it a place In the city her people would have been lauded to the skies as exemplars for all mankind but having requested the statue they are criminals of the deepest dye in the estimation of those who have no use for truthfulness and honesty Assuming that this preacher was in dead earnest when he penned that article we can but argue that he Is of such small cali ber as to be unable to perceive the con tradictions of which he has been guilty The Blade would advise him to find some convenient hole and tjien crawl In and hide that truthful and ho est men may not be brought in contact with him He is too sanctified for this world anyway and too bigoted to be of any useful service The world could get along without him and never miss him His going would be a blessing and the pity of It is that he is un able to recognize this fact WHY THIS ABUSE It is with deep regret that the Blade ob serves an attack upon the groat intellect and fearless character of Voltaire from the pen of W H Kerr of Great Bend Kansas It appears that Kerrs objection to Voltaire as also to Paine is that both believed in the existence of god Kerr does not Still Mr Kerr must not forget that both Voltaire and Paine were further in advance of the re spective ages in which they lived and worked than Mr Kerr is of the present age The Blade reiterates with pride its great love both for Voltaire and Paine two of the groat worlds immortals whose names will never be erased from the human mind so long as the race endures Both worked more accomplished more and left deeper Imprints upon the sands ol Time than Mr Kerr can possibly do Yet is it not strange that socalled Freethinkers will assail the memories of such Intellectual giants be cause in a remote age they could not see far enough in advance of them to prophesy Kerrs coming into the world The Blades policy is to always give honor where honor is duo and to sink the ego into the common good If the Church of Humanity is to pur sue a policy of denunciation of either of these great laborers for Intellectual freedom we want none of it In ours But why abuse such men r STILL AFTER THE SCHOOLS It seems to be an almost Impossible task to get the mind of an orthodox Chris tian advocate weaned from the notion that some sort of religious instruction must be given in our common public schools Between the extremes of religious instruction and no religious instruction stand innumer able members of society who assume an Indifference on the subject and argue that it can make but little difference whether religious instruction be given or not and they decline to take sides in the con troversy For years the contest was waged between tho ultrapious on the one side and the Freethinkers on the other but of late If BLUE GRASS BLADE 11 te different Sects have been drawn into the fight and the battle is assuming much larger proportions Each sect jealously guards its own shibboleth and It is now the representatives of the opposing com blues of godworshippers who are taking up the cudgel against each other One of the most potent results of this sectarian controversy has happily for the children and for humanity been toreduce all religious instruction In the schools to the lowest possible minimum and still tain a semblance of it Very little empha sis was given to those cardinal points of all religions and the dispute arose over the nonessentials Believers in baptism by immersion would not tolerate any form of religion taught to their children which held that sprinkling was all that was quired to be washed in a spiritual way and viceversa Meanwhile the Freethinker held aloof still demanding that no re ligious Instruction be given the children at all until the Jewish element took a hand in the fight and the results have been anything but satisfactory to the pious fa natics of the Christian faith But little reflection is required to con vince any thinking man or woman of the fact that the innumerable names and creeds of the many different sects and de nominations passing under the name of Christian represent many deeprooted con troversies springing up in a past age but none the less continued until today The first great schism took place between Peter and Paul and these never more e came reconciled Thus we have in effect today the Pauline and tho Petrine forms of Christianity The one was the apostle of circumcision and the Jews the other of unclrcumclslou and tho Gentiles From that day Innumerable protests against stated forms of Christian worship havo been made some crystallizing into organized effort and the present conglomeration of beliefs doctrines interpretations and structions with no two alike constituting the Christian world casts a cloud of doubt upon the entire structure and for this rea son nono of the sects should be permitted to enter the public school to teach their Rostrums as opposed to the others in view of the fact that the schools are sup ported and maintained altogether by pub lic money nev Leighton Williams from we know not where or when writing in the Chris tian World and Evangelist published in New York now comes forward with a sug gestion that the sects should combine and enter into an agreement between them selves as to the amount of religion that should be pumped into tho heads of the school children with a view of producing tho maximum amount of such instruction instead of the minimum as now obtaining i iV1 j He makes no allowance for the greatmass of liberal minded people agnostics free thinkers and men and women of humanitarian ideas and principles who oppose any and all religious instruction of any kind or character whatsoever His principal ob ject as he declares is to reach some sort of understanding that shall lead to incul cating in the public schools the high ideals found In biblical literature biography history and ethics Assuming that the reverend gentleman is sincere in his suggestion we are prone to wonder where he can find any high idead In any of the departments of the bible indicated From the pen of Mrs Henry as appearing in recent numbers of the Blade many of the absurdities incon slstiencies and impossibilities of bible Ideals have been exposed and held to both ridicule and scorn In all the old testament there Is nota single manly or womanly character Adam was a coward and a hypocrite Cain was a murderer Abel was mewling pessimist Abraham was a liar and a plunderer Jacob was deceitful and a trickster Esau was a robber leader Moses was both a murderer and a brag gart Joshua was one of the bloodiest butchers in all history David was a profligate and Solomon was on a constant de bauch through life Noah was a drunkard and Lot was guilty of unspeakable crimes Look where you will and you will find them all tarred with the same brush and as a matter of right these characters ought not to be portrayed to young children as moral exemplars We cannot forsee the result of the pres ent movement but to judge it in the light of recent history It will be about as strong In comparison with the rationalistic movement as was Dame Partington In her fight against the sea with a mop The only ximejst agreement would be one to prevent and eliminate all manner of religious Instruction in the schools THE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP In this issue of the Blade will be found a copy of the scholarship that is to be Issued by the Correspondence School In reality it Is a form of receipt for the ition fees paid and a certificate entitling the holder and owner to tho amount of tu Ilion BDCdPed At the same time it offer documentary proof In the years to come of the fact that a course of Instruc on in the School hal lun taken One of the principal features connected with the scholarship certificate is the fact that it may be purchased by one person and by him transferred to another In this way it is hoped that many Freethink ers who are able to afford the amount of the tuition will purchase a scholarship and finding some worthy young man or woman 01 who would fowl delight and pleasure in 1 1JItthem to study the subjects to be coverea by the School By this system of transfer The Blade hopes to make the School a the scholarship will come the Certificates of Award and Merit These Jwill be issued after each examination at t the end of the years course The Awards twill show that the student has taken the prescribed course and will show the rating attained At the end of the full three l 1beenseventyfive per cent or more has been attained a special Award will be made au thorizing the person to whom it is issued t to represent the School and the cause of I Freethought for lectures instruction of classes and to take part in debates with J the representatives of orthodoxy The purpose in view by publishing this scholarship is simply to show the form in which it will be issued At the same time Jiwe hope to attract wider attention to the 1Atrolled than some of the most sanguine of its friends and advocates had anticipated we would be able to secure And yet the complement is not sufficient to enable the School to be managed without financial loss We have asked for 100 pupils This number would just cover the bare expenses attached Any above that number would be counted as a profit to be applied in the from of compensation to those who must perforce give considerable time and labor in its management We cannot expect the School to be a financial success at its very Inception but we do anticipate a gradual building up and a sure enough success with the second year AU such enterprises must depend upon results achelved and conquests made for its ultimate success As the School is to open for active work by the first of September next we now urge that our friends will do all that lays within their power to aid it by getting students to enroll their names upon its membership roster The other plan offered is to buy a scholarship and find some as piring scholar to whom it can be donated Contributions towards the expense of the School will be gladly received so that all the extra expenses will not necessarilly fall upon the Blades limited exchequerTJust a little thought followed by decisive action and tho School is m Important factor in the spread of Freethought Bear In mind that the four plans for In creasing the Blades circulation still hold good r M l12 BLUE GRASS BLADE Reply to Severance Iowa Reader Sends In a Correction of Names on Data of Congress By C B LeBarron There appeared in a recent number of the Blue Grass Blade an article by Channing Severance entitled Treachery In the Hep burn Bill which I think deserves special notice It Is very carefully worded In one respect and In another I think the author was very carelqss or else was not posted as to the subject in hand In either case was not acquainted with the man whom he attacks so viciously as the supposed author of the supposed bill Mr William Peters Hepburn I am proud to say Is the honored member of the lower house of Congress from this the eight Congressional district of seems to think that Free Speech means license which as far as I have been able to discover seems to be the InterpretaUon placed on it by most Socialist writers He speaks of Government as though it were a pack of robbers and dc spoilers to be gotten rid of which we must consider an insult to the whole people in this country as this is in fact a government for and by the whole people and if Mr Severance has not had a hand In this ernment of late years he must have been chasing around after false gods or else neglecting one of his most important duties He has a wrong impression of conditions today undoubtedly as he says As the in equalities of wealth Increase and million aires and paupers multiply which by the way is not true in the sense he puts it although it is one of the pet phrases of the Socialistsand then he continues Restric tions are created to hold restless and dis satisfied people in check and free speech and a free press are now considered so dangerous that the coils of statute laws are invoked to insure restraint which the foes of freedom desire Was there ever a greater slur cast upon this nation It is a fact that the conditions arising have made it necessary to create restrictions to hold the vicious and nihillstlcly people in check and that is the intention of the proposed legislation but Mr Hepburn has not introduced a bill on that subject at all and that is what makes Mr Severances article seem so virulous and libelous But there has been a bill introduced in Congress by Senator Penrose which is known as the statute relating to obscene and libelous matter being uumallablc which simply proposes to give the Postmaster General authority to exclude from the malls any matter that has been declared unmail able under existing law and would not be liable to affect publications that are not obscene and libelous Now I will agree with Mr Severance that if there is danger of this new law being so twisted and distorted that it could bo made the means whereby the whole Freethought press of the country could be suppressed that it needs the attention of every rational thinker of the land But as to Colonel Hep burn being a party to any scheme to annihilate the Freethought press it is perfectly ridiculous for in one of his personal letters to me ho gives expression to this lofty idea I want to assure you that all of my efforts shall be directed to so use any power that may be given me in the interest of securing wise legislation and good government ij h3 I trust that Mr Severance can give some reasonable explanation for the appearance of his article and that you will find room for thin in your columns The face ofthe printed bill as submitted was as follows Congress1st Session S 1518 In the Senate of the United States December 1907 Mr Penrose introduced the following bill which was read twice and referred to the Committee on PostOffices and PostRoads A BILL To amend section thirtyeight hundred and ninetythree of tho Revised Statutes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled That sec tion thirtyeight hundred and ninetythree of the Revised Statutes be and the same is hereby amended by adding And when any issue of any periodical has been de clared nonmailablo by the PostOffice De partment the periodical may be excluded from secondclass mail privileges at tho discretion of the PostmasterGeneral CRITICISES SUSAN J PECK Her Writings are But Personal Opinions and Not a Religious History By Manning Severance Any person who writes for public con sideration is the legitimate subject of com ment and criticism and this fact is my reason for commenting on Susan J Pecks article labeled tho history of religion Susan has the ability to write some read able things when she confines herself to the practical affairs of life and our relations to each other as members of the great human family but tho same cannot be said when she gets onto the subject of religion and If her other thirty articles on that subject are as jejune as the thirty first her time could no be more foolishly expended and wasted I read the article referred to twice to be sure had missed nothing that gave it value and was then convinced I bad not and what there is in it that ran possibly interest Freethinkers who care as little about the New Testament and its compound of nonsense and absurdities as they do about a last years almanac passes my powers of discovery Susan starts out by saying she claims to be a Christian and then defines a Christian as one who is obedient to conscience and conscience is the Christ she says Tho Christ or annolntcd one of tho Now Testament being a man or a myth rather named Jesus it is hard to see how the word does or can mean conscience so such a definition of a Christian falls flat before the faculty of reason Either a Christian is one who believes in the mythical Jesus and ac cepts his claims of being the savior of the world or all prevailing definitions and as sertions of dictionaries and Christians them Helves barring herare false But to settle tho question let us fall back on the New Testament Itself and apply the test given in St Marl By these signs ye know them J w itr iWtFrq f If Susan is really a Christian let her im bibe the dcse of cyanide of potassium that Jamieson used to ask Christians to take as a proof or come out here and fondle some of the rattlers that Infest these mountains If she survives either test I will glad ly admit she is the real thing though her definition has no sense when applied to Christianity Now let us take the label of her article under which she writes the history of religion This is a misnomer and has no connection with tho product of her pen The history of religion is its origin if possible and what religious people have done in its name and some of those doings can be found in a short history of tho inquisition Instead of writing a history of religion she is simply commenting on por tions of the New TeStatment and giving them her meaning a privilege every one possesses and one that has made possible the countless Christian sects we now have But what does all she says on allgorlcal subjects that mean something or nothing just as you decipher them amount to A running disquisition on Mother Gooses melodies or the rhymes in the Puritans New England primer would be equally important and Interesting Whether a devil that dont exist and a Jesus that never did once went up on a mountain and had conversation on several occasions or not is very poor ma terial to write about in this the twentieth century and what some one said talking trees expressed In words 2000 years ago should be confined to publications that deal in fairy stories gnomes goblins etc Such twaddle Is decidedly a misfit in a freethought journal that is trying to get live ideas into the heads of the people and to promote that most Important of things thinkingisamount to anything bo confined to sensible and practical subjects and time worth no more than that of a setting hen is utterly wasted when devoted to an analysis of the Now Testament There is nothing in it that humanity needs to know or that will do it any good and when I think as Dr York used to say of the brains that have been worn out over that book to no purpose it does not seem as though the time was past for taking anything In it seriously or boring a longsuffering world any more with its absurdities If Susan really wants to write a history of religion and will stick to the subject she can interest the readers of the Blade for mortal man has done his most damnable deeds under religious influences and right now is making fresh history in pools of blood for the Kurds are nmssacrelnp the Armenians and reproducing Bible bstory by taking their women into captivity What freethinkers want is to see religion driven out of the human mind be cause Its influence is and always was evil and Injurious and nothing will do it quicker than a knowledge of the real history which Susan is not giving us though getting us to read her nonsense under a title that promises it Hence these remarks and these objections The Blade is gratified to observe that the Ingersoll Memorial Beacon expresses pro clsely the same views as those previously expressed by Tho Blade upon temperance and prohibition Once tho people can be taught to distinguish between them the stat ute books will cease to be burdened with such futile useless s imptuary laws i 2i1S 1 lJo T1 15 M JotJ il 3 C 1J j J BLUE GRASS BLADE lSj I NEOPLATONISM Continued from page errors and mistakes as he had discovered himself to have committed When he was years of age he came from Numidia to Milan and became known to St Ambrose bishop of Milan Then for a length of time ho still clung to his Manlchean and Neo platonist belief and shaped the doctrines of the bible according to It But there was something In the air which our Christian writers have ever failed to mention for fear their saint would lose prestige Theo toslllS was pressing hard even unto death all heretics about this time and the prospect was anything but good for Manlcheans and of course death for such a voluptuary was not to be considered when a blsnoprlc and all that pertains to it was offered him by the Catholic party On the 2fth of Apill 387 A D he and his Illegitimate son were bap tized and soon after he was made bishop of Hippo Africa He was a licentious man until the sunset of his life began and his writings smell to heaven with obscenity He says It is much better that some should perish by their own fires than that the whole body should burn in impious dissensions He does not here give the true reason for killing heretics It can be found in Deu xiif verses six to tenth What a horrible religion this socalled Christianity is As it is a religion of faith alone tile character of its devotees have no part in their salva tion It is founded on the fallibility of their man made god who to have humanity he dearly loved caused himself to be murdered as a sacrifice to right what he had done amiss We also find ho is a jealous god and that dead heretics please him more than live ones This being the case it becomes tho bounden duty of the Orthodox Christian if there is power enough behind to protect him to kill and torture any and all heretics just as the church has ever done and ever will do when it has the power With this in view St Augustines fault was not so black as one is prone to believe at first sight the fault being found in the formula of the church and its absurd ideas of tho Cosmos I have digressed somewhat to give the reader a historical review of this St Augustine as he next to Eusebius is the sheet anchor of Catholicism Ho was not even a good man but the best witness tIle church could find so they glossed him over canonized him put a halo of mystery about his name and then asked all the world to see this saint In our divine colors who testified that Neoplatonlsm and Christianity were as far apart as the Antipodes The Neoplatonlsts partly created and partly nourished the Christian mysticism of the Middle Ages both in the East and in the West It indoctrinated the church with all its mysticisms its mystic exercises and oven Its magical cults Prof John Mahaffy Chicago declares that important portions of the holy scriptures have been borrowed from pagans and Idolaters Also Christi anity is not a new thing but It is a gather ing of all the great truths and the weaving of them into tho glorious texture of tho Christian faith To bo continued Special attention is called to tho threat ened investigation of tho Blade by the Postal authorities an account of which Is given on f another page i ft6 r I A Future Life A Critical Inquiry Into the Scientific Value of the Alleged Evidences that Mans Conscious Personality Survives the Life of the Embracing A discussion of the Doctrines of Resurrec tion of tho Body ReIncarnation Spiritism Annihilation Theories of Metaphysicians Phenomena of Spiritualism etc BY SINGLETON WATERS DAVIS An octavo volume of 172 pages with tine frontispiece Portrait of the author and full table of Contents well printed on Crystal Book paper and neatly bound in cloth A Future Life is the title of a book just out In my opinion it takes rank with the best thought of the times on tho subject Every conceivable phase of this mysterious subject is treated in the clearest scientific manner My irapressioi on reading it was that all that Is known on this subject up to date Is told here It is a fortification behind which the thinker may feel himself secure this very ex ceptional book Is the product of a mature and exceptionallyfine analytical mind J B Wilson M D In the Blue Grass Blade Seventyfive Cents Postpaid to any point within the United States Foreign lOc extra Published by the Author at 854 E Lee St Los Angeles Cal No BeginningB- y William H Maple THE IDENITY OF GOD WITH TURE DEMONSTRATED The oniy book of Its kind in existence Neat cloth binding 183 pages two striking illustrations 75 cents paper binding 35 cents postpaid INGERSOLL BEACON to 78 LA 8ALLE ST CHICAGO i t tk i5i1 THE BALANCE A Magazine of Inspiration Per Annum Single Copies 10 Cents Subscribers will be given a choice of any of the following four books Concentration the Road to Success Paper cover new edition 128 pages initial illumination and sewed back By Henry Harrison Brown Editor of f Now The Celestial Life i Paper cover 144 pages new type f baCkf4DySprigs of Poetry- Leatherette cover 128 pages colored plates initial illumination and sewed back By Norris C Sprigg LL D Address all orders Sidereal Sidelights Paper cover 86 pages initial illumina tion sewed back By Charles L Brewer THE BALANCE PUBLISHING CO 174446 California St Denver Colo USA FOR THINKERS WHO THINK Tomorrow Magazine is the only publication in the world deals with all human problems from Impersonal Viewpoint- It thatJis published expressly fir those haliefsnude stripped of all racial bias affil prejudice By reading this magazine you will learn to draw all your conclusions from funda mental principles e you will learn to think correctly- bPECIAlrWo will send three month trial subscription for fifteen cents It youIare not already a subscriber The regular t price of ToMorrow is ten cents per copy or 100 per year This office may beitwithdrawn at any time so you had better 1write NOW tHydeBE SURE TO READ THIStWANTED- FREETHINKERS lTwo Printers and an Apprentice Two Shoemakers 4Ono Vegetable Gardener A good home good health and compen sation in proportion to service to Freethinkers t of any ago who can work In above MORROW PUBLISHING COMPANY r139141 E 56th St Chicago III rTJ Jid 4f r Mf1 14 BLUE GRASS BLADE t NNO64CfiG Che Blades Correspondence i TTTTTTTTTTTT TTT His Mouth Watered WILMINGTON VTI am wondering why I do not get or receive the Blue Grass Blade Your last acknowledging the ceipt of the subscription and saying my name had been put on your list of sub scribers came but no papers Thinking there is some mistake somewhere and that you would like to be Informed I write you this Then I had my mouth all made up for enjoying the reading of the Improved and rejuvinated Blue Grass Blade Hoping to hear from you soon and have all explained I am yours sincerely E A FITCH On The Right Track NEWPORT NEWS VAPlease set my address right on the Blade as I do not like missing the paper I have only ceived one in three weeks and I enclose the wrapper on the one I did get which ex plains for itself Now as to your Corre spondence School I think you are on the right track and so far as I know you have mapped out a fine coursebut it is too much for me I would havo to go to school all over again If you need help you may call on me and I will respond to the best of my ability I am going to pick out five more names in the near future and think that a good way to help the good cause alongF L TOWNSEND Must Have Blade DETROIT MICHI have a bill from your office for the Blue Grass Blade and desire to pay It Please send the amount as I want to subscribe for the Blade for another year I am a molder by trade and was out of work for five months or I would have paid it before this I would like to know if there are many Blade readers In Detroit I feel the need of a Freethought school here My little girl is only five years old and has been to Sundayschool a few times Now she Is seeing some very funny things in the sky One day last summer she saw god and he went down towards Jefferson Avenue On another oc casion she saw his pants and last night while sitting on the steps she said daddy and pointed to a cloud which was shaped like a shoe Is that gods shoe sticking out there If there are any Blade readers here please send me their address and ob lige I must have the Blade WM J BROWN Heart In Right Place DIXON ILLINOISI am In hearty sympathy with your efforts to technically and mentally equip the Blade and giving It its present pleasing appearance I hope your work will be crowned with the success served and bring the patronage up to the mark as to make life a little bit easier for you as well as the Blade Please find en closed Money Order of American Express amount one dollar and fifty cents 150 for the extension of my subscription for one jrear AUGUST VOIGHT t jf X Cl TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTT The Freethought View ALBON PLACEI send you some of my thoughts on the bible that may be of Interest but do not publish it if you can occupy your columns better I am an old editor and publisher Issued the first Pic torial Magazine issued in this county 1883 and well know the duties of an editor I am pleased with the last number of the Blade and was quite Interested in Mr Roberts article which came after I had written mine He is not quite as old as I but his expressions are not unlike mine as well as his conclusions I am an Optimist and believe it material to talk about the world of sin and misery Man makes all the misery we suffer and wish to teach him better Ignorance is sin correct knowledge Is true happiness I hope man will finally attain it but the world advances very slow and we shall not live to see it much advanced Like Abou Ben Adhem I love my fellowmen and I hope they will master their superstitions I am near my exit but am ready to go at requestJ J GREENOUGH Grow With The Exalted CEDAREDGE COLORADOSent you 50 cents and herewith another 50 cents which please place to my credit also an article for your approval I see your finely laid scheme for organizing Vagrant tramps without It with it the exalted GEO LEESON JACKSONVILLE FLAI see by the In gersoll Beacon you are In Lexington This Is the first I have beard from you since Porter used you so badly at Whitehall Illinois You will undoubtedly be surprised to hear from me but seeing your name In Beacon I thought I would write you a few lines I was glad to see you was on this side of the river yet I am nearly seventysix years old and the older I get the stronger am I In my belief I would like to bear one of your lectures again but there Is nothing here but religious revivals I will send you two cllnnlnes from a little 6x8 paper fedlted by H E Bell which gives us a pretty bad name I think he was running his paper at Whitehall when you was there I have been down here twelve years am In fair health Please write me If convenient and tell me how you are physically spiritually etc I would like much to hear from youL J POST The writer refers to a six nights debate between the Mades Editor and Rev J W Porter In the spring of 1895 The preach ers packed the Opera House with Y M C A members and church women who sought to yell the infidel down but they got all that was coming to themEd Another School Applicant GRAND FORKS N DPlease send me particulars of the Correspondence School of which you are the SPABERG lr filt A Gentle Chiding MINNEAPOLIS MINNA paper de voted as is the Blade to the propaganda of freedom of thought has a mission that is noble and Its ideal is productive of high aspirations of the mind and heart that must grow and blossom Into good fruit for the uplifting and blessing of those who partake of its mental food and all man kind that comes within their spheres of in fluence Let education philosophy and truth be your Guides to lead men and women to a broader and higher mental Freethought should not and will not beget bigotry When a freethinker finds himself becoming narrow bitter and bigoted when he ImlngM in vigorous denunciation of churchr nnd ciiurchnum and has an Insane desire to antagonize the sacred feeling of Christians it Is a sign that he Is not yet a treisthlultcr and is not prepared for the grand battle that Is going on to free mens minds from error Be charitable kind and work along the line of the least resistance and you will lead more lmen upon broad mental ground Remember tyou alone are not fighting tho battle The battle Js not for a day so gain mens good will dont antagonize them too much but free their error little by little have a firm faith in the ultimate mental redemption of mankind and you will accomplish much good and your life will not be soured by bitterness Let Freethinkers be real Freethinkers A man can be a Christian and yet be hon est and sincere I S Cutts of Brunswick Maine says he voted for Mr W J Bryan twice and will not again because he Is a strict churchman That Is a bigotry I believe should be left to Christians and should not be applied by Freethinkers Personally I will vote for Bryan and if Ingersoll were alive and a candidate I would vote against him When we vote we vote for political Ideals not religious IdealsW J GALLAGHER Wants The Blade PLAINVILLE CONNFind stamp send copy of The Blue Grass Blade- THOMAS TRUHEART One More Inquirer EAST PALESTINE OHIOPlease send information regarding Instruction etc of Correspondence School FRED MYERS Its Alright Now GAINES GAThe latter part of April I sent you a money check for one dollar and fifty cents 150 for one years subscrip tion to the Blue Grass Blade on May 4th you sent me a receipt for same but up to date I have not yet received a single copy of your paper- I wrote you to start my subscription from April 17th as I had seen a copy of April 12 If you have no back numbers on hand just send wour paper and start my sub scription from that time- I saw that your paper is a weekly pub lication and I am a sort surprised that I have not yot received a copy C F W GUNTHER t 1 19 j V JIv ii i+ ++ 9 t Scientific and Philosophical l Correspondence School x x tiTht fe 10 Ifrnrtt 11 Th atMMMy y has enrolled in the above named institution for a courseofMyears instruction in the INatural Sciences and Philosophy as given in its announcedcurriculum and having subscribed I 4tothe rules is this day admitted as a student of this schooland is entitled to all the rights and iIY privileges of same y Y I lli GuarantyIT IIIpostageexamination papers stationery certificate is transferable tanamay be assigned by the original purchaser to any other person by endorsement hereon Notice of assign ment and transfer should be sent to this office at the time it is made J fJtt 1ttIitue li B4trrnf The Manager of the Scientific and Philosophical Correspondence i ISchoolhas hereunto subscribed his official signature y XDated at Lexington Ky MMM 190MT tfIo N 4 + N N H N H H N N N N N N N N N N N N N AAJ+ H H N N N N H N H NNN ++ I 4t 11l li IW4 1 I f J 11G iB IIE6 GRASS BLADE iJMJ q r The First and Only Complete Edition of VOLTAIRES WORKSev- er i published In English has just teen completed By the i CRAFTSMEN OF THE ST HUBERT GUILD i translations F Including the Notes of ISMOllETT Biographybyauthors and IjIDESPREAD sire is farm of of ofits IVare to Henriade mute ever prtzadClassicsVoltaires The ire of and EncyclopediasVoltaire treat It f u pole The 4ipathFORTYTHREE HANDSOME VOLUMESS- ize iSKxSK Inches13034 Pages over illustrations of which 45 are hand colored dramas PhilosophicalDictionarya THE EDITION The a art of frontispiecebyup THE COMPLETE SET SENT FREE FOR APPROVAL a of andwhlle youfreeI The and rw oreill TIE a eltter a pits f REMEMBER THERE ARE BUT A FEW SETS CUT OUT COUPON SEND TODAY rAr St Hubert SnUb Morftsbops AKRON OHIO cc v t iiJ lrjjjaIIAJiI Jolld Craltameaii of FortuThree thml1n 43m Signature Address cry State Date ft v v AtJJvfv fv v7hv7hv JJv7 a1Jy Be Sure and Subscribe For f Secular Thought A Fortnightly Journal of Rational Criticism In Politics Science and Religion Organ of the CANADIAN SECULAR UNION AND THE TORONTO SECULAR SOCIETY Editor J Spencer Ellis Published at 1851x Queen St West To ronto Canada Terms per annum In advance single copies 10 cents All communications for the Editorial de partment should be addressed J Spencer Ellis Secular Thought Queen St West Toronto Can All Business communications orders for books printing etc should be addressed 19C M ELLis Proprietor and Publisher Secular Thought 18516 Queen St West Toronto Cnne 2000000000STOCK TO SELECT FROM When you send me an order for Dlam onds Watches Chains Rings or any other imfand Jobbers In Chicago are at my disposal and select for you the latest and best In marketNo Shop Keepers Therefore no dealer who carries stock can compete with me In priceyou can trust the designer of the beautiful Free thought Badge and the Ingersoll Souvenler to select nicest and best goods made and to save you at least 20 per cent Describe closely what you want and let me send you cuts and pricesalso of my Freethought Badges and Ingersoll Spoons Ring Guage and my great little tract Theism The Crucible fr- eeOttoLWettstein f fkil1ff t t

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