You have found an item located in the Kentuckiana Digital Library.

Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.): n. Sunday, February 24, 1907.

Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.): n. Sunday, February 24, 1907. Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.). 400dpi TIFF G4 page images Blade Publishing Co., Lexington, KY 1907 blu1907022401 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, February 24, 1907. Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.). Blade Publishing Co., Lexington, KY 1907 $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. III f I I 1i T1ASbllltlrt Ea JITEGRASS BLADE J = 4t SIf WE AIM TO OUT DOWN ERROR AND ESTA BLISH TRUTH VOLUME XV NUMBER 46 LEXINGTON KY FEBRUARY 24 19Q7PUBLISHED 150 A YEAR IN ADVANCE BIBLE NOT AN ORACLE Infallibilitytrt tjf tie Roast Delivered To a i f Blade Wrier i ALLITERATIVE ADJECTIVES- IN PUNGENT PARAGRAPHS BY R P EAGLE Revelatlon Radically Rationally Re morsely and Rudely Reduced to a L Raving Rickety Roaring Rolllcit big Rueful Rampant Rant 3r Jesus Jumps Into Jehovahs Job Jok s jL Jchn Jollies James Jostles Joshua or Jabbers Into Jeralsm Jail and Joins 1 Jaybird Joint Paul Pesters Peter Pokes Prunes at Pensive People Paraphrases Pon derous Pcstulates Preaches Penl tence with Proper Provision for Priestly Pensions and Profit Cant Craft Credulity Characterize ChristianityFact vs Faith and l Fancy Federation of Fanatics and Frauds Fight to a Finish for Funds f The Blade of December 23 last dls flS plays an aggressively assertive ar tlcle which merits attention and scrutiny It Is a salient screed that Is forceful In expression though If P seems to be fragile and frail In thought The writer styles himself a Chris tian denies beingta Christian fa natlc but he says believe the t revelation of God and angels By revelaflonlL Is obviously meant that collection of iticlent literature com monly called the Holy Bible and the Word of God for he goes to It as the sob arbiter and Infallibly au thoritative rade In the solution and determination of all problems and questions relating to present truth and the future and final fate or des tiny of mankind Our able author critic defines his f attitude toward the drastic theory of mans nature where he says I dot not believe that a man can occupy two realms at the same time that Is he cannot live abstract from the body In heaven or In a lake burning with liquid fire From this It Is evident that friend Rose accepts the monotlc or unreal theory of mans simple and single personality and that terms 1body soul and spirit do not necessar ri lly Imply Independent entitles that con itlnue to live In a conscious condition apart or abstract from the body This Is a distinguishing doctrine of V soul sleepers and adventists of every grade and sgnlfles that death ends all conscious life till restored in the resurrection of the body as Is alleged to be revealed In the Bible It Is one of the most salient subjects of mili tant propogandlsm and seems to be abundantly sustained by numerous ox pliclt Bible texts Tie opponents bring to bear against It of courao all of the many seeming Bible proofs that disprove It and press them home In their most literal and obvious sense while they regard the opposite counter proofs as having only an ulterior and transcendantly spiritual meaning and applicationIHere is a fertile field for the Inves tigation and determination of the primary and clterior proposition that the Bible Is the Infallible revelation of God and angels A fair and can did comparison and consideration of the alleged opposite and contradictory statements that may be legitimately r will tend todrawn from the Bible either substantiate the Christian claim made for It or discredit It as a superhuman production It Is the purpose of this article to show that the Bible amply and unmistakably sustains both sides of the controversy over mans nature and destiny and thus Illustrate and demonstrate Its human origin and consequent fallibility better rule for expository inter INo and construction or recon of the language of the Bible can be given or adopted than that en forced by the Bible Itself upon those to whom It Is directed Yo shall not r add unto the word which command you neither shall ye diminish ought from ltr Deut 42 If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written In this book and If any man shall take away from the words of tuo book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city etc In short the Bible is to be taken for what it says and It must mean what It says and onlsay what It means If not then the Bible does not express Its Intended meaning which would re duce It to a ridiculous absurdity or compel the necessity of seeking the real revelation in some Infallibly Inspire Augustine Orlgan Calvin Armlnus Swedenberg Ann Lee Mary Baker Eddy or Ellen White This Is to make the revelation of God and angels depend upon the fancies or ravings of some fanatic freak or fraudanybody who should covet the power and pelf accruing to leadership It is axiomatic that when someone has ascertained just what the Bible says on a given topic he may know pust what Its position Is on the subject First discover what the Bible says then its full significance Is dis closed These observations are made In full view of the necessary limita tions Imposed on language by the rules of rhetoric and It Is further remarked that one has not really exposed the true purport and Import of any com bination of words until he has applied all the rhetorical regulations required In the case In hand The first witness proposed Gen 27 says The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed Into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul This testimony shows that the man which was formed of dust became a soul or according to where the emphasis Is placed he was a soul when he was formed and became a living soul when tro death of life was forced Into his respiratory organs The Inanimate body called man was transformed Into an animate body called a living soul and also still called 4man This Identifies the Ivlng soul as the living man the llvirg bcdjv i This exegesis is fully fortified and fostered by Cor 1544r64 where Paul is made to testify that The first man Adam was made a living soul and that the first man Is of the earth earthy He makes this first man typical of the entire race of men and says It Is sown a natural body Greek psuchlkon soma literally scullcal body It Is raised In the resurrection a spiritual body Greek pneumatlkon soma literally windy or atmospheric body See any Greek Icon This natural body continues to constitute the sole personal Identltj till the resurrection of the dead bodies On this point Paul says We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed In a moment In the twink ling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall bo raised Incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptible must be Incorruption and this mortal must put on Immortality etc So far Pauls testimony strengthens and illustrates themonlstlc theory of illustrates the monistic theory of mans real nature antI destiny The book of Johua affirms the structibility of the or any soul by human power The 10th chapter verses 284 Inclusive certifies that Joshua and his barborus band of bru tal brigands descended upon the neighboring cities and butchered murdered and destroyed the souls inhab Hating those cities It Is a wholesale confirmation of the unitof man and destructibility of souls Tho story of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead Is replete with evi deuce of his unal personality and tile destructlblllty of his soul The 53rd chapter of Isaiah verses 10 and which Christians urlversally agree to as applying to Jesus show that his soul could have been killed or sacri Ilced Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin He hath poured out his soul unto death etc And his an guished ejaculation that My soul Is exceedingly sorrowful unto death fits well Into the assumed role Mark Ills declaration that he was not a spirit and the exhibition of his flesh and bones and his hands and feet is complete assurance that he was a real corporeal body of flesh and blood which was augmented by his eating food on two or three record ed occasions See Luke 243651 John 2112 Acts 13 Ills ascension Into heaven body bones blood flesh and hands and feet was Indeed an ocular demonstration of his ron tlnuous corporeal end animal Identity and perpetual unal entity Continued on Page Four l TCOME AWAY FROM JESUS The Nearer One Gets To Christ In These Days the Further Is He From the Straight Path of Rectitude CANT TAKE THEIR OWN MORAL MEDICINE BY JOHN F CLARKE The nearest to Christ the farthest from rectitude- take particular notice that those who are of Jesus so Christly are be low the standard that tiey set for the world to follow along moral lines If they can not take their own moral medicine why do they Insist upon others excelling them at their own game Calamity seems to follow close upon the heels of the true believers and to pass over the infidels and leave them unscathed Some Christians tell me that the Infidels have their good time here but the Christians will have theirs hereafter If we have got to have a bad time whnot put It off Who wants to butt Into trouble If we duck the bad time here we run the risk of avoiding It forever If we take It now we are sure to get It Pope says Maneven Is to be but never Is blessed Christ Is ever ing to hand out everlasting happi ness but never does It Is te doc trine of the Grand Jolly of the Subse quent A Christ in the bush Is worth a dozen at hand When the pset said Distance lenis enchantment and the view he meant the Christian religion Lean Swift the swiftest dean that ever was said The nearer the churci the farthest from God As Swift was an ecclesiastic he knew that the church was a maelstrom of hjpocrlsy and deceit He was not the only Cynic within the church gate There have been churchmen In all ages who shot their shafts of ridicule and Irony at the cliurch Martin Luther said Bring me ycur Holy Ghost and let me hit him on the nose have heard a great deal about the could not pick It out of a bunch of Holy Ghost but have never seen it Teddy Bears French priest has se cured a flue snap saot of It He knew where the Holy Ghost appeared at the shrine at Lourdes and he flash lighted until he got some spots upon his films and then he knew that he had the Real Thing He has examined te spots with a powerful microscope and convinced himself that the spots resemble nothing earthly ergo It must be the Holy Ghost A little girl once saw the ghost of the Blessed Vir gin at Lourdes and now It Is an es tablished fact that the Holy Ghost is still like the villlan still pursuing that lady The Catholics call tile Virgin Mary our Lady of Sorrows am led to wonder If one of the sorrows was the affair with the H and If anoth er was raising a brat to explain with a theatrical flourish Woman what have to do with thee Another sor row was Josephs doubts of the Angel Dream Tile mother of God should have been Joyful and her gladsome summon should not have been turned out a world of discontent If the mother of Jesus Christ was a Lady of Sorrows it Is best to let Jesus alone Those who have lieved and been saved have run up against so many snags that would advise nil of them to come away from Jesus Let the man whoso curse blighted the fig tree severely alone Let the fellow who came not to bring peace but a sword fall upon his own sword Tho snivelling disciple Peter carried a sword and cut the car off of the sheriff of Galilee county Jesus put the oaf back and It healed That trick has been done a thousand times Why did he not cut his head off so that a real miracle could bo perform 1IIotnler SONGS INSTEAD OF HYMNS Unique Service at Funeral of a Free thinker in IowaHis Own Philsophy f Extolled at the Grave LET US ALL BE JUST WHAT WE ARE NEWS CLIPPING Through sonic friend we have received a clipping from an Iowa paper contain ing nn account of the funeral of James It Kitchen which was one of the most unique and above all grandiloquent for its Ignoring of orthodox forms The ad Ire delivered on the occasion and the fact that weell known ballads took dace of orthodox hymns excited ment hut needs no argument That the Illadc readers may know jusJ what took place the article is here reproduced in full including headlines Mill KITCHENS PHILOSOPHYAT FUNERAL Discourse 5of Man Now Beyond the Veil Who Saw Through a Glass Darkly favorite Ballads Sung for Hymns atI Unique Service Held at His Out Home Iniimate friends and relatives of Jnmbi Kitchen Omahas pioneer tel nun Friday yfternoon gathered at hisliite residence Oa South Thirtysec nllt venue and listened to the words kts fornuneraLdjscoureeiitv- arious periods since he was taken ill year ago Though he recovered from that attack to succumb to illness that icgan three months ago he dictated front time to time this treatise on life and death In his behalf his old friend George E Pritchett former United States attorney for Nebraska read the discourse A quartet led by Mist Alice Aiwcett sang two selections that Mr Kitchen loved and which he selected for lis funeral Iast Hose of Summer anti Home Sweet Home The body was taken to the train at oclock last night and conveyed to eavenworth for burial beside his par his brother Dick and other rela tives in peaceful Mount Muncie come tory Ilk nephew Ralph Kitchen anllI Miss Rubel a niece of B Kitchen tieI companied hotly to that citymlrs J Kitchen was too much wtirn from ong watching over her husband to travel his Omaha sister Mrs Sprague ill Charles W Ktchen the viving brother is at Excelsior Springs and will come to Leavenworth if he can As the hotly dill not go directly from the services to the train honorary pall hearers only were chosen They were J C Cowin J R Ringwait E Pritchett George F West Guy C Barton C F Wcller- W W Morsman Samuel Burns Mr Kitchen headed his funeral Ilk WordsWhere Life Is There Death Is King In his farewell address Mr Kitchen argues that he does not know what is after death because he cannot reason it out Still he concludes with the ex pression of the belief that ho is head ing for the haven of eternal rest Passages from which his friends de rive most consolation omitting pages and pages full of arguments as quoting from Reedier and other minis ters on the one side Ingersoll on the other are these When this paper is read the golden sunlight that makes human existence possible on this globe will have become eternal night to me shall then have answered natures last and final call am be sleeping the sleep of dead what kind of sleep that is do not know Restful hope From a mysterious source life come to us unsought unasked And iu nn equally mysterious nmnner iNis taken away from us without our permission or approval When Mother Nature gave life anti ushered me a helpless babe into this material and beautiful world I know not what it meant whatever it meant or whatever life may be the fact that it is not all sunshine nUll pleasure soon began to dawn upon As the years rolled on and the daily duties and hardships rapidly increased became thoroughly convinced that it was a serious mattjir if not a real mis fortune to be born into this world Further along when time began to im press its telltale marks upon my feat oreswhen tne changing color of my hair began to denote the approach of mature manhood I had learned by ob servation and study that with a vast majority of the human race the hard struggle for subsistence begins when life is young continues with few exceptions until body und nmdaew- earied and disabled by contention care grief and disappointment when death intervenes anti puts attend to further ineffectual anti hOllelesiefTort Here it would seem a blessing an nngcel of mercy But if it really is why do we shun it so persist ently cling to life so tenaciously To be honest anti candid do we know one whit more about the futureof dead than was known three or four thousand years ago We do know Bomehting of sentient life of life that now is because we have lived it And it being the only life that we know positively anything about we sh uhlt make the most of it we shmouidmake it the highest possible type of life To do that what shall we do How shall we live Primarily and briefly I Iwould say Let us be what we seem truthful honest SkindtoUnder no circumstances let us get that a kind wortha kind act a riendly nodII helping hand to the needy and suffering toilers lifes troublous highway is worth more to them than meaningless prayers than untruthful eulogies than a profusion of llowers upon a grave The dead are betyond our reach For them we can nothing But we can help living We nurso the sickTe can feed the hungry We can clothe the naked Cheer friendless Encourage the unfortunate t and sympathize with those who mourn T i L The claim that there is no I uh IIaI ifl1i I t 4not convince me that flying is ginning of life nor does it reconcile mI to the loss of my relative or friend as the ease may be Although every step over lifes rough and winding road is beset from the cradle to the grave with uncertainty danger grief worry and disappointment it nevertheless has is cilium iero is much in it to make us wish to live Even the mot unfortunate get some pleasure IIOnstrtiyto take away Its sting means more grief another grave another lioine It is the unbidden guest at every fireside Its shadow darkens every door It hears no prayers sees no tears pities no griefs spares no living soul Its triumphal march is never inter rupted Its huc stiug never finished Tho rarest most beautiful liuil useful thing in this world is a sincerely truthful honest kind and useful human life Such a life is akin to nature It borders on the divine It may or it may not believe in prayer either ease it lives to do good and does good But what constitutes the best and most ful human life has ever been and prob ably will continue to be a matter of puteI am not unmindful of the fact that the vines have herein expressed are unpopular will not meet with the approval of some of my friends lint why nut t If they are made in goolI faith and they certainly are and besides reasonably truthful why should they not meet with approval Is it a crime to be honest truthful Would it nut be more of a crime for me to pro fess to believe that which Itin not be hove To be popular and in fashion must one practice duplicity Bo honest and untruthful t Heaven forbid Here my friends and fellow voyagers over lifes stormy sea my discourse must close We have now come to parting of tho way Your course lies onward mine is across this little bay where just around yon craggy point is evergreen shore of eternal pence haven of unbroken rest There I go Good lib Hood by One of Mr Kitchens last requests was that some fritlid be selected to speak at tin funeral The man selected was George Ftst who delivered a brief eulogy Mr West spoke of having known Mr Kitchen for many years and being in theIhe came to look upon him as one of his intimate friends speaker told of the many times that he had met Mr Continued on Page Four PAINE A GREAT PATRIOT Some Scattering Thoughts on One of Americas Greatest Revolutionary Heroes HIS PEN AND SOUL t WENT HAND IN HAND would naturally think that after his splendid efforts in America hall crowned with success ho had earned the full reward of a quiet life But such was not to be Edmund Burkes deflection of the Revolution in Prance demanded a reply TIm Rights of Man was printed The work was sq popular that it an immense sale revealed so truly the tion of the country and its rulers that it brought down censure of the gov ernment The Rights of Man was almost as popular in England as his Common had been in America In Febru IJrintclInsuppressing all seditious and libellous AttorneyGeneraiThe trial was appointed for the ing December In September before trial he was elected to Na tional Convention of France ami was not in England at time of the trial Ho was found guilty generaionall cases as the ages und generations which proceeded it The vanity the presumption of governing beyond SftvlL is thqj1IJst ridiculous 1ij150ik i aiJI- eut o i siil I10 prpert in hiss Iny gen emtion a property in the generations which arc to follow contending for the right of nnJ against their being killed away mill controlled contracted for by the manuscript authority of dead Hereditary succession is a burlesque upon monarchy It puts it in the ridiculous light by presenting it as an olliee which any child or idiot may fill requires some talent to ba common mechanic but to lie a king requires only the animal figure of man a sort of breathing automaton This sort of superstition may last a few years now hut it cannot loir resist till awakened reason and interest of man lie desired to make a Republic of France as he of America When he so far succeeded that Louis XVI was dethroned and the Revolutionary work done in one direction he was hu mane enough to vote against the Kings death and not only that hut to speak against capital punishment in general The Republicans of France hall no such conception of liberty as Thomas Paine and his desire to preserve the life of the man lifter dethroning of the Ring brought him trouble brought him almost to the guillotine lie was imprisoned as a foreigner by those he laid tried to teach mean of lilierty No wonder he exclaimed Ah France Thou hast ruined character revolution virtuously lie gun ami destroyed those who produced it It seems strange that with nil his suffering for the help he gave to human ity he still persisted in his work for freedom He best explains it in these words What write is pure nature and my pen and have ever gone l together What wits lacking was the men to appreciate his work The freedom ing men to understand and help him Paine was called a foreigner and sent to prison No charge was made against liiin lie remained there nearly ten months because no American of author it v claimed him Most of his friends in France were guillotined he would have been but for tho care or careless ness we do not know which of man who marked the doors of condemned prisoners Paine was ill and his door being open when marKcd made mark come on inside when the door was closed and so was not visible when the headsman went his rounds We have seen the warrior side of Paine but he hud another side or many sides lIe was nn inventor of great Continued on Page Four J t f THE BLUE GRASS BLADE Published at Lexington Kentucky Every Sunday Founded 1SS4 and edited by Charles Chilton Moore up to his death February 1906 JAMES E HUGHES Editor and Publlsiie r SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mall postpaid 150 per year In advance Trial subscription 15 cents per month All foreign subscription postpaid 200 per yeear Five new subscribers sent with one remittance at 100 per year each ADVERTISING HATES ALL ADVERTISEMENTS of whatsoever character cepted will be published at the rate of 100 per Inch per month unless by special contract when other and better rates will be quoted upon appllc s tlon The publishers have the right to reject any and all advertisements offered GENERAL BUSINESS RULES ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS to the Blade will be discontinue at the expiration of the term for which the subscription has been paid up In advance The address slip on the paper will show subscribe the date of expiration of subscription Dacl numbers or numbers omitted will be sent If asked for upon renewal In case of dlscontlnuanc e MAKE ALL money orders drafts checks oetc payab to JAMES E HUGHES Lexington Ky as th1 s will facilitate collection t SHOULD ANY SUBSCRIBER change his or her address advise this office giving both old and new an t the Blade will be sent to the new address desired THE OFFICE of publication of the Blade Is at North Limestone Street Lexington Kentucky to which all Freethinkers will be given a heart welcome THE BLADE Is entered at the Post office at Lexlngtoi Kentucky as second class mailing matter ADDRESS ALL COMMTJIICATIONS TO THE BLU E k GRASS BLADE P O Box 393 Lexington Ky Get started right r a a r Bright thoughts bring chem tt a a a loather toil patty is getting ripe Liberty is guaranteed und then denied Los Angeles coal lies heavy on the conscience- S a I It is not good that man should bo always nlone Installment marriages have long been a fad in society t s a fLove sours awful easy unless you get the vet 1 bvst brunt The Christian religion is simply an organiee superstition a a i 1tMoral courage finds no 10dlit 1CI t1Il t ie hearts rtWith the lid taken oft pricqs and arc null ing a desperate effort to catch up with the cost If j living a a As all the cold storage eggs in Chicago have beta disposed it might mean n stronger demand by t- ligtoecupllnlsof l the gallery a r a a No man or woman needs another rosary whose thread of life is strong with the bends of hones s love and honest thought a a a a i Cultivate a good temper and kill oil the bad foi good temper is like a sunny lily that sheds n brightness over everything a a When the investigation is concluded it is a soft bet that there wont be enough Russian generate left to get up a decent duel a a a Intellect is the Napoleon of the great mental army It doubles and trebles the power of all tIll other faculties The army of mental warriors wait until intellect leads the way a a r True courage horn of an assertive selfconfidence is the prod which brings out the last ounce of our i reserve force Even a race horse cannot win un less he has confidence in his own ability to run a a a a What this old world wants is less religion and more humanity humanity that is broad enough and liberal enough to take into its bosom every creature and lay the foundations of happiness before him a j Who wants a life beyond the grave unless satisfactory assurance is given that their loved ones will spend it with them Better far better the dreamless silence of inglorious dust than that one human being should be consigned to a Christian hell an institution horn of brutish priests with which to frighten mental babies into a confession of a religious belief about the realities of which they know absolutely nothing a Readers The Blade wants to get down to business hut you will have to help If you have not means at your own command you have a tongm r and a little talking dont cost anything but it goes k a lung way If you like the Blade if you are pleased with it and enjoy it there are thousands of others who would like it and enjoy equally with you We do not know where to find them You do You come in contact with them every day If you will get the Blade intro their hands and talk for it thC j is a chance to win a good subscriber Try it OKLAHOMAS CONSTITUTION While the people of Oklahoma are to be con gratulated upon the remarkable success they achieved in drafting a preamble to their new state constitution that would be acceptable Iud pleasing t I to people of religious thought The Blade regard that constitution us marred by the reference made therein to Almighty God which while not of u definitive character being general is a matter tllllt is clearly beyond the realm of civil government nlld ought not to have helm injected into political doii meiit Constitution making is no easy task The vnrilll elements in the state each with varying and nut in frequently conflicting opinions demaiieling nition as the ease ploy be render it an ardnot duty and a noncommital document would he fnr better than one that commits tilt entire people to certain religious belief Even should the majorit favor a recognition of any supposed or imaginar deity and agree upon such recognition they force their nostrums upon the minority and the result is n constitution that is out of harmony with tli views otn large number of people and they are h implication and construction compelled to lend support to a document with which they pane no agreement in common Hence a constitution thnt its no person to any form of belief would in the end be the hest and most satisfactory From the published account of the proceedings it Ieis apparent that no less than five or six preamble were submitted to the convention Tilt loll el- nient were on the ground early and late Till here bent upon forcing God into that constitntiej Idor knowing the reason why They plotted nnLl they planned Combinations were formed und threats were made lint all in vain They wnlltcd IItill whole heavenly hierarchy and the Bible thrown into the new constitution They were not satistie with God alone but insisted that his other part known sometimes as Jesus Christ was to find n place in it and the Bible receive public recognitio as tilt one book of nil books demonstrating noSoUllll public system of morality The preamble sub mitted by this faction reads as follows We the people of the State of Oklahoma recoj nixing God as the source of all authority in civil government the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler of nations and his revealed will as the standard hr which to decide moral issues in national life in ordeu to form a stale government establish justice promote the general welfare and secure the bless ings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity d o ordain and establish this constitution for tile StIlle of Oklahoma I There is some satisfaction to be derived frown th l filet that the constitutional convention went at the matter in no halfhearted way but put a quietus on this scheme to recognize Christianity as a religioi of governmental virtue The not only wanted to resolute God into their constitution but run in Jesus Christ and his revealed will ineiiniii the Bible so that the whole shooting match shoul become a part of the fundamental law of the lane Technically there clan be no legislation outside of Ifand beyond the constitution True there is some trrrrertnico between the federal constitution aiid thc constitutions of the several states ns far as they call affect new legislation Congress is prohibited from enacting any legislation for which no specific an thority can be found in the provisions of the federa constitution while it 5s held that where a state constitution is silent upon the issues in controversy the general assembly slay if it sees fit enact such legislation that is not in direct conflict therewith Just for the sake of the experimccnt the Blade would welcome legislation by the Oklahoma au thorities that should not be in conflict with his revealed will as expressed in the preamble ahoy quoted had it peen adopted We suppose the nev laws will prohibit theft which will be in conflic with the revealed will for that plainly enjoin us to give our cloaks to those who steal our coats 01 vice versa Begging is inhibited by nearly all o the states yet the revealed will expressly in structs us to give to every man that asketh o thee Assault and flattery is defined in ever state as an offense punishable by fine and imprison ment or both and we anticipate that Oklahom will form no exception to the general rule but this will be antagonistic to the revealed will for therein we are told that ift1 man smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him the other Ever1 time an Oklahoma farmer under the new constitu tion harvests his crop he is running counter to the revealed will for it very forcibly commands that ye shall take no thought nor the things of tomor row but let tomorrow take thoughts for the things of itself Should a babe be born of unknown and unsuspected paternal ancestry in Oklahoma to whom will it be attributed Be careful This is dangerous ground Of course it is well that God should be recognized as tho source of all authority in civil government for it is his influence upon the federal government that has brought us the trusts the combines the monopolies that lire eating the very life out of the nation cursing the producers and we can now ex pect that he will do as much for Oklahoma To ring J C into the game of politics is a cunning stroke for when it comes to raising the cash wherewith to pay taxes he can give cards ami spades to the man who digs bOld toils and labors by the sweat of his brow There is instance on record where Jesus Christ ever earned a dollar ill his life per formed any useful labor raised a family and played the part of a man in the affairs of national life or municipal effort It is recorded that he started a political boom and got it in the neck that lilt ing his active career he blessed the sword by which the blood of Mother might be shed and told his learers unit he came not te bring peace but a word Assuming that Oklahoma does not desire his spirit of bloodshed injected into her constitu ional provisions she did well not to incorporate Jesus Christ that he might bring similar blessings into them Considering what Jesus Christ has lone for Italy Spain Russia and even poor Ire unel Oklahoma could have nmele some future his try t The preamble lit finally adopted was made tn read Invoking the guidance of Almighty God in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of civil ami religious liberty to insure just and right ful government ami te promote our mutual wcl fare and happiness we the people of Oklahomi do ordain and establish this constitutionIOf course it does not say which Gmt is mean The Methodist will keep right on believing it i own The Baptist will contend that his God ulmll is implied The Episcopalian and the Catholic clm mutually agree Upon a God dial fancy it is the oue referred to in the Constitution After all God lIIust be in a devil of a fix when he must depend legislative functions to obtain recognition by tllll people whom he has made and endowed elIll very best safest and wisest of all the pr ambles submitted was that emanating from the more thoughtful and intelligent people of the JIlW state Could the convention have adopted it thlle would have been net further feeling on the religious question That preamble read as follow We till people of tIll State of Oklahoma in order to form a State getvernment establish justice insure1 domestic traneuiility to promote the genen welfare ami secure the blessings of liberty to selves and our posterity do ordain und establis this constitution for the State of Oklahoma a a a a THE POWER OF RELIGION That religion is powerless to impel morality eveii common honesty finds ample demonstratio in the report that conies front Los Angeles to thc effect unit a certain clerk to a certain Coin dealer in that western city finding more religious entlu siasm by reason of a revival which he had been at tending made a confession that his employer Inn been lisping out weights on his tons and sacks o coal sold to customers and that he the clerk had been a party to it The result of that confession we are told was that with the weight upon thei conscience the employer and clerk conspired to make good by sending coal to their patrons in order to complete the proper weight The article was published in the Blade last wee and in it we are informed that the employer wns a member of the Nazarene Church and that h lad always prided himself upon being a gun church member It follows then as a matter of course that the coal dealer had always clung to Christian belief and that while an active church member loving God with a little bit of a heart he lowed the Almighty Dollar more and believing tha the God in which he believed could actually reae ibis very thoughts his most secret thoughts who is continually watching his every act he cared never ii rap fur what God thought hut went right on furnishing his customers short weights and increas ng his profits Of course the coal dealer might lave entertained a notion that his brother ind sister chureh members would be doomed to plenty o r fire hereafter and they would be pleased to goi little short on it here As rot his customers ware told they Were such good church members that they never questioned the coal dealers lion esty and did not suspect the fraud that was being practised upon them To better curry n his leech tion and robbery we are also told he refused to enter a combination with his fellow business Joel to lift prices and this gave the church people greater confidence in him What argument is needed here None It is evident that the seeds of rascality were firml planted in his heart Watered by the religion oi 1hrist they developed into a healthy tree Long prayers on Sunday cast off suspicion Shprt weight on Monday filled his pockets with the money stoles IffJom other people The unctuosity of his Ahcmf not pay the same dividends as short tons of IfconI this religienis fervor had failed to impress that he was doing wrong committing an ac tual old positive theft The voluntary return of the articles stolen does not mitigate the crime for it was complete before his clerk made the confes sion which brought him into the limelight Doubt less Ills cheated customers gladly accepted the conscience coal but it does not take from the act the degree of criminal responsibility attaching The law Bolds that no voluntary return of stolen property is a defense to a charge of theft but we cannot expect the law of the church to be on a par with the law of the laud Christ died to save just such sinners as this cool thief and being a good church member und firmly believing in the plan of vicarious atonement his repentance and return of the stolen coal may open the gates of the Chris tian paradise to him und he may be accorded a hearty welcome therein but it is not the key by which he can unlock the hearts of honest men and women and find a warm spot therein toward such as heI the Christian religion had July power even to the slightest degree to impel men to right con duct that power would in the regular course of things have peen uianifesteel before the clerk made his confession and not afterwards when he knew the jig was up RELIGION AND SUICIDE Many Freethinkers will recall the famous article written by the late Robert G Ingersoll on Is Suicide a Sin and that following its publication numerous sermons were preached throughout the country condemning it in unmeasured terms some of the preachers actually making reference to a given cause of suicide that was held up to be di rectly attributable to Ingcrsolls article At that Lime the tact was overlooked that Ingersoll dill lot encourage suicide advise it or command it lie simply dwelt upoif it as a right to one who did not want to live But with all that the article icrveel as a text for many a pulpit discourse and it gave the skypilots something to think about for Billy a lily Before proceeding further upon this subject let J it be distinctly understood that the Blade lees not sanction suicide Such an act hits always appealed ns an evidence of moral cowardice The right to live die belongs absolutely to the individual find neither the church nor the state have a right to force him to continue live in conditions that lave become intolerable unless the individual es te do so The strong will use every effort toeovercome adversity and depression it is the weak who give way and fall beneath the scourge It is extremely inlerisfhig however to note that German writer cemmicnting upon the prevalence of suicides in Europe attributes the cause to the Udine and deterioration of religious faith or be lief in God and religious subjects generally Ife argues thin with the destruction of religion as part of our social and political life there comes tilt religion of destruction which means in other worls a tendency to suicide The fact that a large number of young people resort to self de struction is also ceunnicntcd upon ami again he points the linger of criticism at the constantly in creasing forces Freethenight Upon the subject and aftetr furnishing statis tics in an efieut to sustain his position this writer says All the statistics of civilized countries persis tently witness to the fact that the more exercises its mural influence inn society the lessiccmmon de we find the crime of suicide and vice versa the more irreligious a community the more is it inclined to suicide We are here referiring to such religions as forbid suicide Catholi cism Protestantism ltcnot to those which Pet alit it ns Buddhism does But why should freedom of religious thought be taxed with the responsibility for this tendency to selfdestruction Can it be possible that the writer rof the article referred to does not know or has forgotten refuses to admit the fact that nearly every cuss of known suicide is by persons enter taining some form of religious belief In the mak ing of this statement we ore not referred to Buddh ism but to Christianity the very religious system which we are informed will cure the evil complain ed of Search the records of history during three centuries past and some of the me st prominent fIlated it Freedom of religion has no bearing upon suicide When a man becomes actually and posiItively free he usually wants to live and tries to avoid dying Superstitious gloom alone can lead to death and the torment of hell upon a sensitive mind hills done more to cause suicide than any other cause known to mankind Any conception of the world which is based upon religion cannot exercise a sound influence upon the mind Its conditions are intolerable It is not every man who can play the part of Job Religion renders life insupportable upon even the slightest reverse while they who have learned the art of selfreliance and practice it every day feeling no fear or drcad of the future have everything to live for to hope for and work for Could a record be obtained of the insane asylums of the country and a list made of the number of inmates contained therein by reason of a mania upon religion the cause of suicide would soon he made to appear Insanity and suicide are closely allied ami while fa natics may have their notions concerning the men tal calibre of Freethinkers it is a known fact that very less of them find their way into asylums Freethought is not a cure for lentil it means I life If it is a creed in any sense it is a living creed and points the way to a nobler conception of our human life Once a man or woman can grasp this notion there is no thought of death of a hurrying out of the world hut a desire comes to stay here as long as it is possible and to get the best that life has to offer Itfa a a a ARMSTRONGS ANTONOMIST I The Autonomist edited and published by James Armstrong the fearless liberal writer and ndvo cate has as previously announced made its re appearance on the tempestuous sea of Freethought literature hut in a bright aggressive and attrac tive shape r The February issue is now before us At pies ent it is of few pages but there will doubtless be an increase in size as soon as the editor can get settled down to the tusk imposed upon him by a resumption of his literary labors The Autonomist was always one of the strongest advocates of Liberal thought and judging Irons its present appearance it is destined to occupy its 4 old place in the hearts of American Freethinkers lad gain new friends as the days go by Its edi torial rooms are at 3509 Clark street Chicago IllIThe peculiar degree of individualism that meates the editors mind runs through all hisiwriting lie is an individualist pure and simple Recently he delivered an address on this in Chicago ind that readers of the Blade may hnvcIisome knowledge of his mental attitude the follow ing is reproduced as an excerpt Now in my experience I find people not more Friendly to the truthteller than to the cigarctte moker and whiskydrinker I have had anarch sis rebuke me for smoking and drinking and I do lot expect even them to take kindly to my speech his evening And for that reason I say now that is I do not smoke and drink among those whose ewes and morals are too delicate to stand such illuminations I will stop speaking now if there is just one person who objects to untraminclcd ex iression from this platform I have no ideas to orce anyone because I am indifferent as to wheth tI you accept my ideas eir not old anyone isfrei to Stop me either now or where he thinks I should be stopped anel the only think I ask is that he tell thc audience why he stopped me for if he has eason for stopping me individualism is a failure while if he hilts not iud vidulllisJl1 is truer l Jf i SWASTIKA A NEW MACAZINE oJ Of Liberal Thought and Tendency pub lished at DenverGood Article Se lected From Its Columns PATHS TO PEACE POWER AND PLENTY iThe Swastika is u new Liberal month ly puhl andtedited by Dr Alexander MclvorTyn dull Its aim is to propagate metaphy sins nod while there is a tinge of the God advocacy about its articles it an the whole inclined towards Liberal thought The peculiar name of the magazine Derived trom the Sanscrit and is in reality the Anglican transla tion of an hioroghyphical character in common use now among Oriental ile In a general sense it means good luck or pertaining to charm Among the contributions to its pages for February is the following written by E M Weathcrford The article is a fair sample of several others It paths to peace power and plenty are To climb steadily day by day toward those spiritual heights that extend yond the range of mortal vision To seek spirituality and truth more than wealth fame or ugh position To be at all times conscious of the understand it is our motives that count for or against un in the eternal PlansTo seek for the good and tne true in all things To believe in the fatherhood of Cod t the brotherhood of man and the piration of the Unseen To believe that apparent evil is oft times undeveloped good anti that if wij would reach the heights of our highest aspirations and ambitions we must climb toward them in the onward march ot life To believe that every human form imprisons within itself an undeveloped angel To believe thoroughly in the law ot compensation To believe that every individual soul is a port of the divine principle which we rill lodthat nit powerful essence of wisdom and strength that holds the star in its place and paints tne blunt upon the wayside flower To believe that we have our part to play in the great drama of life and IfI we tail to perform that part well detect of our poor work casts a tion upon the efforts of our companions causing their work to appear defective also To be content though the part we play be small that we were created stars instead of suns remembering that wun high honor names great responsibility To believe that will power and aspira tion led produce store powerful force in the world than genius or physi lal strength fio believe that we will not solve the eat problem of capital and labor until nivcrsai Brotherhood has ucen estab lished and men learn to realize the part they have to play in the relative law of cause and effect To seek harmony at all times remem 1boring that discord is mums own crea lion and harmony Sods perfect law made manifest in the heautiful the true nod the good To remember if we attain a worldly cause und lose our soul consciousness we become spiritual paupers To build within the spiritual templt a sacred shrine where Gad sits en throned and where we may learn the true secret of the sublime nod the beau tiful To believe that the Christ couscious ness manifested through Jesus not as a sacrifice but as an example to show men how to live and become glorified huh inspiration in the beauty and fragrance of the flowers in the harmony of beautiful music ami in limo cence sweetness and simplicity of child seek frequent communion with Nature To believe in the good of all forms of religion but to remember that error and jl truth are commingled in all forms of religious teaching To know that ignorance nail selfishness lira the parents of crime mud love the lodestone which will attract all that is true and desirable in life To bo self poilletl time ore gency remembering that Fear never yet accomplished a laudable result To live by these prrcepts and teaching is to livo according to the higher law It is to neartt to tint Treat Heart of tit stepping heavenward day bday t IJotIi OUR LETTER BOX f + + + sOI+ H + + t++ Better and Better Itenton Harbor Mich Please money order rill f2 to extend my sub hcription to the Bine Crass Hindu The Blade grows better and better all the time Inmia glul Mrs Josephine Henry is well again and hope we will hear from her often HM1LY IL CASTLE Hes Got It Bad Smithland laAcopy of Issue of February 3 just received IKltll ply wish to say a greater amount of concentrated lye lute never seen in so small a package Your matter at hand of paper is false as is every word in reference to the church represented by pure womanhood and elitist muted manhood The of Sanford White will go down the ages as a fiend incarnate in his iidiberyof virtue and debauchery of girlhood and yet ho is a gentle man by the side of moral idiot who would rub Christian woman howl nod devoted consecrated man hood of till consolation the religion of Jesus and studyof Buds word affords to them Oud pity the man so low as to go about destroying huge purpose purity bring nothing in their place hill passion falsehood license want no more of your filthC BRYAN Congratulations Los Angeles Cal Please find in closed postollice moneyorder for 300 My subscription has been paid before by a friend of mine do not know how Isbuud 1Ilium quite busy sometimes do tint see the paper fur a month If you hav carried me over for about a year have to thank you very touch think the plper is well worth the money congratulate you on hinting it improved so much It has left its old narrow path for n broader and more educating one Let mo know how touch owe and will send yon the balance soon Wishing you success FOILS CKHRKKXS Wishes Blade Success Los Angeles Cal Knelosed is 3 for which credit me on subscription to the Blade which you have made a hotter paper than it ever wits before That your talents have been so long con cealed in the mechanical department of that pope afford surprise as Jim are as handy with the pen as slinging type May the success you deserve nod merit como to you Yours for eternal welfare flmltCWorld Gained a Man Becbe ArkI fled my time is out for llhule so send you tho LiO should have sent sooner hilt didnt notice the tug lave been exiles menting some on a Campbellito preach er He was clerking for me learn ed that ho was a man of intelligence asked him to read Dr Bowie letter in the Blade He tend n but did out ex press himself till after handed him the gIIf Reason That opened his eyes and pulpit has lost one of Its luck and the world has mined a inan Ho is not the onlyone who have started on tho right road to reason and common reuset VYATT Change Shall Be Made Springtown Texas Seeing you have nut changed the date on my paper write to call your attention to it Some time ago sent you iIO 115 for Trip to Koine cents for funeral address over Captain Henry ami balance on subscription to Blade My time was up in February 11t ceived book and pamphlets and am well pleased with them and keep till Trip to hone loaned out all till time have got tu read it tit all nmyself yet think the Blade is splendid nod im proving till the time Hope soon to recd more of Mrs Josephine Henrys writings Success to Blue Crass lllailo and all its contributors Think ran get some subscribers to Blado line- nsoon11 TKTEU When That Day Comes Cedandgo Colo =Phiseclpd revolu tion is coming When private competi tive capitalistic cooperation is tie strayed by lsihtulatr rnolatio11 popu cooperation is established what will Eerie of till parasitical sky pilots workers stay Ho Ho massas runt Ha Ha I It teat bo now lint do kingdom is coming and lit year of jubolo Dates wino and silo in de selur std workers dayl huh some Ha Ha hon flies tare raging and rockets ascoud- no moagor triumph Such tokens protend mo LESSON Likes Paine Memorial Clarodon Ohio Today received from Dr Wilson the Blades of Decent ber 80 and January 27 also a pen pie ture of the doctor itau anxious for you to send those two issues tit names given below There is to be a Catholic church put up here this summer They have bought the land Now hope some 1 will sign If you will mo Dr Wil sons Home Book will give it u loud anil ringing notice in tho Blado and tint soon Siipcrlition in till ages is an overwhelming production in behalf of Atheism he carefully proves that na lure is tho sum total of all rosnlts and sets at naught till arguments to the contrary livery Liberal of whatever phase ho may be should procure this great production Loft in MSS by a Priest of Homo Voltaire said71e wrote in thc hour of death when even his lines toll the truth latter Par ton said it was the greatest work of its kind that the 18th century produced ThlllllUlIlc minaepunitited wllh it will lie tidily bonollttod by itII KKXTOV WANTED The Investigator of December 28 Ins ono that can and will solid above issues eau have my seat in hoavou 0 Clarendon All Good and Better Smithsonian Institution Washington Kudosed Please find to sot me up mi Blade subscription to January TIll Iaine number is a Jim Din dy which has just como to hand and nilof it is good and better FRANK BURNS No Pay No Paper Fargo OklaI expect you have boon wondering why have not renewed my subscription The of the case is did not have the price hefllre this I got in n little like lots of others ex Pact tint particular hard iillubutt couldnt rut down a few of those mighty dollars this title of the year before nuts You have boon sending my paper rather struggling of late dont blame you a hit Xo pay no paper should he your motto that is the way like for you to do have tried to got some to send in a subscription with mo all look at that 150 as rather high All now readers do am willing to pay it as know the worth of the paper hint it is harder to got now scribers Imini sorry to say Now Mr Hughes am going to give you a few ideas that have heel run wing through my nogin for the last week or two have heel studying of n plan of how to ailvflnco free that and at the same time increase the circula tint of till Blado It looks to me as first thing to tin is to print a lot of leaflets of such matter as those fort IOlU questions as printed in your December 2 issue from D F Marrs Those were just the stuff to load to our fraid of hell broth ers who wouldnt read an infidel paper but would rend those questions through and by them get an luau crosswise in their head and would have to do some hard thinking to get it straightened out See your subscribers road moro of such as this ns propaganda literature which would bo cheap for them all to buy will start the hall to rolling by taking a hundred of such leaflets if you will print them and at whatever reason able price you will print them at Ono thing is certain if you would hive our orthodox neighbors to quit there bo jumbo humbug wo must give them something short wad to the point to study about and once you got there in qiiisitivencss aroused you have some chance of getting thorn to read paper Also we need leaflets of positive con tradictions in the Biblo especially the now testament Koop this kind of mat ter of late among your subscribers for a year and you will be pleased to see how your subscription list will begin to count up live it a truth 1see you have got out a nine Me morial issue IlUll glut you Late dolt so have lung watched for such want some of thorn wish you would got out an Ingorsoll memorial IIlIn and glue the lie to the hell pumps about his recanting am yours fur Froethought free speech tad rosevrvod opportunities for all lucre and those to conic IMoasu Hud enclosed 1itJ for tho Blade Movo my tab up mother year Also 23 cents fur six Paine memorial issues if you have then yet if not keep same and make tit host of it Iind postollico money order for 175 fur allIItVIN HIATT Gets Em To Thinking Center Point XchI just received Blade with portrait of Thomas Paine Its great soul addresses fur you to address Inch a paper if uu have them aril then plcase drop me ilife tolling me what the is and will remit Just now wo have bad weather and am under cover As soon as hoar from you and can get out watt to send you my subscription Your all right Cut and carve We will got some of Vm to thinking COR DON Too Good To Die Out Coscob Conn Your Thomas Paine number is too good to vanish as an irre descent dream Try and make it an en during light bearer by sending it out in revised editions Thus help Americans to hen how absurd it is to keep tho birthdays of Washington and Lincoln while neglecting that of Paine who was the acknowledged inspirer of them both Sec Romburgs Six Historic Americans just published by tho Truth Seeker Xuw York City X Y I shall correct the priters errata in my article and re turn to you for you to reprint Ueturn the copy if you dont revise Print this if you wishToB WAKKMAX The Old Old Story Horncll X YI do tot send this to you from nny malevolent feeling a spite against the deluded reverend crimi nat from a conviction that it is high time to analyse the causes that im pel holy men to become snore wicked than their audiences wish you would help me to solve the problem In the early days of January the Rev Winllold II King eloped from Arcade Cattarangns county s with his favorite choir girl in the Methodist church of that place The first announce ment of fact appeared in the Can asoraga Times of January as fol lows It is reported that Rev W IL Kiugof Arcade has loft for parts Oil known accompanied by another woman leaving his wife nod throe children who are now in Burns without adequate moans of support He was well known in this village and thinC1I was a great surprise Ho was certbimilywell known at Cauaseraga and Burns Nitine the rest of till surrounding towns for he lit ono time succeeded his brother lice F King in the Methodist church at Cauasoraga He got his wife lit Burns she is in some way con nected with the Wilkins family there though some soy her parents at Naples The first people to wake in tits matter were the choir girls rein tines and within two weeks they lo cated the pair serving as employes at the chicken nod stock farm of Hartman the famous 1oruna doctor of Ohio Both wero arrestod and jailed When the case cone to be tried the Xew York folks had skipted with their singing dove nod nobody appeared against angel of the Lord and he was liberated wherefore there is gnashing of teeth among the relatives of the injured wife Moral 0 fool girls dots marry preachers This one may now he in Utah or Mexico or sortie other safe place ready for another job Other ticles of information obtained since are tho following The church at Arcade had made a donation to the Rev Angel but of that had not been pull in The pair had quite a bunch of money altogoth tho day of elopement The night before ho soul his horse for 200 rush picked up till his bank ac count including 200 of the donation so that he could naive along with ease lie was also a solid temperance man so that bartenders coullj not cheat him in change and loungers ould not pick his pockets Xow what in it that shuts out the law of beneficent humanity from the hearts of these reverend persons This is not without cause It has a funs ot origo1iISTOIIIANSend Allcdalc CnlIIrase find inclosed 1i for renewal of subscription to Blade 25 cents for Mrs Henrys pamphlet on marriage and 2i cents for extra copies of the Blad ewhich shall by your grace contain the article on W A Ruses letter published last De cember and mailed today in separate etto lope most heartily congratulate you on the flee uppelitauce and magnificent literary and polemic suc cess you have achieved in anti for tho Blade You certainly deserve financial success and sincerely hope all live Freethinkers will rally to your support have boon making souse effort to ex tend your list hero and in San Francisco hut have not succeeded yet distribute my copies and they are appreciated but they do not pungel up for subscription myithe Asiatic question and other subjects and fool inclined to write thorn out for publication If you find the article soil today fiat to present to your readers please do so at your convenience If you do use it you need not return it greatly appreciate your excellent edi torials as also do Dr Wilsons articles Have you considered the advantage of changing your place of publication to n large city say Cincinnati I suggest that a metropolitan city like Cincinnati would furnish you letter futilities anti give fairer support than can bo afforded in n country town though Lexington U quite u thriving aol ambitious little city Of course whorovor you can do the best is the place for desire to say in addition to what is already scud tint hove the material mapped out for sovoeral 11IticlIJI1 Bible subjects prophecy woman in the Biblo what the fools havesaid about God all alnwt the Gods revelation re vealoletc If acceptable would contribute an occasional screed to the Blado If you print my present paper pleaso proof road it as well as cut afford to My lust article to appear in the Blado wits letter perfect trust friend Rose will take my criticisms as they are given good nturcdly Adieu Yours fur the spread of rational ligious and economic principles F EAIII We Have Used It 111111Iam personally acquainted with Mr Kddy the Unitarian minister who livered this discourse you bet for lllkl1Willmy address from Xo Bellevue Placo to i7i Main Salt Jake City and oblige an ever ami true friend of the ladeL P KKDMOX See Our Chats Chewsville Mil Please let me know through the columns of the Blade only loiter where Ican lied information about Christ road it some where he ltd several brothers and sisters some udder than he was had a controversy about itH DAHLLAXIKR Wilson a Dead Shot Nova Scotia Well Brother Hughes suppose you lire looking for a roenwal of subscription Inun slow but sure to wrote some time The only danger is that old God might knock my light out before get around It was just the other day not far fruit here there was a tau dropped load in his barn feeding his cattle He had been to church just night or two before hula Baptist preacher to mil to see mo a few weeks ago tad he said he was coming hack some day to spend all day with me to convert me told him to como I gave him a question to answer when he came back asked him if he could toll me how it was or when it was that after Cod drowned ill the world where did he breed all wild animals and snakes till ho got enough to export to America and to Africa am Asia and how did he export them and how did it for him lie hasnt come hack yet to see tae I am settling you in this letter One dollar is for renewal of Blade tho other dollar is for Dr Wilsons hook to Rome thou you sent to me some time ago Dr Wilson is a dead shot every time he takes his pen in his hand EDMUND WOOD Died a Freethinker Croensboro X CFitd enclosed 10 for which please renew my sub scription to the Blue Grass Blade ThI paper has not been coming promptly and please look into the matter Have not seen an account of Mr Juliou Richardsons death He died in Decein her lie was a good man nut best neighbor in Jamestown township Ho died in till belief of Frcethinkiug which ho lived in You ad anything to his credit for he was worthy Die- dstuldctlyIl D A An oIEIDi From An Old Reader Kankak ee III Enclosed sendyou 150 postolHee order for my subscription for the yearJOO Iam an old subscriber for the Blade You Sare itltwasIand every Freethinker should read theta am now an old man years old and and cannot read much would like the paper published at ono dollar if it would pay H would help the cir dilation JOS HAICH AWants Circulation Doubled Franklin 1a Enclosed post olllco under for 150 for which please mule up my tallnu Blade to March You forgot to move it lust yeti Well friend Hughes think you hit the nail on the head nearly every stroke in your editorials While miss dear old Bro Moores writing very much must say the Blade his improved wonderfully and is now one of the foremost Freethought papery In the country hope to be able to send you some new subscribers before long but this is a hard place to do anything in that line While there are a great ninny Freethinkers here theyseem to think about the church as some people think of houses of ill repute that the tare u necessary null and hue to he erated as such They nee Freethinkers all right hut tot free speakers With best wishes for yourself and family nod hoping till Blade may double its circu lilt Ion this you Ialii yours sincere friend JOHX His HHOADSITysnrt Iowa new my subscription thought would write you a few lines dont think it will b worth printing just a friendly letter to you As long as dear old Charlio wits alive never dare write for did haIl us Iterates so uniuorcifuly But we all haw our ways no two alike in tins world so fool like forgiving all Well will toll you in as fey words as possible my opinions In the first place there may be an intelligeont power that is looking after thus great universe hut dont believe it If there is he dues not shun good souse Any man could do hotter if he tho power believe that matter has always existed always will although changing in form believe tort natural causes produce everything There is a natural ruse for a tornado as an earthquake anti there is no use of praying If we dont got out of way we a going ti get hurt A storm or a fire or an earth quake will destroy a church just as soon as a saloon no sooner unless till church is higher and more vulner tile So you see am an out midout Atheist There may be a Cod hat dots t see any reason to believe that there is believe that when I din shod be dead iu the fullest sense of the word Time was that did not exist tho tutu that will cease to exist no not Leper iu spirits cant cot ireof a spirit csutliosedof nothing and without organs can talk or unit Oilitables or any thing of the sort think the Biblo the ino t senseless lot of stuff evr printed Moll will quit Kudosed tied postal p order fur the sum of 10 to renew my subscription would like to send you sonic new subscribers but they are hard to get There lire some here that will tell you confidentially that they iiint below a word of inspired works hut they hove tot the spinal column to stand up and acknowledge it before the s wot9do they dont cure to take theypaper Would like to help Freethought as much as am able to hut Inut an man and have not heel able to tic cumulate very much of this worlds goods but have laid up the most of my treasures in heaven and am afraid that myinveeatmitettWar from the State of Xuw York Am 00 years old Am janitor of our srsool house Have been for the last six years Would like to he able do the work until the day that die like theawork but I taut understand why the directors are so reckless as to hire a janitor that iUII Infidel JOJIX CAMPBELL Wants Bryan Answered Howard Kansas1 suppose you and Dr Wilson both take TIm Commoner of Lincoln Nub Bryans paper but if you do tint wish you to see the issue of s IVliruary ist In iou the first page is lixins inion unt you and the iloctoi to amver that Bryan is groat until look on him as the jrauo statesman in our land iud a great many ushers do so too and what ho says has great influence hate to accuse himrof sinister motives but you know he is a politician in a republic like ours it tithes votes to elect nod most ignorant Christian vote counts as much as yours or Dr Wilsons does and of playforam glad of it He is more of u Calilco and want him to live and see the re salt of his work Ho done at least thing that Illid not like You Roosevelt sent Tnft to Rome to kiss thetPopes too then hhytuievent him one Netter He went there himself in per son to do honor to the Pope I hope you will consider the sermon and tilt way Ihe name Bryan gives it and reply to it as it deserves know you can uo it if you see it as I do If you do youYmanysetid me 50 cents worth of tintsissue11 W HEXSLEY i dt UPTODATE PAMPHLETYOJ- r J MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE JOSEPHINE f K HENRY or VERSAILLES KENTUCKY All orders promptly filled Price copy 25c copies for 10- 0Reduced Rates via on the first and third- TUESDAYS of each month to many points South For particulars call on or write H C King C PTALEXINGTON KENTUCKY WeDoJobPRINTING r r 1 BIBLE NOT AN ORACLE Continued From Page One The death of David several hundred years previously and his failure to re port Into the heavens up to the time of Peter Is probably to be accounted I for on the presumption that he lacked the necessary Immortal soul Adl s 234 The living souls that are die In the sea In consequence of the second angel pouring out his viall upon the sea probably Indicate fishes but they are sufficient to con stitute souls In the estimation of Rev 163 The fact that animals tined for meat are termed souls In Lev 2211 shows the ancients as regarding all animal existence as of common kin It Is not necessary to pursue this side of the subject further And the reader Is referred to Soul sleeper and Adventist publications for more light on the monistic and mor tality dilation of the subject And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which Is able to destroy both soul and body In hell Mat 1025- Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that haxeno more that they can do Luke 124 Jesus here unmistakably and irre vocably recognizes two entitles or r persons In man which he designates as body and soul He assert that men may kill the body but are able to kill the soul He allows that the soul continues to live after tlie body has been killed He avers there is only one being able to destroy the soul And there you are Squarel up against all the plain explicit positive contlnous and cumulative statements assertions Intimations and testimonies which prove demon strate and substantiate these trary and hostile propositions Jesus contravenes Jehovahs Job of manand soul building He prances and fences out all the texts the Soulsleepers and Adventists can muster for the monls tic man and his anal life and fatte eJsus controverts Moses Joshua David Solomon Isaiah Obadiah John Peter and himself In all seriousness Jesus Jokes with the whole subject By every rule of grammar rhetoric logic and evidence when applied to these utteances of Jesus he Is con victed of heterodoxy whichever horn of the dilemma Is chosen Paul is also found to be In a per ment and state of friction with the monistic and f His IdlocraJAc I fulminations abounJIn amblgultlw obscurities incongruities transcen dental implications and useless repeti tions But we will do the best we can to all if possible Just what he has said and thought on this matter knew a man In Christ above teen years ago whether In the body cannot tell or whether out of the body cannot tell God knoweth such such as one caught up to the third heaven And I knew such a man whether In the body or out of the body God knoweth how that he was caught up Into paradise and heard unspeakable words which It Is not lawful for a man to utter Cor Paul disports the fecundity of his rhetoric and the paucity of his logic He leaves the man he knew now identical but critics generally have guessed that Paul himself was referred to But however much he was In doubt about the evact status of the anonymous one he knew that God knew Paul was uncertain whether that Individual was in the body or out of the body Now this very uncertainty makes It certain that aPul believed he could have been out of the body and the whole problem Is thus solved from his view point To be out of the body so far away as the third heaven and paradise would unequivocally and superlatively settle It that he had two separate en titles one of which could live ab stract from the body In heaven Pauls palpable pliable ponderous and positive postulate that flesh ands blood cannot Inherit the kingdom of God completely knocks the stuffing out of the resurrection of the dead notion If this be true eJsus did not ascend up Into heaven with his new resurrection body of flesh and bones not to mention his hands and his feel and store dos According to this the natural solical body Is left and the spiritual pneumatical or atmospheric body Just oozes out and either evaporates into the cerulean expansion or heaven or It gravitates to the place from which Jesus soul was rescuedhell Paul says there Is a natural body and there Is a spiritual body and that this animal soul is developed first The evolution of the spiritual body Is left In the ark so to speak for he gives no further hint as to Jis genesis till he finally asserts that this mortal must put on Immortality In the consum mated resurrection Therefore there is no spiritual body till Gabriels arises what was there of Paul to be trumpet toots and the query normally out of the body or to be caught t up Into paradise And these are = ov only a few samples of the many con cretee and certain no to mention the conceptions and cross contrnrie ties that condemn and discredit ever section of the Bible This last sped men of Pauls constant tendency ward a metalepllcal twist of his per ceptions is Illustrative the necessity for a competent revelation to reveal 0the alleged revelation of God and angels The passage In Phil 12033 is other evidence of Pauls metalcptlcal facility of statement Ho says Christ shall be magnified In my body whether It be by life or by death For to me to live Is Christ and to die is gain But If I live in the flesh this is the fruit of my labor yet what I shall choose I know not for I am In a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which Is far better Then what was the matter with Paul You notwithstanding the ambiguity and obscurity here Indulgent it is plain that the gain and the far better state or condition mere main objects of Paul desire There If he his transferable part could be caught up Into the thrice heavenly paradise all he had to do was to take a semioccasional vocation as his desire for gain and the far better might prompt By the phrase live In the flesh signifies that he believed he might live out of the flesh or out of the body The anonymous author of Saul 28 S40 will now testify assert plicitly and specifically stat the alleg1 ed facts relative to the Saulwitch Samuel episide Paraphrased It is that Saul sought a seance with Samuel then lately deceased and applies to a gobetween witch to effect the dcslrd interview The witch consent ed and promptly brought up Samuel who querulously and grudlngly assent ed to the conference According to this Bible witness Samuel said to Saul Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up And Saul answered etc The substance of the conversation is not important or material to this inquiry further than to show that the author and Saul both thought and believed the whole affair was genuine and that Samuel was really present and that he actually foretold Sauls course Saul believed Samuel could be brought up or he would not have been seeking to have him up No sane person can be madeto believe that true which he thlnls to be false Nqlther would Saute apply to a srce which he had reason to believe would deceive him If tie responsible author of the book of Samuel knew the appearance of Samuel was deceptive he would not have asserted that Samuel said when he did not say anything Samuel actually did say what Is attributed to him or this witness falsifies If he Is truthful here the witnesses on the opposite side are false witnesses- A severer scrutlnlty of the testl mony attributed to Paul In Cor 124 reveals tine logomachy that afflicted Pauls mental capacity for discern ment It almost gives one who traces the muddled thought shown in the ruinous and layrlnthine arrangement of his works the semblance of a logo machlst but that Is the penalty to be paid for the privilege of looking under the surface To get a correct estimate of the trace and summary value of any combination of thought symbols they must be treated in their verbal relations With this digression over we will proceed to discuss the statement that he was caught up into par adlse and heard unspeakable words which It Is not lawful for a man to utter Unspeakable is defined as that cannot be uttered that cannot ie expressed unutterable Here we have Paul Perpetrating an Irish bull He heard that which was not utteredr If he did not hear them then he pro they must have been expressed In varicated If they were actually heard sound symbols and Paul has another fib to his account If they were un alterable there could be no legal in the case because of its im possibility This verbal looseness and want of mental precision Is a marked quality In the Intellectual endowment of PaulI An Instance occurs in Hebrews 1127 where it is remarked that Moses en dured accusing him who Is InvisibleI Him and who relate to God under stood If he saw God he God was net Invisible If God was Invisible Moses did not see him These trarieties and selfcontradictions are observable throughout Pauls writings but generally are of a more serious nature than Is here Indicated In GalI 31G he strenuously strived to show that the word seed is In the slngulai number grammatically and logically and that Abrahams see refers sole ly to Christ But in the 3th verse hel asserts that all believers are one In Christ Jesus and then n e Abrahams rod thus confessing that seed may properly express the plural number as well as the singular What Paul does do here fully and emphatically Is to contradict the plain lot leal and his orical fact that Abrahams seed quoted from Gen 127 and Gen 1315 obviously explicitly and literally nifies Abrahams entire Jewish poster ity and that Jesus can only be brought in as ore of tent race Paul pesters Peter In Gal 21114 by blaming him with dissimulation by ocrlsy deception false pretension counterfeiting and with walking not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel lIe based these charges on the statement of the alleged fact that Peter discontinued his custom of cat Ing with the Gentiles subsequent to the coming of certain one from James who opposed the social com mingling of the two classes But on this score Paul himself was to be blamed for he circumcised Tinio thy a halfJew because of the Jews which were In those quarters Acts 1C3 And when Paul returned to Je rusalem see Acts 212025 and was brought Into close relations with James and many thousands of Jews all zealous of the law he was strained to comply with the ceremonial law of the Jeews which he had prey ously forsaken and denounced as abro gated and void Then things put Paul in a pretty plight They prove aPul a simulator a pretender deceiver and prevaricator and amply warrant him In his confession Rom 37 to my lie and his boast that he was all things to all men Such are thej tl at hear unspeakable words and see Invisible gods Paul arraigns the entire race as un righteous He asserts there is none that docth good no not one Of course Paul Includes himself as also does Jesus when he declared there were none good but one that Is God Evidently Jesus Included himself In the big crowd for he failed to claim that he was that only one good God In all the claims made for the divinity of Jesus or Christ he is nowhere designated as the sole and only lord god or infinite being he describes a good This leaves himself as well as Paul and all the world of mankind a no good They have used de celt the poison of asps is under their lips and there Is no fear of God be fore their eyes Rom 31318 In accusing and judging others In suet sweeping wholesale and unmannered sentences they but condemn them selves Rom 21 This is a fair exemplification of tine looseness incoherence nnd i liucracyof the language and particulars contained in the Bible The Bible gives no clear concise coherent consistent and definite conception of the Independent ad positive truth of Its separate state mets or general conclusions because Its terms and postulates usually clash contradict and nullify each other Especially is this so when a compari son of the particulars relating to the personality and nature of Je hovah and Jesus is effected First In the beginning God Elishas god created nil things Second Jehovah Lord God wade nil thingsThird Jesus made It all Then Jehovah was first and last Jesus the same God was the beginning and ending so was Jesus That they were not one and the same person is affirmed when It is said tjlllt God LrottQht Jesus from the state of death Here contradic tion Is absolute The morality of the Bible fares no better Though it Is Intimated that God and Jesus preferred monogancy they conferred upon their favorites the privileges and joys of polygamy Salvery was Initiated In the persons of Jacob and Esau before they wore born because God loved Jacob and hated Esau Women were put under tho rule and ownership of their hus abnds primarily because Eve wasI made last License to use buy andI sell Intoxicating liquors was early granted yet much Is said condemna tory of the drink habit and woe Is nounced against those who put the battle to their neighbors lips Exter minating wars were divinely decreed against those who were so unfortu nate as to be In the way of Gods peo pIe Usury was permitted to be acted from the Gentiles Likewise any old unfit meat could be traded to the Jews The sins and crimes of these people could be toned for andI their perpetrators be made as good as by butchering bull goat lambs or pigeon and making a present of ItI to the priest Thus there was a plete license system scheduled fromt the smallest peccadillo to the highest crime In The calendar except those affecting the prieststAll this has Its counterpart In ort under the last will and testament All sin can be forgiven through thet offering of a human or half human and half god sacrifice except always treason against the preachers and their church It can easily be seenI that the motive ever held up as the sole Incentive undr both the eJwlsh nd Christian cults are crude and sor did to the limit The worst character can be transformed Into a holy saint by the simple exercise of faith in the atonementNo not do The Intrinsic and inherent Indications all prove the liblo to be the wofully crude work ofI fallible and erring man They point to this proof as showing the evolu jtJI tlonary process and progress of Its original development from a simple and natural outward conception of phenomena to the normally complete and differentiated antithetical noume non or essence of things as module and apprehended by the metal limits dons Imposed by material and moral conditions The Bible Is simply and only an clent literature and as such Is valuable legacy and asset Its preser vation ns an ancient and original index to the infinitely slow and painful ad vacement of mankind from primitive savaging nnd barbarism to the partial ly civilized social economic and Intel lectual conditions of modern times demanded by every consideration of enlightened self Interest Only lop off the extraneous and false concretions credu1lt and selfaglgramllzement Bible for what it is intrinsically worth SOLDIERS ORDERED TO CHURCH Compelled By Colonel To Attend Divine Service There is great excitement at the liar racks in Columbus Ohio because of order sued by Colonel E F Glenn the commandant before he left for Texas today to defend Major Penrose in the Brnvnisvfllc courtmartial ordering the Catholic soldiers to attend services Some of the men declare that theywill mutiny The order says that the Catholic noncommissioned officers will inarch men to and from church ami see that order is preserved during tho services The Blade hacks up the soldiers Re ligious freedom in the army is a stitutional rightEd- DISOWNS THE- PRAYER CHAIN Bishop He Is riot the LawrenceJsays Preacher clares It To Be a Fraud After all that has been said and writ ten concerning that endless chain of prayer it now transpires that Bishop Lawrence alleged author denies nil connection with it while another preacher denounces it as a fraud The Democrat published at Rochester N contains an interview with Rev U Henry Palmer of Pcmr Yaw pastor of the First Presbyterian Church which wires up the situation as follows How mildly tiimsi must it be publicly announced that Bishop Lawrence denies the above statement regarding himself and repudiates all responsibility for this socalled endless prayer chain If the accomplished nod beloved successor of Philip Brooks as Bishop of Massachusetts is meant it is difficult to see how any intelligent Christian could believe that lie would indorse any such absurd superstition as implied in this communi cation Who on earth has any authority to proclaims such n threat or such a promise as the letter contains t sooner any such endless chain come to nn end in all its ramifications the Letter The communication is beneath the notice of selfrespecting people ns indeed anony mous letters usually are THE CRIMES OF PREACHERS Among the crimes of preachers should be recorded the following taken from the news columns of Cnnasarnga Times N Y It rods It is reported that Rev W illgof Arcade lies left for parts unknown accompanied by another woman leaving his wife and three children who are now in Burns without adequate moans of support He was well known in this village this news was a great surprise CHURCH LEGENDS OF MEXICO Qncreturo was n twon before the Spanish conquest nnd was made u city in KJjj A legend of Qnorutaro is that n Otomitu chief Fernando do Tupiu a y none undertook to convert the city Christianity in n way Unit seunm novel to nn but was common tmniigli to his day lie clime from Tula with challenge to the people of Queretaro a fair stand up fight If he won people surviving were to bo baptized The challenge was accepted but while fight was in progress n dark cloud came up and blessed Santiago was seen in the heavens with a fiery cross whurcu on the people of Queretaro gave p and were baptized They set upa stone cross to commemorate the event Ion the Hiof the present church of Santa Cruz There is scarcely a church in Mexico which lies not a legend of this kind attached to it A friend adds liven if the legend is n fabrication its production proves what devotees sire it to he part of their history and it is in harmony with the record of lie Christian church PAINE Continued From 1ago One ability Among other he invent wl a smokeless candle Tim flame going out at one cud of the candle the smoke at till other lie also invented a pInning machine crane lint tin listai nil was the iron bridge He not cmapaaLiberty was Iris ideal antislavery of body or mind finmd in him a deadly enemy His faculties were even being cur ci ell fill the good of his fellow crept pweIHems keen and wonderful Anything of terest to man was of interest to him may any place iInelll of a worker was a legitimate field for his labor Painos boyhood was passed in the sombre drab colored existence of a Quaker home Ills seriousness of life grave promise of practical results in the thinking world when he should react maturity speaking of an existence in his boy Iln he says I well remember when about seven or eight years of age hear ing a sermon rend upon the subject of what is called Redemption by the death of the Son of God After the ser moil was ended wont into the garden 1tIIIl ns was going down tho garden steps for perfectly remember spot I revolted at the recollection of what had heard and thought to myself tint it was making God Almighty act like a passionate man that killed ids son when he could not revenue himself in any other way and as was sure a man would bo lunged that did such a thing I could not see for what purpose they preached such sermons This was not one of that kind of thoughts that lad anything in it of childish livijy It was to me a serious recollection arising from the idea had that God was too good to do such nn action and also too almighty to he under nny necessity of doing it I believe in same manner at this moment nod moreover believe that any system of religion that has anything in it which shocks the mindof the child cannot be n true system So we see that the idea that Christ was not crucified because that was too h11himyears nfterwnrd he adds any system of religion that has anything in it thatI shocks mind of a child cannot true We synt emIday to appreciate the reverence with which n ine was regarded by those who saw in mini the greatest apostle of erty in he world Elilnt Palmer spoke n very general belief when he declared Paine probably most useful man that ever existed upon the face of this earths Finally he came home to America HP always lad many friends but mazy deserted him as his Age of Reason be came known to them Ho was neglected by those who would be expected to stand by him Probably the worst blow he ever faired was to have the right to vote rev fused him in New York on the ground that he was not a citizen of the United States Not a citizen of New York when tint liomu in which be lived hail lioiii presented to him by the State of New York fur his services in nicking it state null he had lived on money pre sented to liim by Icnnsylvanin for his services there Not a citizcnl Can Christianity with its pretence of ity brotherly love go to such anrextent as that in prejudice Yet incredible as it appears such is the cnsc George Washington wrote that the one who refused Painos vote dM rightly mill Paine died before the courts nt New York recognized him ns a citizen after that gratuitous insult These patriots had worked with him as for as their limited sight could determine was right but when he could see a horizon beyond tlinm they refused to go and put nil possible obstacle in his way They forgot he been their nurse guide in Republican childhood forgot they were given a measure of frcadom through his efforts forgot gratitude to nn old friend forgot imounraforgot they were human beings and so dcrerted this grand warrior who loved peace so much that he would fight for nolliing else SONGS Continued From Page One Kitchen and of intimacy that grew up between them Mr West found him to be n great student and a man win delved deep into every subject that ho took up for investigation The spaker knew the deceased ns n man among kind to those with whom he asso ciated generous to the poor a groat friend to young men DEBATE IN PAMPHLET FORM Just out debate onthe Bible and Evo lution between Snow andUv Wilkcrson 100 pages 64000 j words Price 15 cents Arkansaw Traveler New Hope Ark METHODScIThe Organization into aPoUtici Body CHAR GOVERNMENT L ptmla2 all of qtoe andsocieties ypresaioat ibjthe t 6 rights and Justice to all ill andlegalegctlaismost rest The Free Speech Leaguein- vites corrcMpondenco cooperation nod nienibirshiif of nil who claim rights nnd maintain them JOIN US HELP US GET OUR LIST OF BOOKS READ THEN PASS THEM ALONG Liberty talks by Ingerwoll Wnkcnuin Walkor Schroc iltr Pentecost Durroxv Post undothers Head Our Van tailing Liberty of Press five cents sad olio Do You Want Free Speech ti n cents and learn 1WHY YOU SHOULD ACT WITH US The Free Speech League Lexington Ave New York City 4 ORGANIZATION AT LAS1 WANTED All readers of the Blue Grass Blade who know God Is a myth and death the end of life to fll out the following blank and forward It to the International Organizer W H Kerr Great Bond Kansas and get nice certificate suitable for framing of graduation in the knowledge of God an life membership In the Church of Humanity APPLICATION FO MEMBERSHIP In the Church of HumanityI W H KERR Great Bond KansJBell vlng God to be a fabulous being I enclose one dollar for Life Membership in the Church of Humanity r Name Age V Postofllce Co orS t t Slate Sex Occupation fNationality Language itI s Previous Church X When 1000 members are enrolled a national delegate Aentiii Vip be called to formal orcanl7 and Incorporate tie church A JrmJ r

© 1999-2009 Kentucky Virtual Library

• xhtml 1.0 Strict