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Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.): n. Sunday, February 28, 1909.
Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.): n. Sunday, February 28, 1909. Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.). 400dpi TIFF G4 page images Blade Publishing Co., Lexington, Kentucky 1909 blu1909022801 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 28, 1909. Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.). Blade Publishing Co., Lexington, Kentucky 1909 $IMLS This electronic text file was created by Optical Character Recognitio n (OCR). No corrections have been made to the OCR-ed text and no editing has be en done to the content of the original document. Encoding has been done through an automated process using the recommendations for Level 1 of the TEI in Librar ies Guidelines. Digital page images are linked to the text file. r 1 tt BLUE GRASS BLADE Volume XVII Number 44 LEXINGTON KY FEBRUARY 2gIyog n n DEVOTED TO THE PROPAGANDA OF FREEDOM OF THOUGHT W T FICKL1X Kentucky Pioneer and lobe to Superstition I tfift 2 BLUE GRASS BLADE mrat4 A igmqurt to ICtfr PART I- SUPERSTITION By Lawrence Broadwell Many things of subtle interest have been written Concerning future life and strange to tell The human heart seems wedded to those legends That tell about a heaven and a hell Reared in an atmosphere of superstition Queer thoughts oft times obtrude upon the mind Which lead men into many foolisherrors While seeking to approach the life divine Creeds come and go like blossoms in the springtime They tire numberless as are the forest leaves Theres no doctrine too absurd nor too unnatural But there are wildeyed visionaries to believe Beginning with the poor deluded Hindoos To the crocodiles they throw their infant babes To appease the awful wrath of the Almighty Thinking thus their own small paltry souls to save Men inflict upon themselves most cruel tortures Some jump from beetling cliffs to certain death Some throw themselves beneath the wheel of Jugger naut- Thinking this the price of heaven and eternal rest Nor can we say of them they are fanatics For all have been fanatics in a way Many learned men are numbered in the vanguard That have blazed the path that leads mens souls astray Men and nations of enlightenment have followed Fetich rites and strangely swayed by hopes and fears The burning fires of Smithfield were enkindled And by Christian hands were made a funeral pyre Led on by sundry passions men have wandered As erratic as a hissing mountain flood As instanced in the Christian Jnquisiton Which witnessed a thousand scenes of blood Andeven young America thoughenlightened Has had her troubled dreams by night and day Dreams of horrid witches riding broomsticks While cavorting up and down the Salem Way Thus men of every age have been fanatics Whether living virtuous lives or steeped in sin Not one can say My heart is free from folly No lingering superstition rests within t GRASS BLADE 8 THE SIXTHoSENS- E FALLACY DUTY OF FREETHINKERS TO PROTECT YOUTHFUL MINDS AGAINST THE I PRESENT EFFORTS BY INTERESTED PERSONS AT MISINFORMATION By Franklin H Heald So much foolishness has been written lately upon the subject of Improving the human mind along the lines of Telep athy Clalraudlence Clairvoyance Psychom etry and kindred Instincts and too by leading periodicals that It occurs to me that it is high time that Atheists and Ma terialists should take a haiid In setting tae young and inquiring minds right upon that Important and much abused subject- A London scientist Fredrle Fletcher who Is being widely quoted Fays in his at tempt to overthrow Materialism The normal operation of the sixth sense with its clairvoyance clalraudlence and telepathy brings new revelations to our modem materialism Not the least of these may be an absolute demonstration of Immortality and a proof of postmortem was a time when I was consider ably younger than I am now that I lieved human beings to bo gradually evolving a sixth sense along these lines or a psychic method of receiving information and I havo written long articles attempting to explain it to conform with Materialism but I am now thoroughly convinced and can furnish the proof to any one other than an orthodox Christian that we are losing the psychic sense as we evolve rea son and beg to furnish the readers of the Blade some simple facts which point to reason as the highest order of arriving at the truth yet reached by any life that wo know anything about- I believe It Is generally conceded and will not bo denied that the psychic ers are closely related to the Instinct of animals birds serpents Insects fishes and other life oven as low as plants In fact Mr Fletcher says himself The ant can see where we are blind because Its organ of vision Is susceptible finer othorlc vibrations than ours Many animals also possess a grento Instinct and sensory development than Is displayed by men because aided by a sensitive sympa thetic nervous system they can augment certain powers which In the human race are not fully active Ho might have Included bees pigs cats pigeons horses snakes and all the other forms of life below man with which wo are familiar and he might also have mention ed It as absolute demonstration of their Immortality and a proof of postmortem existence In case he wished to be con sistentIt well known that animals birds etc Inherit at birth certain knowledge called instinct which they make use cf to a great er extent than do the young of human be ings and yet when the reasoning powers of the human being are matured he is the master and director of all other life and phenomena When a young chick breaks through his shell and draws his first breath he is standing on his feet with hs eyes open and knows exactly what to do next He feels the directing forces of nature upon his organized matter which the human babe does not feet and could not obey if ho felt them The human babe Is the most helpless of all living creatures more so than an oyster a sponge or a common weed and the more miniatured reason he Inherits the more helpless h Is In fact If not taken care of by others he would perish in a very short time Instinct or the psychic means of feeling the forces of nature have given place to reason on ac count of tho gradual evolution of reason and the decreasing use of tile psychic feel Ing by his ancestors- I nm prepared to prove that intellect reason or tho power of deduction Increases directly In the same ratio that the psychic power or Instinct decreases from tho best male human being down toI he lowest life say nn Iron bar which can only feel the forces of heating and cooling and moves accordingly Bees ants and ether Insects use telepathy as a means of communicat ing thought many birds use clairvoyance as a means of locating food some animals serpents fishes Insects and birds use clnlraudlenco as a means of communicating danger signals and many animals and forms of lower life are able to find their way to their home food or water where human beings would be lost and perish Some birds see by tho Xrays and in fact there are scores of Instances where have proven that lower organizations of life than man can and do receive sure infor mation through tho psychic avenues which tho human being only receives by matured reason We know as a rule that men have tho power of reason much more developed than women and we know It is because they are the natural providers and protectors and are therefore compelled to experiment and use their reason more than women who are or should be protected and vided for We know also that as a rule women are more sensitive to the psychic force than men because their reason is less evolved and many times women feel instantly without thinking what it requires reason and experiment to determine for men of the brightest and best evolved Intellect I will say without fear of suc cessful contradiction that can give the exact psychic capacity of any animal cluding man by simply measuring and comparing the Intellectual portion with the balance of tine brain The lower we go and the farther back we go into the dark ages of the human race the more psychic power or animal instinct wo find and the less reason un til we arrive at a time when It Is almost Impossible to tell whether thoy are animal or human and there are animals In the world today whose Intellect Is so weak and whose psychic Instinct Is so strong that we hesitate to say whether they shall be class ed as a part of the human family In fact It has been scarcely two centuries since the wise men who governed the world by fear of punishment In a post mortem existence denied that woman had a soul and less than half a century since It was generally admitted that a ne- gro possessed such a coveted asset and only recently that such thinkers as W C T U women and preachers who part their i hair in the middle believe that dogs mules and snakes will go to heaven though they still believe that human Infants a span long will go to the other place and burn forever for tho glory of God if they are not baptized liven Mr Fletcher the English Investi gator aforesaid is intelligent enough to note the fact that the less Intelligent people are the more they show psychic development 1 and says on this line It appears remarkable to ninny that the present development of tho sixthflor psychic sense should manifest itself more In tho Illiterate and uneducated than t In tho Intellectual Amongst the peasantry of Russia Italy and Ireland it Is common so common that many of the customs and superstitions have arisen through It Sonicranimals also seem to have second sight Does It not seem almost strange that he should have missed the logical connection or conclusion that humanity Is gettingt lrdL lJm 4 BLUE GRASS BLADE rid of this psychic sense of animals as we evolve reason and especially when says There exist In the savage and civiliz ed races Individuals who show quite normally a similar development to that of some species of the animal kingdom the ability to minutely visualize by an exten sion of tile sight organs or to hear when the auditory nerve Is usually unresponsive showing additional though ofttimes rudimentary rowers The fact Is the psychic force In man Is rudimentary and the more highly organiz ed a life form Is the less It receives information from the psychic forces and the more it uses its reason People look back hundreds of years to Hindoo wisdom and marvel at the evi dence of their psychic power when If they could look still farther back possibly a million years they would be found devoid of reason and depending on psychic Infor mation for a living as Christ Elijah and otter nature fakers of the past Mr Fletcher and thousands of New Thought people believe this sixth sense Is very desirable and should be diligently cul tivated refering to It as the Psychic Sci ence I do not agree with them that the Science socalled is in its Infancy but believe It is in its dotage as far as man Is concerned and believe It should be dis couraged the same as superstition so that the reason may have full sway by being unbamperea am very susceptible to these psychic feelings myself and If I should give up to tnem and hold my reason In check could won become a vacant staring adept magi or medium with no reason getting my In formation by these psychic feelings therefore no better than a little pig pigeon cat bee or ant My reason shows me that this Is a lost science and the one we have evolved to take Its place 1 e reason Is much superior Not only does my rea son teach me but my experience shows me that before can receive such psychic Information must go Into a temporary blank state of semiIdiocy such as partial sleep hypnotism or trance so that reason Is suppressed pushed aside or put to sleep before loan feel hear or see by these direct animal forces The very fact that lower forms of life which have no rea son have more perfect psychic feeling must prove that to go back to this state we must get rid of reason Pray who are these adepts magi and mediums so wise They are people who sleep with a vacant stare while awake To be most successful they must retire to some old cellar hollow tree or cave where they can go into the silence live In solitude without the disturbing influence of thought which Induces reason and mod em methods Here they must sit In si lence half asleep and half awake or In a semihypnotized1 condition in order to get these psychic animal hunches direct from nature I believe mans vast possibili ties are far removed from psychic soul training that man should depend upon science experience and reason and I be lieve like the contracting and expanding of matter that one cannot accumulate force except at the expense of the other Who are the best mediums Are they the best people In the first place they are either women or men without too much reason usually wearing petticoats and part Ing their long hair In the middle They must be capable of going Into the silence easily and quickly which necessitates a limited amount of grey matter In the front part of the head Free Lance a New Thought magazine says occultly Blue eyed people are essentially ma terialists They cannot see visions or any thing occult Neither can the darkeyed people of the Northern nationsthe dark brown darkgrey or blackeyed people and It Is useless their attempting to do so The power Is given In all Its force to people with hazel eyes those In which there Is a slight tinge of green especially or to people with greengrey eyes particularly those eyes which change color quickly and sometimes look pure grey sometimes pure green and sometimes even blue To be sure Cats owls snakes and oth MIND AND MATTER CONSTITUTES THE ALL IN SUPREME By J E Burkhart The mode of communicating thought Is worthy of serious consideration Therefore to aid the Inquiring students mind In brevity I trust I may at least prove sug gestive In effort by all means divide fancy from fact A pebble breaks the surface makes a ripple on a pool of water lures the thought In man to treason from cause to effect From what we know of the great universe wo are cognizant of only two properties we know of only two properties Mind and Matter of which It Is full always has been and always will continue to be full of these two properties of which Thought is su preme Thought Is a fact In opposition to shadow fancy or phantoms Invented by the schools of superstition Thought Itself comes within the range of as the source of all realities in mind and er low orders of life have the kind of described and required to see Animals like pigs bears etc which eye8Ievolved more or less reason can see when they close their eyes and religious persons always close eyes when they want to see things for Christs sake and people with blue eyes have white skin and the majority of their brains usually In front of their ears and it should be apparent to any rational think ing person who has acquired the habit of thinking correctly for himself that If we follow the backtrack of evolution and find a certain faculty stronger In lower life we may be sure that a better one is taking its place in higher orders and when we actually find a better and surer one which has by slow evolution taken its place wo must recognlzethe truththat we are los ing instead of gaining psychic powers of Me brain Let us then control our own minds as best we can and when we teacn others and especially the young teach them how to think rather thin how to feel Impressions without reason If we want clalraudlence let us use a telephone if wo want telepathy let us use wireless teleg raphy and if we want clairvoyance let us use Edisons latest and connect our optic nerve electrically with distant cities thus leaving our reason free to weigh measure sort out and compare the value of im pressions which reach us from all sources y Thought in Man The Universe I ALLTHOUGHT- IS comprehension matter Thought is as manifest In the universe of things as it is In the body of man Look upon mans physical form with out life It is a cold inanimate statue of earthen matter But look againyou see the eyes flash the body moves talks rea sons and puts forth the I1I1ndills the evi dence that Intelligent Thought lives and acts In that physical body Thought is Indispensable it sees hears feels thinks talks moulds character sets judgment controls action regulates social and business Intercourses There Is no re lation pursuit nor position of responslbllr ity that does not call Thought Into requisi tion the rapid flight of Thought the mind of man can give attention tb a count less number of objects immeasurably tant from each other In the same Instant It makes the entire circuit of the sun moon and stars as quickly as it passes from one object to another in a single teem Wherever Thought is It acts and wflierover It acts It Is because Its knowledge equals In extent the sweep of its active power and IBLUEGRASS BLADE 5 real presence Can you not see this What then must be Its mightiness of power to I light up the fires of Intellect from a tiny spark to a giant flame of Intelligence launched Into being by the power of Thoughts voice In man Earth air fire and water obey Its mandates and rush to do Thoughts bidding What then can limit Thoughts power to discover Invent pro duce and construct without end Thought In the person of Copernicus found the Earth had a double motion diur nal on Its axis and annual In its orbit around the Sun Thought In Kepler computed the rate of motion and measured the distance of the revolving planets from the Sun Thought In Newton found the universal law of attraction Dropped his plummet In line of those shining orbs and Herschel sailed navigator of the skies These discoveries were of vast Import ance as they swept away a huge mass of vulgar theories Invented by the Herdsmen of Superstition Thought In the person of Chappe champion Freethinker In the 17th century found Telegraphy By bring ing acid and metal In contact Thoughts words are spelled out to the faroff locality In a moment of time endow the bodymat ter with the velocity of Thought to pass with It to that faroff locality would It not be Infinite man Thought in the person of Watt In the same century saw steam from water converted Into electricity drive the ponderous locomotive thundering along Its iron track with its train loaded with tons of freight to the summit of the Rock ies Thought In the person of Columbus saw the continent of America before ho sailed from Palos Does all this prove nothing Who thus ouilt the chariots harnessed the steeds and made them capa ble of untiring travel Who holds guides and controls them along the highways t land In air and on the sea There can be but one answer Thought In all Its heights and depths we can dis corn the hand of Thought collecting from thto Earth the crude materials of nature separating the material kinds wrought chinery constructed furnaces and mill and manufactured them into all tho useful util ities In our homes and in the various do partments of industry throughout tho civil ized world built cities towns colossal structures rural habitudes adorned with handsome dwellings set with fruiting trees flowergardens adapted seeds to climate and soil domesticated animals and trained them to do Thoughts bidding beautified the Earth and made the worM worth living in Thought Is the foundation of Agricul ture Mechanics and Arts the Sciences and Geology testify to Thoughts duration throughout the sweep of dateless ages past In reason from analogy will continue to 1andthroughout the swoop of endless ages to J come Thought like the Sun among the celestial orbs challenges the whole galaxy ot myths invented by the Crafts o Supers Ion to vie with it la supreme excellence THE POETS SING OF THOUGHT What exile from hlrnse can flee To zones more and moro remote Still pursues whereer I be The blight of lifetho demon Thought Byron Look around the world Behold the chain of Thought Binds all below and all above Pope Could I in statue great Reach from pole to pole And grasp creation in my span I must be measured by my Soul The minds the maker of the manWatt Parent of good Thine this universal frame Thus wondrous fair thyself how wondrous thien Milton The dragon hahs the zephrs On air waves speed forever wore The rolling spheres the sense repeat Vibrating tones his Thought shall meet That which has been shall be the toll When Thought Itself shall judge the Soul The die is cast the searchlight glows In natures laws unerring throws Modern Also others ancient and modern enough to fill a volume But I have written enough to convince anyone who will be convinced that Thought Is a factthe only Supreme force In the universe of things PREACHERS AS LEGISLATORS Used to be regarded as Ineligible as Mem bers of such Bodies but now They Are Unfit Goldwin Smith on the Bible By Dr A A Bell The clergy have not always been an pecially privileged class Power and In fluence they hay have enjoyed with limit but In a measure they enjoy greater priv ileges and Immunities today than they did some years ago In tne earlier days of English parlia ments clergymen were not allowed to oc cupy seats In that legislative body They wore not considered eligible to seats then and by many they are considered unfit to occupy them now Put a preacher In any legislature and he will Immediately begin tinkering upon special laws right in his line bearing on tho Sunday question near beer and bawdy houses Their education and training to say nothing or habit unfits them for such Important work as making laws for the people- I have heard preachers sav that It was only an ignorance of the Bible that made men infidels But how about Hume Renan Gibbon Mill Shelley Bradlaugh Paine Jefferson Franklin Ingersoll and hundreds of others I could name Almost all of the Infidels or atheists are historians philoso phers and scientists Or to put the ques tion conversely we can say with truth that all tho scientists philosophers and historians including men of letters fine art and poetry have been atheists or Infidels from the days of Lucretius down to Shel ley and Byron and Burns Thinking men and women now know that most of the supposed bible authors were absolutely unknown On this subject ulmPloDBiblehardly now linger In any wellInformed and open mind The following Is an extract from an able letter In the New York Sun The leaders of humanity In the future may even find It necessary to make up by an increase of the powers of government for the lost Influence of religion Belief in the bible as inspired and Gods revelation of himself to man can hardly now linger In any wellinformed and open mind Criticism history and science have con spired to put an end to It The authorship of the greater part of It Including the most Important books Is unknown The moral ity of the Old Testament differs from that of the New and though In advance of the world generally In those days In more places than one as in the case of the slaughter of the Canaanltcs shocks us now There are errors too In the Old Testa ment of a physical kind such as those In the account of creation and the belief In the revolution of the sun Of the Now Testament the most important books the first three gospels our main authorities for the life of Christ are manifestly grafts upon a stock of unknown authorship and date They betray a belief in diabolical r sses Is discrepancy between the first three gos i author of tho fourth gospel who evidently t was not a Palestinian Jew was free There slon a local superstition from which theipels and the fourth notably as to the day and consequent significance of Christs celebration of the passover It Is Incredible that God In revealing himself to man should havo allowed any mark of human error to appear in the revelation We have moreover to ask why that on which the worlds salvation depended should have been withheld so long and communicated to so such a man as Goldwin Smith can write this way and be deemed by thou sands a great scholar the day of humanitys deliverance Is not to be much longer delay ed This distinguished writer has held seats In different colleges in Europe Amer fen and Canada L BLUE GRASS BLADE MANS ORIGIN AND DESTINY PAliKXTAI AND SOCIAL LoVK IXSTIXCT OF PROPAGATION TIIK Two PARTS ALL UKIHIIOXS CHRISTENDOM IN HISTORY By Dr A Hausman Akin to parental love is the sympathy for others com passion caused by involuntary reflections over the feel ings ofa fellow creature we see suffering This natural sentiment is neither a prerogative of the Christians in par ticular nor of mankind in general for wo find it among ani mals as well Darwin tells of blind birds which were supported by their companions and apparently did not apeIAnother ape in a zoological garden came promptly to the assistance of its keeper when attacked by a vicious Laboon But the best example we have always near us the dog whose fidelity is proverbial The training of this faithfulcompanion shows how natural instincts may be suppressed and modified by external force What man does for the dog in the way of education nature does for man Another well known instance of strong affinity is offered by the little paroquets who die when separated How does this animal instinct compare with the action of some savages whobury their disabled or aged relatives alive Oh the believer will exclaim they have never received the blessings of Christianity Very true but wo shall soon learn in what these blessings consist and how much the poor savage lost in not receiving them As the third we have the instinct of propagation or sexual desire which plays an important part in the origin ofspecies In character it does not differ esstntially n man or animals but civilization has modified it fur the benefit of the weaker sex Chastity and shame are moral qualities acquired by tbwife as a protection against the brutalityof the man Monogamy is no divine institution but simply a node of sexual intercourse advantageous for the welfare of the issue in the struggle of existece result ing in a superior raw In these three natural instincts we have the basis of human and animal society all the other mornl qualities we admire in man are merely modifications under peculiar anti ral point of view we do not loo1 of any other object to live fr than life itself and to afford an opportunity to enjoy existence for the greatest possblo number of individuals might be designated as the final aim of nature Agriculture is the only occupation that will answer this purpose in no other way will tho earth yield the means to sustain such numbers The firt step our savage ancestors made towards civilization was the change from tho nomadic life of the hunter and herder to the settled occupation of the tiller of the soil Insopmilhy associated and developedwith culture is a social principle which has already been mentioned before division f labor Wo found it at an early stage in the animal l iiig dom and discovered it in man as the physiological funda ment of his body It means increased vitality In lolls in dividual and community in tho former by increasing its physiological capacity in the latter by augmenting its pro ductiveness and facilitating its existence The cuexJiiice and cooperation of largo numbers made a certain social order indispensable entailing certain restrictions upon the individuals and further gave origin to certain institutions with reference to the hostile relations of tho various tribes or nations Among these latter the most important arc the standing armies and monarchic governments as tho natural outcome of tho continual wars between all nations since his torical times A leader and commander in battle ian ab solute necessity for success and this position becoming hereditary gave birth to the hereditary monarchies Tho struggle of existence within a nation the peaceable competition of labor and trade origin to institutions ofa different kind It is evident that no prosperity can exist without security of person and property and sirce there have been always somo individuals in whom was predominating to such an extent as to interfere with trIO welfare of their fellow men tho necessity arose to pro vido for such excesses And further tho complicated rela tions between tho various occupations made certain rules told regulations indispensable for these pursuits They find expression in form of customs and laws which lire rather vague and traditional among barbarous nations but more definite and fixed among civilized people It is a common but mistaken idea that laws are the cause of the orderly and peaceable state of society they are merely the ex pression of a necessity felt by the ruling majority Their fundamental basis remains always tho same but they are constantly changing in the details according to tho spreading of progressive ideas Wo see the same order as in our own state prevailing in tho communities of bees and ants without tiny religion or written laws We will now proceed to examine tho relations religion hears upon the affairs of mankind ALL KKLIOIONS CONSISTS TWO PARTS ONK RKKEURINO TO THK RELATIONS or MAN TO MAN THE OTJIKU- MAN TO NATURE Our Christian religion contains in its ten commandments simply tho fundamental principles of society thou shalt not kill stealetcll1ws without the general observance of whichsociety could not exist and which are neither tho invention of the christians nor tho Jews but iiavo governed other nations thousands of years ago There is nothing divine in them As to tho other part referring to the relation of maul to nature it is based upon misconception of the natural phenomena und its source is misguidedego ism Fear is tho basis of everyreligion fear of the un known powers of nature engendered by ignorance Accord ing to the intellectual standard ofa people tho dreadful powers are vested in various material shapes but in one respect tho religions are all alike namely in the manner in which they influence tho competition among tho indi Il BLUE GRASS BLADE 7 vi duals In order to trace the origin of religion jve have to go back to the lowest races not to the animals in this case because their intellect is not strong enough to reason over such matters and fall into such errors Not long ago Trendau interesting account given by an African traveller of the fetich worship among some tribes in the interior of Africa Ho describes how some fellow smarter than the rest takes advantage of their stupidity and rises to the dignity of a priest or fetich man He gained the confidence of one of these worthies who initiated him into the secrets of his business and showed him some little tricks by means ofwhich ho made the faithful believe that ho was in com munication with the dreaded powers Whenever the poor dupes wanted any favor from the supposed deity rain dur ing a drouth luck for the chase etc they endeavored to appease the unknown god by offering gifts to the known mediator who thus received real value in exchange for worthless incantations and promises Hero we have the pernicious principle of every religion it reduces the men tally weaker people to a state of abject submission and slavery which is strictly in accordance with the survival of the fittest It must be borne in mind that the term fittest does not imply any moral qualifications whatever for in nature only physical forces rule to which man at taches moral significance No matter what wo may think about the morals of the fetich man wo must admit that he is abler than his fellow savages at whose expense ho pros pers The Christian religion grew out of the same causes misconceived egoism and is essentially the same as the heathenish idolatry both in principle and effect God and the devil are the fetich and out of the fetichman grow the once powerful institution of the church which has pros pered so long by receiving real value for worthless rites and empty promises The characteristic feature of our century lies in a higher cultivation and conception of lifo and the abandonment of the false teachii ofreligion averse to this object or in the degeneration of the church and the spreading of liberty and humanity One of the conundrums I have met with is the allegation often made by intelligent and educated persons that Christianity was the source of the greater humanity of the present age Long before the dawn christiandom we find the Greeks in a state of civilization which in many respects stands unsur passed at the present day AVherofrom did they derive their moral laws and virtue which they possessed in no less degree than any Christian nation in the present Does it not appear strange to attribute a humanizing and cnobling influence to Christianity at present when it has lost its power and is suffering a steady and rapid decay while it hits never betrayed by the least sign tho possession of such highmoral faculties during its undisputed reign of nearly eighteen hundred years A curious cause that produces tho effect after its removal Why did not Christianity prove its exalted mission when it hold fullSWIIY over tho affairs of people instead at this late day when it is divested of till civil power As an apology for tho rattier uncongruous and inconvenient facts of history tho faithful usually offer tho explanation that tho people at that time did not have the right kind of religion which has but lately made such wonderful progress Though somewhat naive there is much truth in this answer Religion is rapidly improving t 4 in the same direction as our noble Indian who becomes a useful member of society as soon as he is dead As little as the introduction of the Christian religion is equivalent with the beginning of a humane era in history just as little does it require religion to evoke the natural feeling of sympathy in an individual A child shows sympathy or compassion with the sufferings of a playmate a dog bird etc at an age when it has not the least inti mation of any religion no matter whether the parents be long to any particular sect or have no creed whatever The following chapter will be devoted to an investigation of tho blessings that Christendom has brought upon man kind CHAPTER VI CUKISTENDOM IV HISTORY What is called the history of mankind comprises only tho latest and shortest section of the continuous evolution since man had sufficiently advanced in civilization to leave written evidence of the important events It is essentially a record of war of the rise and fall of nations in which the reign of monarchs and the battles they fought are the r only visible land marks by which tho course of the people f may be traced Most historians were Christians and their representation of tho natural events is marked by a strong bias in favor of their preconceived religion They enter tain an indefinite idea of an idealistic aim a goal ofabso lute liberty and happiness towards which mankind is moving and because those nations further advanced in civilization are Christians they do not hesitate ignorant of t tho real causes to ascribe to their religion this preference ignoring entirely the contradictory facts of history I know of but one historian there may be more who was honest enough to admit though a Christian himself that the facts of history were in direct contradiction with the Christian view of divine harmony Relating tho murder of Abel Rotteck says Should the venerable Moses have pictured i even hero with truth Should Cain and Abelrepresenting i tho entire human race be the imago of a hostile relation as i tho general state of nature Alas a sad yes must be our answer It is philosophically true and confirmed by the history of tho nations that the natural relation out side of the socialof man to man is a war of all against all This declaration shows how an honest candid man can form a correct conception of things even without the knowledge of the Darwinian theory if he has only moral courage enough to disregard his acquired prejudice To be continued The Ingersoll Memorial Beacon one of our lively and attractive Freethought journals in an editorial announce ment of tho return of tho Blades Editor to tho Freethought lecture platform suggests that it is a hopeful sign of the times and wo beg to add that tho Zeitgeist would bo examplefornUll the harvest is ready for our reaping Just allow tho editor a few days timo in which to get r duringLis W BLADEIIs BLUE GRASS BLUE GRASS BLADE Published weekly at Lexington Ky Founded by Charles Chilton Moore In and edited by him until his death February JAMES HUGHES Publisher and Manager JOHN CHARLESWORTH Editor 1268 N Limestone Street Lexington Ky P Box SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mall postpaid 160 per year in advance Five new yearly subscribers at one remittance JlOO each Five trial subscriptions Bent in with one remittance for six months cents each Trial subscriptions cents PIT month Foreign subscriptions postpaid 200 per year ADVERTISING RATES One Inch single column insertion cents one month or four Insertions 100 six months 60d one year J800 Quarter column single Insertion 200 one month 400 six months 2000 one year 3000 Half column whole column or larger advertisements at special rates upon application The publisher has the right to reject any and all advertisements offered GENERAL BUSINESS RULES ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS to the Blade will bo discontinued at the expiration of the term for which the subscription has been paid up In advance The address slip on the paper will show sub scribers the date of expiration of subscription Back numbers or numbers omitted will be sent if asked for upon renewal case of discontinuance SHOULD ANY SUBSCRIBER change his or her address advise thl office giving both old and new address as desired THE OFFICE of publication of the Blade at 126118 North Lime stone Street Lexington Kentucky to which all Freethinkers will be given a hearty welcome THE BLADE Is enterd at the Postofflce at Lexington Kentucky as secondclass mailing matter ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO THE BLUE GRASS BLADE P Box Lexington K- yEDITORIAL POTPOURI IItis gratifying to learn that a large and enthusiastic public meeting has just been held in Rochester N Y for the purpose of protesting against the unwarranted interfer ence with the rights and liberties of the people by the clergy Not content with the enforcement ofIt Sunday law which prevented the opening of innocent picture show the clergy combined to prevent by law any theatrical or other attraction on Wednesday night of each week because it was their prayer meeting night This was carrying things too far and at last the Rochester people rose in rebellion The newspapers report that the meetingwhich was held in the opera house answered affirmatively eachof the following questions Are you in favor of preserving the liberty bequeathed to us by our fathers Do you wish to see a saner anti more practical system ofeducation Arc you satisfied with the fossilized teachings of the old theology or do you favor the wider told saner teachings of nature revealed in the science of today Does the present system of morality justify the pro fessions of its adherents or is it largely a system of hypocrisy and pretense Is ours really a democratic government or are wo 1 governed by legislators manipulated by the classes and the clerics Are wo children to bo dictated to by fanatics and clergy as to whether we shall attend church or a thoIpicture show At the close of the meeting a form of constitution for a permanent organization was adopted upon which William Trucman was elected President and Arthur Madden Secretary It is reported that over two hundred signed the roll membership If this two hundred will now stick together and make the right kind of fight the church power in Rochester will soon he destroyed In any event it is a straw whichshows the direction the wind blows and it will not be long before hundreds of similar organizations will spring up allover the country to resist ecclesiastical encroachment upon the public rights Recent reports from London England suggest that the fight has been resumed against the practice of kissing an- old greasy biblo when taking the oath in a court of law Fancy tho sweets wasted upon barbarous fetich during all these years Some day perhaps there will be a real waking up Prof George J3 Foster of tho Divinity School of the University of Chicago in a talk to tlio budding clergymen in his class recently told them that religion was not of di vine origin that it was not from god but was merely an achievement of man That our readers may know tho real trend of modern education wo quote the following from Prof Foster Ho said of Christianity It is not a religion from a god but an achievement of man who created his own gods in ancient times in order that ho might have them to help him in his defenselessness and ignorance to aid him in conquering his foes and to dispel the darkness of his future and tho fear of death Such talk as this in a divinity school is caluculated to give the ultraorthodox additional pain as this is not tho first time he has caused agitation among tho Christian advocates More twelve year old boys ore reported as taking up revival work in tho namo of Jesus and for collection which goes far toward proving that tiny fool can preach Thirtytwo protestant churches have entered into some sort of an agreement for Christian unity which would in dicate that their minds are a unit on tho notion that in weakness there is strength Church weakness and ortho dox decay are tho causes of this attempt at union but like all thieves tho row will begin when the division of the spoils is readied TIeing loved by tho lord and fancying that ho had told her to enter some church and Ilioro fast for two days Mrs Nora Whalen of Los Angeles claimed to have followed m IIBLUEGRASS BLADE 9 1tho star of Bethlehem to a cathedral and wa taken in by police Sho is now ulurged with being a person of unsound mind The only fnilt with Mrs Wlmlen is that fhe delayed her operation too long JouM she have lived 1two thousand years ago and had sit Hadlconducted herself another crucified savior would have put in an appear anceThe deep reverence for religion entertained by the people of the Pacific coast may be inferred from the following news item which is taken verbatim from the columns ofn Los Angeles daily pape- rOaklandExasperated because an itinerant street preachers shouting kept him awake G 11 Burton from Riddles Douglas county Oregon fired a shot from his revolver at the sky pilot last night and is in jail today Tho bullet splintered a largo window opposite the Crellin Hotel where Burton was staying Burton says ho didnt want to hit the preacher but wanted to scare him Ho accomplished this as the preacher has not been seen since The language used and the stylo of the article speakn volumes to a thinking mind I do not believe in a literal hell with fire and brim stone and I cannot preach it Many members ofmy t congregation live in the sixteenth century and want me to preachsixteenth century doctrines Imn weary of the discord in the church and so I havo resigned Such arc the reasons given by the Rev E II Brooks pastor of the Figueroa Street Baptist church California who recently tendered his resignation to the board of trustees with the request that it tako effect at once Tho real depth of the missionary graft may be inferred from tho fact that Episcopalians collect pennies from children in America to aid missionary work in China and tho people of China are asked to contribute to aid missionary work in America Tho sum of twenty dollars was recently received by the diocese of Arkansas from converts in China tho donations evidently being made with a view of demon strating their sincerity in the now faith Observe that it invariably requires cash How completely tho ignorant mind can bo fooled by us ing tho name of god and religion generally may bo inferred from tho following oath to which all members of the Tennessee night riders band had to subscribe God had to bo worked in and made a witness to tho transaction It rends You do solemnly swear in tho presence of Godand these witnesses that you desire to become a night rider that yon will not write talk nor tell to anyone any of the secrets of this order of night riders That if yon do write talk or tell to tiny person any of tho secrets of the order we are permitted to do with yon as we see fit For you know that death hell and destruction will bo your portion and that your body will not be buried in a graveyard Do you willingly and freely submit to all that so help you God V For the benefit of our readers some having written us on the subject wo desire to state that tho china sets offered as premiums can only be given for new subscribers at the regular rates Wo cannot afford to count back previous subscriptionswise wo would bo sure to lose money rapidlydisappearingby a steam railroad and tho tomb of Mahomet is lighted withelectricity Thus indeed the world do move and the heavenly hierarchy had best prepare against a threatened invasion Tho Blade wishes your advance subscription to Dr Hmisnums great book on Evolution now running through subseriptionslotion There will bo an edition of one thousand copies printed and bound Closely observe tho article from Judge Parish B Ladd in our last preceding issue on the great church conspiracy raid then ask yourselves the question whether or not there bo abundant work for us all to do The people are by no paeans free and tho church appears determined to wrest from us tho few liberties remaining if wo permit them Tho Editors absence for two weeks has put tho Blade business back considerably but an heroic effort is being made to get caught up magaziuoNow Learning and is intended for Thinkers Teachers nudges and Statesmen He also writes tho Blade that ho willsoon bo able to catch up with Tomorrow Tho only use the average orthodox preacher has for religion is to employ it for tho purpose of getting all to thinkaliko hnot allowing any to think at all f Albert Depue a deacon ofa Chicago lrosbJtorianIchurch got away with several hundred dollars money and committed suicide in tho church o may wonder now whether he went to heaven or to hell Tho slightest speck of dust swimming in a sunbeam is eternal and the theological fatalists dare mainraiu in spite of evidence to tho contrary that man above all else was marked for celestial revenge t J BLADEI10 BLUE GRASS FREKTIIOUGHT LECTURE WORK Recent personal experiences have conclusively proven that the most active form of Freethought propaganda con sists of interesting and instructive lectures on a free platform History will furnish additional proof of the statement madeTwenty years ago when the cause of Free th0ught could boast a dozen public lecturers roaming at will over the country all the liberal publications of that period were better supported their subscription lists were bigger than they are today and their income considerably larger One after another from different causes including death the lecturers have disappeared and a number of liberal publi cations have suspended while the continuing papers and magazines are not receiving that hearty support so char acteristic ofII generation ago The logical inference would be then that with more lecturers in the fieldcomprising an aggregation of capable men and women the public thought would be quickened Freethinkers would finda greater encouragement andit more rapid growth must ensue One of the most pleasing results of the Canal Dover debate is that a movement is now on foot to organize a regular Freethought gathering at New Philadelphia and arrangements are now in course of formation for the Blades Editor to deliver one address each month before the new society As Canal Dover Midvalo Dennison and Uhrichsville are within easy reach it is anticipated that a monthly meeting of this character can be successfully provided for and with an attractive program of music and poetical readings there is no good reason why the move ment shoud not be made a brilliant success It is reasonably certain that the conventions of Sep tember last and the recent debate have had thst goodeffect of bringing the Freethinkers into a closer bond of unity and what is more they are happily surprised at their numerical strength For many years Mr Samuel Toomey was practically alone in Canal Dover Today he has abundant sympathyand support There are now more Freethinkers in Canal Dover than Mr Toomey had ever dreamed ofand these public lectures and debates have brought them into the light Similar results are reported from McConnellsville Previous to last September there had not hen a Free thought lecture delivered in that township Freethinkers there were but few knew each other Now it is written to the Blade that the Freethinkers have come out of the woods and the orthodox Christians have run into them Now friends each and every State can boast enough Freethinkers to keep at least one lecturer busy Why not make a start Do you not see what this means in a few short months The people everywhere except in a few isolated places are waiting for some such movement and they are ready to join hands and give it support The bulk of the American people are now of liberal trend and r thought but the opposition is well and compactly organized which gives it the appearance of strength Such a plan as is here contemplated would be the means of effectually checking the pernicious legislation now being sought by the- church party At the same time it would encourage inem bers of legislative bodies to cast aside their unnatural timidity and to boldly declare their freedom from all ortho dox restraints The judiciary would bo less apt to pander to the morbid orthodox sentiment and there would be small danger of over placing the republic under Puritanical rule Of all the States in the Union which appear most able to open such a lino or work Ohio stands in the front rank It has the Buckeye Secular Union to give support thereto Freethinkers abound on every hand and they include the very best element in the State If three or four such local societies can be organized on the basis of monthly meetings and lectures as that now under consideration at New Philadelphia and if not too far apart one lecturer could serve all at little cost to each and the aggregate could af ford him a fair compensation for his labors In the course of time if the audiences and membership should in crease these meetings could bo made semimonthly as the occasion would warrant or demand What other place in Ohio is prepared to fall in lino on the plan outlined Before leaving this subject we might refer to the re cent society organized at Mnncic Ind Dr Bowles writes that its membership is constantly increasing that its audiences are growing larger that interest is rapidly spreading and its voluntary contributions without any collection being taken tire ample to meet its current expenses rho- ne society has met with unbounded success and this re port coming from Dr Bowles should bo sufficient to carry the conviction that a similar success awaits all who will step boldly to the front and embark upon a like under takingIt the men and women who glory in their work re gardless of personal reward who furnish the world with its heroes and inspire it with hope Labor ac esl Orarc Work is our worship Let this bo the battle try and with united effort the victory is won While on the topic of Freethought lecture it may be added that the Blades Editor proposes to take that con lomplated trip through Indiana and as far as Peoria Illi nois during May next A goodly list appointments is desirable Wo already have Muncie tad Covington Tnd on our list and applications for lectures lit other points should bo sent in at once Noting the comments of our contemporaries upon this lecture work wo take pleasure in reproducing the following from the Tngorsoll Memorial Beacon of Chicago John R Charlcsworth editor of the Blue Grass Blade has reentered thin field as a free hough lecturer This is a good sign and we hope to soon hear ofother capabo speakers taking tho platform in thin cause of mental ematic pation BLUE GRASS BLADE 11 MUSIC IN RELIGION During our recent debate at Canal Dover Mr Keyser put forth an argument if argument it can be called that all the best and sweetest music in the world was born of the religious sentiment in man and was in reality a part and parcelof real religious worship This mistake was pointed out at the time but as the argument here offered is common with tho advocates of orthodoxy it is fitting that further criticism be made Tho same error exists here as with tho orthodox con tention that the Christian religion has been an efficient cause of civilization Just as civilizing forces and religious activities have been contemporaneous not allies in a com mon work so may it be said that religion and music have Imelopedside by side Music has had no more bitter foe than religion Tho attempt to introduce into religious sanc tuaries as a part of religious worship certain music has occasioned strife told discord and from thiono cause alone innumerable church congregations have been rent in twain Church organs have been denounced as the devils music box Music though secular yet like religion it belongs not altogether to tIll realm of reason Both may be regardedas being expressive of the emotional in man Both have been employed from timo immemorial oven to this lay to play upon the emotions and passions The early writers of Greece noted tho power of music to make men savage and sensual The battlehymn still breeds murder in the heart while Lydian strains suggest the temple of Mylitta Tho gust for blood is cousingermain to tho lust for beauty and no son of man can say which is the most savageModern church congregations prefer good music anda poor sermon to a good sermon and poor music They are willing to pay more for music than for preaching This use of music as a church attraction has brought about a decadence in orthodox religion The modern preacher though ho may not know it is becoming more and more a phallic priest Ho explores tho slums of cities rants against social conditions that ho may carry offal to his congregation Ibis sermons grow less sentimental but more sensual and he strives only to excite tile emotions to an unhealthy activity The result is a morbid neurasthenia manifesting itself in fierce fanaticism and with a half crazed adoration the patient mistakes the preacher for the has been an aid to religion but religion has ever been a curso to music Tho compositions of tho masters have been tabooed by the clergy laid their sheep have been forbidden to attend grand opera Tho use of music was readily understood by thoso in authority and like many other good things it has been flagrantly abused Tt was depended upon to produce abnormal mental excitement an exacerbation of tho nerves and by making a continual appeal to tho emotions a morbid condition of tho mind followed and tho subject wits ripo for further attack But oven music is failing to secure for the church a suffi cient public patronage to admit even a hope for perma nency Butter music can bo heard in an opera house than in a church An opera company can draw bigger crowds at bigger prices than a church choir This has forced the church to resort to numerous devices for raising money it will bo readily admitted that many of thorn are of a very questionable character The singing of an orthodox church hymn is about the poorest use for which music is now being employed THE PAINE CENTENNIAL Several articles have been published during the past year concerning proposed centennial commemoration of Thomas Paine to be held during little of tho present year it being just one century since the great Revolutionary patriot made his exit from the stage of life Although tho day will soon bo at hand when this com memoration should be held if it is to bo of any value the Blade is unable to learn at this time whether or not the plans announced have taken any definite shape but it wouldurge immediate cooperative action by all who are interested in preserving tho name and memory of this ster ling friend of man that tho memorial services may be com mensurate with tho importance of tho occasion a credit to the cause of Freethought in America and an honor to the glorious memory of him in whoso name it is to be held To properly and fittingly arrange the time and place of meeting and to prepare such an auspicious program as tho occasion deserves there is now no timo to spare Every element that can contribute to such an undertaking in any manner whatsoever should not delay ere it is too late to bo ofservice Tho Paine Memorial Association through James Jt Elliott Secretary of Philadelphia and Dr E B Foote of Now York has undertaken tho task and duty of arrang ing for this gathering of tho friends of Paine and the Blade extends its services to them to aid till it can in bringing tho memorial to a practical conclusion Formu late the necessary plan upon which it is to bo held and then let till unite and work for its success It would appear that Dr Crapsey tho unfrocked Epis copal priest has grown more liberal since his debate with Mr IMangassarian Ho recently gave an address before tho Ethical Culture Society in Philadelphia in which ho is reported to have denounced the church for its opposition to 1reethoiight Ho said of churches in America These institutions are still banded against freedom of thought They are training intellect to seek for argument not for truth They are making good advocates not philoso pliers Dr Crapsoy is getting there Remember that tho dividing fence between right and wrong is often in such had condition that it takes but little effort to push it down f r LT r 12 BLUE GRASS BLADE Crimes Criminas and Christianity Illinois and Arkansas State Prison Reports are Discussed and Thoroughly Analyzed JBy E Lewis Illinois Is one of the great sisterhood of States In the production of that which sus tains life- United States Census statistics for 1890 gives Illinois a total population of 3826351 or as Industrious and thrifty people as Inhabit any part of the earth At that date Illinois had 8296 church organizations with 7352 church edifices furnishing a seating capacity for 2260619 persons with a valuation of church property of 39715345 and a church member ship of 1202588 persons constituting a percentage of 31 43100 of tho whole popu lation All of this vast amount of taxable property was voted out of taxation by the anurches Onethird of the population is not sufficient to carry an election under ordinary circumstances but when it comes to voting on any matter where the church is concerned the pulpit says to the pews You vote for that amendment and they vote for it like so many little slaves and It carries every time Illinois has two penitentiaries ono at Joliet and the other at Chester In the Wardens report for tho two years ending Sept 30 1890 I find the following table In report of Joliet prison Religious instructions or having attend ed Sunday School In the following denote inations Advent Baptist 107 vinist Campbellito 22 Christian 25 Congregational 12 Episcopal 57 Evangelist Jewish 10 Lutheran 124 Method ist 262 Presbyterians 186 Reformed 2 Roman Catholic 477 Swedenborg Unita rian United Brethren Universalist No religion 175 Total 1475 Deduct the 175 who had no religious in structions in the church or Sunday School and there remains 1300 who had such re ligious Instructions and wo have a right to say that they grow up under tho Influence and instruction of tho churches No one can honestly take issue on that proposition I now take up the Report of the missioners of the Southern Illinois Penl tentiary at Chester for the two years end ing Sept 30 1890 to tho Governor of Il linois There were admitted to that prison dur ing tho two years convicts as follows Baptists 136 Methodists 119 Catholic Presbyterians 37 Christians 35 Lu theran 22 Episcopal United Brethren JIIIIU Evangelical Reformed Church Jew ish Protestants Friends Universal ists Quaker congregationalists Dunkards 0 No church 149 Total 627 Deduct 149 of no church alllllatlons from the 627 and there remains 478 Christians to 149 Atheists Infidels or Liberals To combine the two prisons and show the State as a whole there were confined In both 1778 Christians against 324 In fidels making approximately Christians to one Liberal Remember that Illi nois at that time had but 31 43100 of her people who were Christians or to make It a little more comprehensive the church furnished one convict for each 077 of its members lacking the small Item of 118 while we tho Freethinkers furnished one convict for each 8098 members bf our no ble brigade with 11 of a surplus to our we have searched over several States to find tho parsons carefully prepared statistics to show to tho readers of the Blade that among convicts sent to tho penitentiary there was but one lone Sabbath School attendant But we will try Arkansas the parsons home State Perhaps we will find the information there that will save us any further searching ter the truth United States Census Statistics for 1890 show that Arkansas had a population of 1128179 and among them were 4874 church organizations with 3791 church ed ifices furnishing seating capacity for 1041040 persons with a valuation of 200003 and a membership of communi cants of 296208 constituting a percentage of the whole population of 20 20100 As with other States all of this church prop erty was voted out of taxation and almost threefourths of tho burden added to tho taxes of tho common people Wardens Report For two years ending Oct 1906 there were on hand 847 convicts as follows Baptists Cath olics 40 Campbellltes Christian Jewish Lutheran Methodist 75 Presbyterians Quakers 0 Seventh Day ventists Total Nonbelievers 520 To sum up out of tho 1128179 Inhabitants of the State wo have 911971 people who are not church members leaving the church with 290298 communicants Out of our Infidel portion wo furnish one convict for each 1708 3100 while the church furnished ono convict for each 923 25100 Instead of it being us the parson said only ono Sunday School scholar among 600 convicts there are 321 Sunday School scholars among 847 convicts or approxi mately one Sabbath School scholar to we have made a thorough search all over the State of Arkansas we have scrutinized every city town and hamlet we have explored every river and brooklet and have climbed every mountain and delved into every gulch and inquired of every proper olliclal and failed to find even one trace of the parsons carefully prepared statisticsTo continued ADVANCED SPRING VERSE iDedicated to John F Clarke the eminent Bible scholar In gratltudo for the spiritual uplifting he has given through Ms deep erudition By Tie Chaplain Dont you remember sweet Mary John Tho girl who gave up to a ghost Through his mash of hot air when moon light was on So no sinner should ever bo lost Dont you remember the stable deal John The bright shining star In the sky Guiding the footsteps of those wise men on To the manger that cradled a Ho Dont you remember our Father dear John And his great white thronethero above Mysterious moving with his earthquakes on Showing his undying love Dont you remember tho singular things That wo read in Gods Italy word Warm numbersmen and those rainbow wings Of angels that fly like a bird Macadamized streets with tho gold of our dads And gates stand ajar mado of pearl Celestial brunettes for the souls of our lads When thoy drop round In heaven for a whirl Dont you remember tho fools dear Clarke Born every minute of tho day Living around with their minds In the dark Fearing tho hell there to pay Perhaps there are blondes for Kidders old soul In case ho should pass Peters gate But theyll have to be tall to reach his homo goal In his present ethereal state iBLUEGRASS BLADE 13 t H HNN NNA iCb Blades Correspondence i Gives a Helping Han- dIOWAI send you a clipping from the Des Moines Register and Leaner which Is selfexplanatory It must bo remembered that it was the Methodist preachers aid so ciety that attempted to steal the entire es tate of Daniel lOrancls of Des Moines Said estate amounted to fifty thousand dollars I would send you the whole trial but It would be too cumbersome for the Blade A Methodist preacher by the name of Mercer went 25 miles to testify to tho sanity of the deceased How the pious frauds will lie for Christs sake I send you 2ono dollar for Paine Centennial and the other to help perpetuate the Blade hope to be able to do more later onII M FISI Wants LecturesWho Next INDIANA Vo think we can arrange for you to give us two lectures next month If you can so arrange Any time from the middle to the last of the month will suit us If you can make us a date please let ns know in time to noise tile meeting around so as to get as many hearers as possible Anything pertaining to the lecture that needs quick action address M V Allen Ho Is in the town I am on the lime five miles out Hoping It will be convenient for you give us a hearing SCIIUYLER LA TOURETTE Solves One Gives Another PIITSnUItGHavlng nwuieeu the debate end discussion In the Blade of the puzzle of the man and the squirrel going around the tree I send a little solution of the mystery which If published should settle the case and relieve you and Mr Hughes from acting as judges as the case would not then get a chance to go to the jury And also for the benefit of J S McKenney will say that the answer to the puzzle depends en tirely upon what you mean by go around If a man walks In a complete circle and same object remains all the Umo within that circle then ho certainly goes around But many people persist In holding that to go around a thing you must proceed so as to seo till sides of It If how over this definition Is understood and ac copied there Is no necessity to argue further for then the man as certainly docs not go around the squirrel When a man asks you this question always Insist on his first giving you his meaning of the words J to go around and there Is no puzzle and can be no dispute- I would like to submit another problem which occurred to me while writing this and which some of the Blade readers might be able to solve Probably some of them have heard of It A rope Is supposed to be hung over a wheel fixed to the roof of a building At one end of the rope a weight Is fixed which exactly counterbalances a monkey which Is hanging on the other end Suppose the monkey begins to climb the rope what will bo the result Will the weight remain stationary Will It go up or will It go down Trusting that this matter is worth pub lishing ROBERT G GANDGLOT Pays for Bound Volume PITTSBURG Enclosed herewith I hand you 350 in payment for bound volume of the Blade Please pardon mo for my seeming neglect in this matter which was duo to the fact that my work has been keeping mo busy for till past several weeks J CULBERTSON Sample of Christianity MISSOURI Enclosed you will find a clipping from tho St Louis PostDispatch refcrlng to tho white slave In a Christian countryU S A Just think of the mil lions of dollars dirt are collected for Christs sake in all tie churches in Amerl ca to be sent to China and Japan and other countries for foreign missions while people are sold as slaves In Now Yorl City for an existence Here we had Gypsy Smith for several weeks preaching cibout Christ at a very largo salary trying to save souls and if tho same amount of money coula have been expended among the poor and the unemployed there would lo more souls save than Gypsy Smith and all the preach ers combined could ever save If this is a sample of Christianity deliver mo from it SIMON JACOBS IN DEFENSE OF PAINE- M M Mangasarlan tho regular lecturer for tho Independent Religious Society at Chicago was recently commissioned by that body to call upon President Roosevelt and present to tile Chief Executive the resolu Lion adopted by them requesting that jus tice bo done to the namo and memory of Thomas Paine At this writing wo have no information concerning the result of the Interview but the resolution shorn of Its prefatory Whereases reads as follows Resolved therefore that the members of the Independent Religious Society Ra tionalist assembled in Orchestra Hall this Sunday morning the 14th of February 1909 delegate their lecturer M M Mangasarlan to call upon the President in Washington to request him In an earnest and respectful manner and in consideration cf the splen did virtues of Thomas Paine and his match less services to the nation In tho times that tried mens soulsto withdrraw pub licly his regretable and indefensible censure of one of the first citizens of the re public who helped to make the world freer by his genius and grander by his heroism Be It Resolved further that even as the friends of Joan of Arc did not rest until two Catihollc Church after centuries of defama tion withdrew Its odious charges against her and consented to her Deallocation that we likewise continue In our efforts until the Protestant public has downed Its prejudices and recognized in Thomas Paine the patriot and the liberator LET THERE BE LIGHT Genesis 13 And God the author in tending to writesurmlses tor the people said Let thero bo light thought there was the light of the sun Verso And God the priest preached to the confident people when they saw the light that It was good Real backwards Good was It that tho light saw that God tho author had stopped writing surmises for the people V until thero was the light of tho sun reference 2Cor 4G Christ for when tho aurora caused by tho rising sun covering the eastern sky shone In the face of God the author causing him to open his eyes and so from his bed the glory Pet er 29 of Its marvelous light he perceives that It had called him out of darkness sleep not to praise its virtues that it should show forth to tho sold people that the dahnatlon of a royal priesthood whom for generations they had paid to tell them the truth are but liars return to 2 Cor4G and read on from where you left and glvo them the light of knowledge to chine in their hearts X Greek that was not no who had commanded the light to shine out of darkness back to Gen Ir3 when ho said Let thoro be light and that it stood fast when It commanded as done It was before ho spake Mans Origin and Destiny By Dr A Hausman Alameda California This is the Greatest Book of modern times on the theory of Evolution applied to Sociology It will shortly be issued in book form by the Blue Grass Blade making u book of nearly 500 pages The author has dedicated it to Prof Ernst Haeekel and the great Jena philosopher has accepted the dedication 200 200 Subscribe Now and Save Money All charges of postage will be prepaid upon advance subscriptions The first chapters are now in the press and publication in book form will immediately follow its serial publication in the blade columns Subscribe Now Subscribe Now JAMES E HUGHES Lexington Ky The Peoples Press Fearless its advocacy of Freethought Published weekly at Blue Iclund Ave Chicago J Lenau Publisher Official paper of the Materialist AtoociHtlor In Canada or Foreign Countries 100 a Yeas Subscription Cents a Year Silk Dresses Given Away- An opportunity of a IJfe time for women who love good clothes High School girls can obtain their grad uation dresses without cost working girls and marrle1 women may secure fine fall or summer dresses Large list of patterns to select from Dona fide offerno fraud no grafting or disagreeable duties to perform For full particulars send name address and a twocent postage stamp to 247 Hennepin Ave MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA ED SHEAGREEN U Marriage and Divorce by OSEPH1NE HENRY VERSAILLES KENTUCKY Thousands of copies this uptoda pamphlet are now In circulation in Q United States and England It treats It forcible style of the most Important problem before the American people It should be read by both married and single by all men and women who desire domestic promptly filled by the autho Copy 25 Cents Copies One Do FOR THINKERS WHO THINK The Wage Slave Socialist Weekly that advocates Indus trial Unionism Revolutionary to the core EDITED A FREETHINKER The enemy of everything that supports the existing social order Send for sample copy Address The Wage Slave Box Hancock brick 4 BTIltTun Rol Give Em Fits I Thats what THE SCARLET SHADOW Walter Hurts great rad ical novel doss to the forces of bigotry and perstition And the sec ular press of the country goaded by the churcl element throwing a over It too No other novel of this decade has been so widely and so bitterly denounced by orthodox critics which sufficient proof that Is all right It has cre ated a sensation In servative circles and aused consternation among the clergy Is enthuslastlcall endorsed by leadlnf Freelthlnkers through out the world You al know how Hurt can write and In this boot he Is at Ills best It an elegant volume fit to ornament the finest library containing pages printed on heavy eggshell paper and bound In oxblood cloth Price JlEO postpaid BLUE GRASS BLADE Lexington Ky yr t BLUE GRASS BLADE II Be sure ana Subscrm or Secular Thought Fortnightly Journal of Rational Criti clam In Politics Science anri Religion Organ of the CANADIAN SECULAR UNION AND THE TORONTO SECULAR SOCIETY Editor J Spencer Ellis Published at 1851f Queen St West To Piiito Canada Terms per annum In advance single copies cents All communications for the Editorial de partment should be addressed J Spencer Ellis Secular Thought 18514 Queen St West Toronto Can All Business communications orders for hooks 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