Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-10-30
IMMORAL BENNETT.

sui w ~ ~ A'9ti1 % Nv ptocOht Ia
the Aibaoy penitenti ~ tor circula-
ting obscene publications.. and whose
pardon the liberal convention. late
ly held al Cincinnati, demanded in
a series Of resolutions. The Journal
says: The facts are that while
Bennett was laying claim to his
right to be considered q public
teacher Of better morals than the
prevailing Christian religion afford
ed, be was endeav oring with a
beastly persistence to obtain con.
troll OF the person of a young won.
an who had touched his fame and
who had been Induced to accept a
situation IN his Office, evil
IDENTIFY under the design on his part
to obtain or consent 20 become his
mistress. The advances OF the libi-
dinous old Lo,hario produced only
astonishment and disgust on the
part of bis intended victim. Bat in
spite of her repeated protes,ations
against his course. she was made
the object OF attention tina. assumed
the character of
A vILLAINoUs PERSECUTION.
He boldly proclaimed TO her that
his home and wife were distasteful
to him, that his love there Lad long
since died, and that she alone Of
women was the object of his indy.
ing love. 1t only added to his un-
holy flame that she who refused to
him bore an unblemished reputa-
ton. From q mass OF letters writ
ten by Bennett to this young Wom-
an abundant evidence may be OBJ
tanned to prove that while be per.
secuted her under the vilest impul
ses of his lew6 nature he still knew
her TO be pure, and the testimony
of frieods who knew her before, dur
ing and since her business associa.
ton with him is all strong in her
commentator. Being unable to
prevail with professions of love and
offers to give the lady share 20
his business, Bennett discharged
her, expecting that poverty would
make her yield. HIS prosecutions
were so serious that the young LADY
fled to friends in another state
where she now is. Extracts from
the letters he wrote to her are CIV
en-. Following is q specimen, after
omittiug the most offensive lines:
SPECIMEN LETTER.
"DEAR-I ask you TO bear from me one
more infietion. You evidently are u1able to
make any allowance for my impetuousness Of
nature or my honest feelings and impulses
want to say few things, and if possible make
you understand me. You are a young lady
of good mental qualities, quick Of perception
and of fair logical ability, but still you have
not read me Alright. My great offense is ]
have taken fancy to you. liked you at
first and soon got to love you. Is this so
great an ofiense, indeed, that must be
blamed and faulted Tor it /? was pleased
with you the first time l saw you. After q
few interviews I became more and more in
terested in you and wanted you to become
connected with me in business and otherwise
| fancied
YoU WOULD FILL TIE VOID
which has a long time existed in my breast
wanted to bestow my love upon you, and
hoped for little in return. But | insist il
was not wicked. 1t was not sinful. 1t is
natural for me to love and do not feel as
though it was wrong for me to love. If car
express myself mprehensively, let me say
there has been an uncongeniality in my do.
nestle relations--a body without soul-a
now unfortunately dissipated ana fed.
longed, ardently longed for person, com.
panion whom cop.d love with all the fervor
of my nature, and who could give me a little
love in return, but not sinfully or immorally
| thought you would fill that want, that void
in my existence. loved you more than any
woman had met in many years, and want
ed your society. ! will say more | wanted
to kias you, to embrace you and to be worry
near to you in spirit aud in body. This may
be very "vile" and very wicked" but can
not realize il. | cannot believe il; and if
ever spoke my honest convictions in my life
now believe you could have yielded to al
my most "villainous" desires, and l believe
you would still be as pure as God ami as vir'
NO REVERENCE FOR THE CEREMONY
mouthed over by priest, and because mar
all woman join themselves together under ;
mistaken belief that they are fitted to eacl
other, it does not follow that they are com
PEELED to spend their days together The
marriage ceremony does not change the ma
ture Of mems impulses or passions, nor make
. hat NJ Oh 10, 70 ~ l. 4
not convert lus. TO love. IL does not change
purity to impurity. Again. a man and won,
an may in my belief entertain Just as exalted
an opinion of each other, may have Just az
pure affections for each other, and may en-
terrain just as holy love without a matri
monial ceremony as with it. The ceremony
makes no difference one way or the Other.
two love each other they have a right to d,
so by virtue of their being, and all the mer
and demons and gods there are in existenc,
have no right to prevent il. nor can all thei
powers combined make it wrong for them t
do So"
A RASCAL.
The article 10 the Journal says
by way of comm ,ut, as presenting
the side of the free-thinkers who
must now leave Bennett to his fate,
that whatever may be bis proper
grounds of complaint against the
court before which he was tried
and however much many spiritua.
lists and liberals may have believed
in him being deceived, no honest
opponents of these parties can long.
er acknowledge him to be their
representative. That while they
will always stand ready TO contend
for freedom of thought and speech
they are not willing and will not
longer allow themselves to be IN.
derstood as in any way coantenanc-
log man who under the pretence
of teaching tree thought and spirit
uslsm hides the character OF q
filthy rascal.
Editorially the Journal says: The
question invols ed in il is rot only a
national one, lut in touching as il
does the very foundation of society,
it becomes cosmopolitan in It's pro-
portions.
Still Another.