The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-09-18
FL INFTDEL y.

The national liberal party, composed
of liberals, in1dels and atheists has
been organized, with Col. R. G. 1nger-
soil rs the leader. It seems that the
main excuse for the organization is the
Imprisonment of Bennett, the publish
er, for violating the United States pos
tai laws in sending obsdene matter
through the mails. The LEADER has
stated heretofore that the o~bscenity
consisted Of various quotations to be
found in Deuter onomy, Proverbs, etc.
Separate and apart from the bible they
have been decided to be obscene. OF
course no one would over be prosecuted
for sending an entire bible through the
mails.
1t does not occur to us that the lib
eral party is q necessity, nor can we see
any justifable grounds for its existence
If we except the desire of certain Of its
leaders for fame that thrift on the plat
form may follow extensive advertising.
But they have started the movement
aud seem determined to carry out their
ideas to the extent of their backing
among the people.
AS we stated above, the liberals were
moved TO their course by the imprison-
ment of d. n. Bennett, the publisher.
This Imprisonment has made Bennett a
martyr among inhdels all over the
country and has succeeded in advertis-
Ing liberalism widespread. The new
party will also advertise 1t. Indeed it
is safe to say that q new impetus will
be given the anti-religious movement.
The result will be that two infdels will
exist where but one existed before, and
the christian prosecutors of Bennett
will find a state Of things. the very OPP
posite of what they intended.
The young mems christian associa-
ton, Of New York, made a most woful
mistake in prosecuting Bennett. But
Anthony Comstock, the agent OF the
association, as to mail matters, is a
bigot of the densest dye. His zeal
clouds his judgment and he looks only
for convection. His salary seems the
better earned when he has proved him
self the means Of placing men behind
prison bars. Hence in his course he
has succeeded in making a martyr of
Bennett.
1t is the history of every system of
morals and religion that it had its
martyr, and that it never amounted to
much until then. "The blood of the
martyrs is the seed Of the church,"
said T~ertullian, who had himself a taste
of persecution for opinions sake. True,
Benefits blood was not shed, but he
owes that good fortune to the age in
which he lives. 1t is, indeed, but a few
generations since he would have been
burned at the stake or drowned in the
tide on the shores Of our own New
England. Bennett suffers the full pen
atty of punishment prescribed for his
offense by the public opinion of to-day.
The martyrs of old suffered likewise.
SO the intidels hug Bennett as a martyr
and glorify' his deeds and their cause.
Were he let alone the excuse for the
formation o. the new party would have
had no existence. There would be no
organized national movement to propa-
gate inidelity. i
what is done cannot be undone."
But we can take q hint from history
and cease giving dignity and promi-
hence to leading infidels by prosecuting.
Let them raw If they go on untram-
melted they will do less hurt than II
made martyrs of, according to their
own estimate. Bennett Is now known
to many people who never heard of'him
before his prosecution. So If wisdom
must prevail let us cease noticing flu
ture BENEFITS. BY so doing we will
avoid giving assistance to the infdels.