Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-22
THE LIBERAL MARTYR.
BENEFITS BEASTLINESS SHOWN UP.
Startling Exposure of His Character by a
Chicago Paper - How the Filthy
Rascal EndeaYOred to Entrap
an Innocent Victim,

CHICAGO, OCTOBER Zl.-lne hettyW
Philosophical Journal, for October 25th
will contain an exposure OF d, NJ. Ben
nett, at present in Albany penitentiary
for circulating obscene publications,
and whose pardon the Liberal Conven
ton lately held at Cincinnati demanded
in series of resolutions. The JOuTad
SAYS: The facts are, that while Bennett
was laying claim to his right to be con-
sidered public teacher of better morals
than the prevailing Christian religion
afforded, he was endeavoring, with
beastly persistence, to obtain control oi
the person OF a young woman who had
touched his fancy, and who had been
induced to accept salaried situation in
his office, evidently under
the design, on his part
to obtain her consent to become his
mistress. The advances of the libertin'
Gus old Lothario produced only aston
ishment and disgust on the part OF his
intended victim, but in spite OF her re-
peated protestatiOnS against his course
She was made the object of his attentions,
that assumed the character OF villain
Gus persecution. lie boldly proclaimed
10 her that his home and wife were dis
tasteful TO him, that his love there had
long since died, and that she alone OF
women was the object of his undylng
love. Il only added to his unholy flame
that she who refused to listen to him
bore an umblemished reputation. From
mass of letters written by
Bennett TO this young woman,
abundant evidence may be OBJ
tanned 10 prove that while he
prosecuted her under the vilest impuls-
es of his lewd nature, he still knew her
10 be pure, and the testimony OF her
friends who knew her before and since
her business associations with him, is
all strong in her recommendation. Being
unable to prevail with professions OF
love, or by offering to give her share
i'm his business, Bennett discharged
her, expecting that poverty would make
her yield. His prosecutions were so Sc
rious that the young lady fled to friends
i'm another State, where she now is.
Extracts from the letters he wrote her
are given. The following is a specimen,
after omitting the most offensive lines:
DEAR:-I ask you to bear from me
one more intliction. You evidently are
unable to make any allowance tor my
impetuousnesS OF nature, or my honest
feelings and impulses. | want to say a
few things, and, if possible, make you
understand me. You are young lady
OF good mental qualities, quick OF per-
ceptiOn, and OF fair logical abilities; but
YOU have not read me Alright. My
great ofIense is, have taken a fancy to
YOU. liked you at first, and soon got
TO love YOU. Is this so great an oilensc,
indeed, that | must blamed and faulted
for it? | was pleased with you
the first time | saw you, and after few
interviews | became more and more IN
terested i'm YOU, and wanted you to be-
come connected with me in business and
otherwise. l fancied you would till the
void which has for a long time existed
i'm NV breast. | wanted to bestOw my
love upon you and hoped tor little in
return; but | insist it was not wicked A;
it was not sinful. 1t is natural for me
to love, and | do not feel as though 1t
was wrong for me 20 love. If | can eX-
press myself cOmpIehensively, let me
say that there has been an uncongenlal-
itv in my domestic relations, a body with
out a soul, a union without love; or II,
love once existed, now unfortunately
dissipatcd and fled. | longed ardently
ior person, 4 companion, whom |
could love with all the fervOr OF my ma
ture, and who could give me little
love in return, but not siniully or i'm
morally. thought you would fill the
want that void in my existence. |
loved you more than any woman had
met in many years, and | wanted your
society. | will say more. want to
kiss YOU, 10 embrace you and TO be
very near to you in spirit and in body.
This may be very vile and very wicked,
but | cannot realize it, | cannot
believe it, and ii | ever spoke
my honest convictions in my life, now
believe you could have yielded to all my
wishes, done all | wished you to do,
yielded TO all my most villalnOus de-
sires, and believe you would still be as
pure, as good and as virtuOuS as YOU are
to-day. | have no reverence for the
ceremony mouthed over by a priest, and
because man and woman join them.
selves together under mistaken belief
that they are fitted TO each other, it does
not follow that they are compelled to
spend their days together. The marriage
ceremony does not change the nature OF
mans impulses or passions, nor
make that right which IN Itself
is not right. 1t does not
convert lust TO love; it does not change
purity to impurity. Again, man and
woman may, in my belief, entertain Just
as exalted an opinion OF each other,
NAV Just as pure affections Tor each
other, and may entertain Just as holy Il
love without Il matrimonial ceremony
as with il, the ceremony makes no dill
terence one way or the other. If two
love each other, they have right to do
SO bv virtue of their being, and all the
men and demons and gods there are in
existence have no right to prevent IT.,
nor can all their powers combined make
it wrong for them to do So"
The article in the Journal says, by
wav of comment, as presenting the side
OF the FREE lnlukeGS, NIlp uluSN lIo"
leave Bennett to his fate: That what
ever NAV be his proper grounds OF com
plaint against the court before which
he was tried and however much many
spiritualists and liberals may have be-
lieved in him being deceived, no
honest exponents of these parties can
longer acknowledge him to be their rep
resentative; that while they will always
stand ready to contend for freedom OF
thought and speech. They are not viii
ling and will not longer allow them
selves TO be understood as in any way
countenancing a man who, under pre-
tense of teaching free thought and spi-
ritualism hides the character OF a filthy
rasral."
Editorially the Journal says; "The
question involved in it is not only ma
tional one but in touching as it does the
very foundation OF society it becomes
cosmopolitan in its proportions" ="