The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-10-28
Seizing Iniidel Books,

TORONTO ONt., October 22.-The whole
Dominion is greatly exercised over the &c.
ton of Colonel Patton, of this port in seiz.
ing "a invoice Of Paine's "Age of Reason, u
and Nyoltaire's Pocket Theology" con.
signcl TO W, B. Cooke, n bookseller of this
city All Of the provincial press with the
exception Of The Toronto .Mail-the chief
organ of Mr.. Patton's party-have uncon-
ditionally condemned the seizure. The
collector at first gave out that he was act.
ing under instructions from the minister of
customs, but II has now been learned that
this is not the case, as the min
lister afrms that he had never been con.
suited about the admission of this class of
books. The collector says he made the CON
iiscation in the interest of morality and
God. All the leading divines referred to
the matter in their dscourses on Sunday
last, and Archbishop Lynch cleared'the f.
male portion Of his congregation while he
read isolated passages from the Age Of
Reason to instruct his flock in the
blasphemous contents of the book.
About 81 900 has been subs ribed TO the
city and rendered to Mr.. Cooke, 10 enable
him to ventilate the collectors $ action in the
courts, and if the matter does come before
the tribunals an interesting trial may be
expected. Thousands of these books have
been imported before without restrictions.
To-day the Secular society of this city
sent the following letter TO Colonel Robert
G. lngersoll
TcRoNTo, October l9,--DEAR sR--I am
authorized by the Secular society 10 make
an appeal to you for assistance on behalf of
the society. The nature of the ASST tlnce
We would entreat of you will be apparent
when tell you that the custom-house au-
thorities at the port have .confiscated the
works of Paine and Noltaire on the ground
Of their blasphemy and indecency." No
mo Q outrageous thing has ever happened
in lis country, and the people, or at least
a ,ry large section Of the people, are Justly
nd'gnant But their indignation
ava Is little, as the act of the collector
of ustoms has been ierociously defended
by chief organ Of the government and
thoclergy have also spoken out in unmis.
tab ,blo terms on the side OF injustice The
OPT osition newspapers have condemned the
col ector and through him the government.
In hort, the atmosphere around here is
pr ity heated at present, and II only re-
qu res an electric spark to, produce an ex.
plCjiO We are perfectly certain that
yoir lecture on Thoma Paine, If delivered
here at this crisis will be tie most otfec-
tive death.blow TO the tyranny Of the
government ever made and Of tho greatest
benefit to the true liberty Of a whole peo-
pile Come, then, and laugh the bigots cut
Of their false position and cause them 10 be
ashamed thatthey had ever been IN Il.
In regard TO your expenses the society
will agree TO anything proposed by yos.
The main thing Is, can you make II con-
venient 10 come on at onceY
II you can and will please telegraph i'm.
meiutely so that a hall can be secured and
plncards posted announcing the lecture. ..
Hoping that this appeal will bc eilectual
and produce speedily n favorable reply
remain respectfully.
A. A. PEppINGToY,
President Secular Society Toronto.