Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-21
THE HONE OF INFIDELITY
The Town or Liberal, In BARTON County,
MO.-A Queer Community.

ST. LOUIS, May 1S.-The Globe Democrats
Liberal correspondent, writing of that place,
says: Liberal is situated in Barton county,
on the Fort Scott, Southeastern and Memphis
railroad, about six miles east of the Kansas
State line and sixteen miles west from Lamar.
1t was laid out about year ago by George
H. Walser, lawyer by profession, land
man of strong anti-chritian siews. He
has lived in Western Missouri for
many years, having been in the
Union army and on duty in Buchanan
county. After the war he acquired large
quantities of land in this neighborhood and
will eventually become wealthy by the sale
of it, if his colony succeeds. Mr.. Walser is,
judge, of German descent, though he shows
no traces of that origin except his name. He
is about fifty years of age, slightly stopped
in frame, dark featured and not very loqua-
cious. II he takes offense he is bitter and
persistent; otherwise he is courteous and
obliging-particularly go if it rebound to
the advantage of his darling project-Lib-
eral He has written and published several
volumes of alleged poetry under the not in
appropriate title of Wild Rhymes, etc. The
name OF the town is a misnomer, since
CHRISTIANS ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED
from it. Mr.. Walser admits that infidelity
would have been a better name. 1t is, how
ever, worth noting as a coincidence, if moth
ing more, that the word has here the precise
meaning which is attached to it in Roman
Catholic circles in Europe. The famous en-
cyclical of Plus TX. condemning liberalism
was directed against the anti-christian spirit
which is here displayed under the name of
liberal. The town contains about 800 peo-
pie. The buildings are all frame and
number about sixty, including ele-
vator, hall, hotel, livery stable, drug
store, millinery store, blacksmith shop
and general merchandise stores. The
most interesting is the hall, structure
measuring about thirty by fifty feet. On its
facade is gilt globe, surmounted by the
letters U. NJ. L., which signify Universal
Mental Liberty. Within, plain stage with
| cheap scenery occupies one end. Over the
stage hang portraits of Thomas Paine, Rob-
ert. Ingersoll and d. NJ. Bennett, who is,
believe, at present in the penitentiary for
| the offense of publishing obscene books.
Notices, such as 'love," mature" "humani-
ty," "liberty, "''truth," appear with the names
| of Voltaire, Humboldt and Jefferson. The
| well-known sentences of Paine: "The
world is my country" and "to do good is my
| religion" occupy prominent places on the
| walls The portraits of Washington and
| Garfield are also displayed. Over the door
runs the title, Temple of Liberty" The
calling is hung with American flags. The
arrangement of the various designs is neat
| ana tne Wnoic eucCt plcdslHS. Lie people
assemble here on Sundays to hear lectures,
and on week evenings they often gather for
various entertainments. A small room ad-
joining the hall contains the public library,
| numbering about two hundred volumes. A
cursory examination showed me that, ex-
cepting a very few specimens OF classical
literature, it is composed of
TRASHY, SENSATIONAL AND IMMORAL
books, such as Maria Monk, Atzieular Con-
tession, The Mother Of Hariots, The Doings of
the Pope, Crimes Of the Churches, and 90 on,
od natiseuns. Mr.. Wslser publishes a monthly
magazine called The Liberal, which is "de-
voted to progressive free thought" 1t
numbers eight pages, filled with abuse of
christianity and laudations of the Colony
of Liberal. One of its contributors
is named Elmina Sleaker. Her adver-
tisement reads: "Send to Elmina for
The Gergsnlan'S Victims, and for the Al
pha, a paper devoted to sexual purity and
moral goodness" / had heard that these
people had very lax notions about certain
grave moral obligations, that they were in
fact "free lovers" Such charges seem to be
either malicious or ignorant lies. They
teach sobrietY, honesty, purity and kindness
in short, the common christian morality.
They have at least IS hard struggle to live
up to their professions as christians have.