The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-05-30
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a GOD.FORSAKEN Town.
Liberal, in RartOn County. Mis-
souri,.
Sedaiia Democrat

Down in Barton county. according I,
q correspondent of the Globe-Democrat
| there is the most singular cOmnunit,
| certainly IN the United States, and prob
| ably in the world. The town is called
Liberal and was founded by an infde,
specuiatOr. In the prospectus OF The
! town there Is this shocking statement
at Is the only town in the United States
set apart for liberalism alone, and the
only town OF its size in the world with
ont priest, preacher. church, saloon,
q d or hell; and they are the happiest
and purest people on earth"
we are bound 20 believe that at is the
only Town III til U-;'"l Gt"tne" nf this
character.
1t contains about three hun
dred people and sixty frame buildings,
including elevator, hall, hotel liver
stable, drug store, millinery store, black
smith shop and general merchandise
stores. The most interesting is the hall,
Il structure measuring about 20x30 feet
A small room adjoining the hall con-
tains public library, numbering about
two hundred volumes. Excepting a
very few specimens of classical English
literature, it is composed of trashy, SEN
sational and immoral books, such as
MARIA Monk, "Auricular Confession"
"The Mother of Harlots," "The Doings
OF the Pope" Grimes OF the Churches"
and so on, Gd nauseum. But the writer
says:
II 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 kind
ness-in common Christian morality.
They have at least as hard struggle to
live up to their professions as Christians
have"
They have a school and use textbooks
adopted to their peculiar views, and
written for their especial use; but the
school swus ;organized underline state
Jaw not quite three months since Sand,
has not ye become entitled to
any school money. Whether it Will get
any remains to be seen, as the "OrthO-
dox" claim that it has hitherto been run
rs "sectarian" school. These orthodox
people are comprised III six,cen families
and the writer N question thus tells how
they are regarded and how they effect a
Judgment in the town of Liberal:
The liberals consider them n,rUlerS
and charge that they came in by miSr,p
rcSentatiOn and deceit Satan invaded
the Eden OF old in the shape If a serpent;
into this Eden, SAY the liberals, speaking
iguratiVely. for they don't believe in him.
he has com in the torn ct al orthodox
Christian. llcuce, man who may d. re
to buy lot IL subjected To a close cate
chiSm OF questions, and il he believes in
he Lord Jesus Christ, he is informed that
he cannot purchase. His only chance
jhcn is to buy out either diSailect, d lib
rral or one o! The established orthodox
residents. The orthodox have progressed
so far Il TO take, in spite Of all opposition,
The initial steps towards building church
bur, unfortunately. they seem 10 have
fallen out amongst themselves as TO what
kind of Il church it shall be
The real power in the community is in
the hands OF a secret Liberal organization
called the "Sacrcd Brotherhood"
The Liberals are strict prohbifionists
IN tee liquor question, but the writer saw
boxes OF beer unlOadtd at the depot, aud
stronger liquors could be had surrcpti- |
LioHslv in the tCWr.
Barton county has n population OF only
1000, and better towns than Liberal, !
" lille the latter town has only its rtputa-
-iun as a frCe-thinkng town. where Il man
may cXtrcis the utmost latitude i'll ours
ng nd expressing his hate of Christian
~. it is safe to say it will not greatly i'm
prove,