The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-05-16
QUEER CHICAGO PEOPLE.
Sunday Schools Promulgating Anarchy,
Atheism md free Love.

QUEER CHlCAGU EEUfLEs
/ Sunday Schools Promulgating Anarchy,
Atheism md free Love.
CHICAGO, May 6.-There are many
queer people in Chicago. and it is posi-
BILE they attract more attention than they
otherwise would because they are. not
restrained in any way. Everything
goes" in this city, where the idea of
American liberty is illustrated in its
fullest sense. Chicago is third among
the cities of the United States in The
matter of churches, and yet she has a
larger number of free thinkers than any
other American city except New York.
Chicago is not, strictly speaking, an
American city, though American thrift
and enterprise have built her up. Fifty
two per cent of her population is foreign,
and in some sections of the town one
never hears the English Language spoken.
Sunday is the day Of days here. Fol
lowing the European example every
place of amusement is open, and the
streets down town are thronged with
pleasure seekers. Many theatre mana.
gers reckon on Sunday night as the best
in The week, which is more than can be
said of the clergymen, more than one of
whom has given up his Sunday night
sermons because no one will come out TO
hear them.
Free thinkers are strong in Chicago,
their societies being numerous. I at.
tended meeting of the Bohemian Free
Thinking Society at Thalia Hall last
Sunday. As a rule, Chicago's foreign
population is free and easy in matters
of religion. Before the time for the
society gathering the male members
occupied their time in front of the bar
discussing the questions of the day.
Within the hall dozen children waited
for the Sunday afternoon lessous to begin.
They grew restless. Their mothers apron
strings no longer held them. While their
teachers we're delayed by the tig ghtenipg
gives of the saloon they found amuse.
ment for themselves.
LOUIS LINGG AS A GOD.
| A child of eight years, with yellow
curls falling over the kerchief which
spread on her shoulders, skipped over the
chair seats 10 the left side of the hall and
raised her eyes towards bust in glasu
case midway between the floor and cell
ing.
"There is my great god," she cried in
pretty voice to her playful compan.
ions.
They broke into childish laughter.
The mothers nodded at one another
and laughed. They called the little girl
to them, smiled approviugly at her and
patted her curls. Each mother seemed
to wish her own child had said so precious
thing.
The bust was that of Louis Lingg, the
most ferocious and malignant Of the an.
archistic martyrs"
This same Sunday there was also q
meeting of the "Arbeiter Biljungs We.
rein der Northwest Seite" at the same
place, or rather in another hall in the
Thalia building. The object of the
meeting was to discuss the marriage
question. A lecturer on "Is Marriage 8
Failure?" was delivered by the secretary
of the Arbeiter Bund, that famous So
ciety the police tried to suppress, but
which the courts protected.
The text was 10 the effect hatmarriage
was failure, and the lecturers hearers
agreed with him. Marriage under the
present system was certainlya failure, it
was agreed, and the only remedy was it's
total abolition. The race was dying out.
His remarks received hearty applause
from his audience, of which women form
ed the major part.
ATHEIsTIC SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
There is throughout the city number
of Sc. called "sunday schools" the doc.
trine taught in which is that all religion
is either superstition or fanaticism, and
should be abolished. These should not
be confounded with the anarchist Sun.
day schools. The cholars in these schools
range in age between and 16 years, aud
the first thing impressed upon their
minds is that there is no such thing as
divine inspiration or code of morals
founded on religious beliefs; that tchurch.
es are vile fraud, perpetratee by eccle'
sissticism, and are simply agents of the
governing class.
Ridicule is the potent weapon used,
and the name of the Diety is spoken as
lightly and as trippingly upon the tongue
as that of the most public of characters.
A crusade WAS at one time begun against
these institutions, but it was stopped by
the decision of Judge Tuley, thong b an
offer vas made to show that anarchistic
as we'll as atheistic doctrines were promnl-
gated in these schools. Judge Tuley
held that all sorts of meetings should be
protected against the "caprice, whims or
malice" Of officers Of the law, and we're
not 10 be disturbed unless some overt act
vas committed.
Evangelist Moody has frequently
referred to these decidedly freethinkipg
Sunday schools, but be has received no
encouragement from the hard hearted
citizens of Chicago, who feel that seed
sown in some sections of the city would
be cast upon very barren ground indeed.
Mr.. Moody would like to make an or.
slaught upon these hothbeds of atheism,
but he can get no one to follow his
leadership. The great question is as to
how the attack should be made, and until
that is settled nothing will be done. The