Arizona republican., 1890-12-24
A FREETHINKER' REPLY.
False and Malicious Statements Refute'
 ny an Intelligent Woman.

False and Malicious Statements Refuted
 by an Intelligent Woman.
 To the Editor of THE REPUBLICAN,
 An editorial in your morning contem- porary of December 20, on the Free thinkers is as remarkable for it's lack of information on the Freethought move ment as the editorial criticized in Free thought was for it's redundancy of "love" and its lack of grammatical construction.
 The Freethinkers of America have no "organ," although there are number - of able and influential papers published in the interest of, and the propagation of, their ideas of truth and justice. The IRCeStigdtOr, of Boston, the TrmhSeeker, of New York, and Freethought, of San Francisco, are the most prominent.
 MT. George Macdonald left the Truth seeker, which is edited by his brother Eugene, and with Samuel F. Putnam, started liberal journal on the Western Coast, so that now the Occident and Orient are favored with able, fearless papers. MT. Putnam was formerly q Unitarian minister, in good standing, having large and prosperous church at Denver, Colorado. Outgrowing even this denomination, he left church where he was honored and respected, for the hard and thorny road which he now tray els as Freethought and secular lecturer. MT. Putnam IS q poet and author as well as speaker, and had he chosen to suppress his honest thought would today stand in the front ranks of the church he voluntarily left. His high moral character was never before even questioned. Wherever, in his wander ings, he meets any of the former mem- bers of his church he is an honored and welcome guest. With his brilliant style and splendid eloquence he is a power on the side Of reason and human ity, and needs only to be known to com mand respect; socially, as a genial gen tleman and one of Natures noblemen.
 As to the chief contributor of Free thought being prostitute, l would say that that paper has no regular female contributor, and l brand this statement as an unmitigated lie. However, the Freethinkers, as a rule, are not SO bitter against this unfortunate class of women as are the Christians, remembering that the great Freethinker of Judea said to one of these, Neither do l condemn thee; go and sin no more."
 On the American platform there are many liberal men and women of various shades of belief, as to the best methods of dealing with the temperance ques- tion. l am personally acquainted with some of them and know whereof l write. MT. w. F. Jamieson is Prohibition ist. He is an earnest, scholarly advocate of what he thinks is right and as de- batter has few equals. Mr. E. c. Walker, editor of Fur Play, is total abstainer from principle and does not use even tea or coffee, but is opposed to prohibition as being an invasion of personal rights Colonel k. G. Ingersoll takes drink when he feels inclined, so there is no free whisky" for him. Mrs. Matte F. Krekel, State lecturer for the Oregon Secular Union, is the widow of Judge Krekel, of Missouri and is lady of such character for purity and nobility that 1t seems almost proclamation to mention her in connection with the in- famous statement in the Gazette.
 These are only few of our Free thought speakers, but time and space will not allow ne to mention them all, only to say that they all favor the prac- tice of natural morality and stand firmly for free thought, speech and press. Any hypocrite or "loafer" desirous Of mak- Ing dH edsy lNluB Will Hdruiy cnOOSc the open Freethought platform, where they are liable to such misconstructon and misrepresentation as this editorial is a specimen of, but will rather choose the popular occupation of evangelist or preacher, sheltered behind towards castle"
 The many good men and women who are intelligent Freethinkers honor and support their lecturers, and Samuel P. Putnam will be most cordially well comed when he returns in January to Tempe and Phoenix. The irrelevant use of the word neigh bor" in several articles, abusing Free thinkers, suggests certain text which we cheerfully recommend to the Gazette for careful perusal and reflection, "Love your neighbor as yourself" After due study l hope he will not again indulge in such false and malevolent statements against honest, upright men and women, whose only ofien.e is that they differ from him in religious opinions.
 LIZZIE P. HAWKINS.
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