Blue-grass blade., 1891-02-21
A "Frcethinkcr' Talks About
The Blade, Religion and
Prohibition.

LEXINGTON, KY, Feb. 4, vi.
Mr.. G. c. Moore.
Dear Friend and Brother:-You
have been sending me the Blade
for some time in the expectation,
no doubt, of my subscribing for the
paper. =,
This is my intention, and has
been all along. ! would inclose
the money now, if / could, but will
send it to you just as soon as pos
sible. l was a subscriber to the
Blade before it gave up the g host
the first time, and / can truthfully
say that / have lost none of my
love for it since it has been lying
cold in its grave; and now that it
has come to life again, l find that
my affection for it has revived with
renewed force and passion.
Although l am temperance
man, can not say l am a Prohi.
bitionist, but if continue to read
your excellent paper / will be one
before l know it, whether l like it
or not, for of all the things that get
away with freethinker like my
self the thing is fact presented in
an argumentative and logical way.
So send me the paper right along
aud 1 will pay for it in the spring,
and if l don't vote with the Prohi
bition party at the next Presiden-
tial election you may consider me a
lost sinner, doomed to everlasting
fire and birthstone made by kind
heavenly father for the benefit OF
such depraved regenades from the
fold as you and l.
Pardon me, but there is one mis-
take l think you have made, and
that is that foolish promise not to
say anything against religion.
This is one Of the most silly and
useless promises l ever heard of.
Are our opponents in religion
as considerable for our feelings?
DO they not say what they please
in respect to this matter, regardless
of our feelings? Have not you and
l both been slandered and abused
and villifed, both in public and
private, just OH account of our re-
ligious views? Are they not ready
now, at this very minute, to say
and do the same? And if they
are, is it manly and brave and
courageous on our part to keep
silent? Isn't it rather poor rule
that doesn't work both ways!
Doesn't it SAVIOR of bigotry and per-
secution to request us freethinkers
to abstain from hurting their relig.
ious feelings by criticising theil
crude theological notions, wher
they have no respect for ours ant
are continually condemning us
both in the pulpit and the press?
I have the greatest of sympathy
for fools and idiots and people wht
have no adequate knowledge o
right and wrong, but not the leas
bit for those who are ready ant
willing to violate rules of propriety
they require others to observe.
l have heard Rev. Mathew.
abuse and Willy people, in the pull
pit, simply because they differ with
him in religion. for no other rea-
son, l suppose, than because he
was unable to answer their argu-
ments, and yet he has the audacity
to demand-not ask-that you anC
I shall keep silent and take his in
suits and abuse like whipped ours
l don't object to religion in it
truest sense. but do object most
strongly to the methods of it,
promulgation-to the men who
for pay, teach it to the people who
know as much about such things
as they do themselves, which Ii
just nothing at all.
Mr.. Moore, l did not intend to
write this kind OF a letter, as il
will no doubt hurt the religious
feelings OF some Of your Christian
readers, if you should happen to
print it, but l have written with.
out fear or favor, and if you see
cause to air it in your keen-edged
"Blade," then air it, that is all,
and l will stand the racket and
responsibility of the publication
of the letter. OF course this is a
little out Of the usual run of let
ters that have appeared in your
paper, and perhaps it will cause
a big kick among the self-ap-
pointed critics CT readers, but l
have 80 often been abused and
slandered by such would-be re-
ligious directors to anything ra-
tiOnal, that l have no fears tor
the result. 1t will only serve to
strenthen and fortify my position
among sensible people, and injure
those who would njure me.
Hoping that l may be permit
ted to continue to read your ex-
cellent paper, and that it may
teach pure and wholesome moral.
ity unrestricted and apart from
theological dogmas, creeds and
a;llv caramOnias | am vOur friend