The Portland daily press., 1894-08-21
SHOWING UP MOSES.
Rev. II. L. Hastings and His Crusade
Against the Infideis-At Old Orchard
Now.
Especial to the PRESS. \

:
Old Orchard, August 2O.-From the
platform at the scampgsound yesterday,
thick-set man, with, long and thick
white whiskers and moustache, sud-
denly sent out over the crowd below
shower of tracts, entitled Showing up
Noses" but which in reality were de-
signed to 3show up Colonel Ingersoll.
and forming part of a library against
infidelity.
The man who sent the shower of tracts
down on the audience was the venerable
Rev. Fl. l. Hastings of Boston, who has
begun crusade against infidelity here
in the United States, just as years ago
he carried on the same form of agitation
in England.
Mr.. Hastings said that it seemed to
him that som ething must be done to ar
rest the tide of infidelity that threatens
in his judgment, to sweep away society
the world are infdels, aud the man who
has no hope or. fear of future life is
reckless of danger. If he is killed. what
does it M after to him after all? Society
is threatened, in the opinion of the old
minister, by the disciples of Colonel In
gersoll.
Under such circumstances Mr.. Hast
lngs believes that the time has come for
vigorous work on the part of those who
"belleve in any religionn to stop the
spread of infidelity. Mr.. Hastings is
himself an old fighter on this line.
Years ago he went to England Just at the
time when Bradlaugh was doing his
most successful work asa preacher of
infidelity, and when he was asking into
his societies an average of 1900 persons
every year at four shiIlings each.
When MIR. Hastings reached England
and proposed to begin the publication
of series of cheap anti-infidel books,
he was assured that the scheme would
fail because there would be a total lack
OF public interest in the plan. He
Thought otherwise and proposed to en-
gage Exeter Hall for series of meet
lngs, but was told that it would be no
use, that people wouldn't come out. He
hired the small hallsand filled it the first
evening, and there was an overflow the
next evening. After that they took the
largeshall above, and even then turned
away as many as were able to get in.
AS one result of the anti-infidelity crus-
ade then started, and in which many
took part, the Bradlaugh movement was
arrested. Instead of receiving 1900 new
mem bers every year at four shillings ad-
mission, they got only about 800 yearly
at one shilling.
Thre has already been much done in
the way of circulating what may be
called anti-lngersoll literature. One
pam phlet has already been circulated to
the extent Of over two million copies.
and vast numbers of other pamphlets
and publications have been issued and
given away. In this way it is hoped to
counteract the influence of the lecture
of Colonel Ingersoll, now widely circus
lated. Mr.. Hastingas is not quite ready
to talk regarding the next step in this
modern holy war. but it will be taken.
infidelity. MIR. Hastings believes that
argument should :be Used against as
sertion, even if Colonel Ingersoll comes
along, asks few questions it may take
a month to answer, and then is off
again" 1t promises to be war Of
bright men.against very bright man