New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-05-06
LECTURES AND ADJUSTMENTS.

] LECTURES AND ADJUSTMENTS.
The Ollie Torbett Concert Co. have
booked the Turner Hall for one concert
on the 21st Of May. This company has
been in New Ulm on two former occa-
slons, and It is hardly necessary to en-
large on its merits. It includes the pop
ular lady viol1nist, Miss Ollie Torbett,
and the famous Luttemann Sextette of
Swedish singers. This happens to be
the farewell tour of the company ,as they
expect to leave for Sweden in the very
near future. They come this time with
out guarantee, and for that reason
should be properly encouraged.
It was not very large audience that
greeted the Cakes Comic Speciality Co.
at Union Hall Sunday evening, and those
who were present were not well re-
warded. The Swiss bell ringing, the
crystal chimes, performed on glasses
partly filed with water, and the other
musical features were passable, but the
comic specialt1es of Nat Blossom were
rocky indeed.
Hon. Samuel Putnam, liberal speak
er of international reputation, will speak
at Turner Hall on the 30th and 31st of
May. Putnam takes rank among the
ablest champions Of free thought IN this
country and was one of the strongest de-
tenders of absolute liberty in the consti-
tuition at the tine when a number of
deluded preachers tried to insert the
word "God" in its opening article.
Franklin Steiner lectured to good
sized audience at Turner Hall Sunday
evening on "Unbelief as Factor in
Progress" He preluded his remarks
with the statement that in order to draw
right conclusions it was necessary to cor
rectly understand words used. Belief
and unbelief, as contrasted, we're then
Explained and the speaker showed that
in the very nature of things, belief could
not be virtue, nor unbelief a crime.
! Christians do not consider it crime to
disbelieve any religious system besides
their own. Belief. he said, depended on
evidence, and without evidence the Chris
tlans could not reasonably expect INTEL
| ligent and honest men to believe. He
held that religious beliefs we're not the
result of reason, but of early education
and surroundings, and in order that the
churches might continue to thrive, it was
necessary for the priests to take advan-
tage of youth. To substantiate this, he
quoted B. Fay Mills, Cardinal Newman
and Hymn-writer Watts.
In bis effort to show that unbelief was
the foundation of progress. Mr.. Steiner
made the basic statement that before man
can progress he must first be dissatisfied
with his old surroundings and beliefs;
he must be able to see the fallac y of old
error. The great Bacon had declared a.
long the same line and 1t was absolutely
true. The spirit Of free inquiry had &C
compl1shed progress in all shings-in
astronomy, geology and the origin of
man. And every advance made in these
directions has been brought about by un-
| belief in the Bible idea.
The speaker called attention to the
beneficial effects of unbelief by rcciting
its connection with the abolition of
witchcraft and kindred superstitions,
the promotion of civil and religious IL
berty and with the abolition of slavery.
He considered the part played by unbe-
| lief in the French Revolution and easily
| refuted the oft-made assertions Of the
pulpit regarding infdelity as the cause
of that bloody struggle for liberty and
the rights OF man.
Touching upon unbelief as a factor in
promoting morality, he said, that it had
compelled the, church to push forward
morality instead of theological dogmas,
and, to rcfute the statements of the cler-
gy that unbelief led to immortality, he
cited prison statistics for many states and
the standing Of free thought business
men.
He concluded with d poem entitled:
What will you give in its place?
But the master lecture of the week
was that Of Jenkin Lloyd Jones of Chi
cago. A logical speaker, with powerful
oratorical abilities, he easily holds the at
tention Of his auditors, and instructs at
the same time that he entertains.
He took for his subject "The Parlia-
ment of Religions" and gave an inside