Blue-grass blade., 1899-02-19

inhei llance 10 this country; whether
10 Is TO be .breaten in our
courts; whc her IL is tu be made
foot bail of Tor p,ous pastime.
We do not propose TO make mar
tyr Of Mr.. Moore. IF he inc,ines to
pose as such, he will lose the respect
OF his friends. II Is charged by
tho District Attorney, the news
papers and his enemies that Mr..
Moore is assuming u martyrs role.
While he exhibited foolish egotlsm
in choosing 10 act as his own lawyer,
! viii, say thai his actions before the
Court, his manners and emotions,
and his child.like appeal TO the jury
aud to the Judge for clemency, all
evinced desire TO escape punish
ment He showed an eagerness to
put the legality OF Free Speech to
the test, and this eagerness, I think,
was construed by the Court to be an
insoence and desire TO pose as a
prosecuted individual. Mr.. Moore
mas always been man who has been
willing to put his principles to q le-
gal test, no matter what personal
sacrifices he might be called upon
to make. Many Of his friends as
we'll as his enemies have thought
that he cUirted imprisonment for
notoriety. am led to believe by
his actions In this trial, and by my
conversations with him that
Ia this case this Is q mis-.
take. But when IL comes to
making legal test OF Free Speech,
he has always been on hand. Con-
sidering the hundreds OF thousands
Of Freethinkcrs who cowardly rc-
main under cover, for myself / re-
spect the one man who is brave
enough, reckless enough II you will,
to charge down the front line Of
battle, even II he has no other OBJ
ject in view than notoriety. The
front is the most respectable place
for man to 60 down. This fight is
on and must be settled In the courts.
1t may as we'll be settled right now,
/ ask the Liberalists OF this country
II 1t isn't about time that men
should cease being sent to the pen
itentiary for their free opinions and
open assertions upon dogmatic the
ology? II II isn't about time that
man can express his views about one
of the human emotions without be-
ing deprived OF his liberty
The Ohio Liberal Society has en-
ployed the law firm Of Phares and
Keller OF Cincinnati to test the case.
1t has already put up $4,000. It
will probably cost two or three times
that amount and may be more to
carry the case to Superior Court.
II needs this extra amount and
doubts not that II will be forthcom-
ing. The Treasurer of the Ohio Lib
eral Society; ]. G. Wilims, North
West cor. Eight and Vine will re-
ceive contributions
] call upon the Liberal organize
tions and all Liberal papers of this
country to rise up as one, In protest
that will be heard and felt. Christi
anity If when passive and toll
,erant is doci|e enough: ard de-
Teelops many Of the humane in
stincts. But letit feel the intoxica-
tion OF power, and it develops
at once the brutal instincts
which inbred superstition always
excites., Many people in this coun-
try think an Atheist or ARnostic
has no right to citizenship whatever.
Let cases like Mr.. Moore's 90 un-
challenged, and it is only question
OF time until the Agnostic, il he
dare express himself, will follow him.
Back in the days Of Bloody Mary,
the Catholic savages of England
killed of the Protestant savages by
thousands. In course OF time il
came the Protestant's turn, and
Catholic property was confiscated,
and every offensive Catholic priest
executed. Down in Cornwall, q
mining region, was priest by the
name OF Trelawny, who was much
beloved by the miners and who was
ordered to be taken and executed.
His people flocked around him and
the local authorities found that he
could not be taken. The King found
1t necessaIy y to send an army down
there. About thirty thousand Of the
rough miners gathered together as
one man and with nothing but their
picks and such rude instruments as
they could quickly manufacture de-
fled the Kings army. AS they
marched in procession they sang
this verse:
"And shall Trelawny die?
And shall Trelawny die?
When thirty thousand Cornishmen
Will know the reason why?"
Their determined opposition dis
suaded the King from making any
further effort to get Trelawny. The
stobborn protest OF Freethinks will
arouse sentiment that will likewise
have It's effect.
Will the Liberals OF this country
allow Mr.. Moore to lie in the Ohio
penitentiary for two years, without
rising up as one man, and asking
'the reason why?"
J. B. WILSON, M. D.
To the Readers of the Blade.