New-York tribune., 1906-06-17
FREE THOUGHT CHURCH
Cosmian Hall SocietmRelic of Com
munity Days an Wu'ence. Mass.

hrst religious body in the United States 10 or
ganize on a platform of entire freedom of
thought and speech. hasldwindled down TO a con-
gregation of 150 from eco, and that it is only d
matter OF time. probably when the society will
dissolve
Cosmian Hall has had all sorts of epithets
thrown at it. 1t has4been called "a Goddess in
sutution, "a hall of inhquity" the home of
crahKs' a nest of perditon'' and "a hail of
darkness. But its members have been un-
moved by such criticism, knowing il was only
an institution where man might speak his in
most thoughts and voice hisi deepest convictions
without molestaton. Cosmkan Hall is just what
Its name implies, a hall, or rather an institu-
ton, for every one. Any one may speak there.
no matter what his creed or nationality 1t
is open to Christian Scientists. agnostics,
atheists. woman sufragR,ts. Theosophists
Dowieites. Holy Jumpers" and New Thought
ties. The keynote OF theInsVitution is that every
man has a right to his particularsopinion and
also right 10 express it.
The Cosnian Hall Societyyis relyc of the "com-
munity days" when there was a community in
Florence similar to the Brook Farm experiment
The members Of the community used to meet on
Sundays. not so much for worship in any con-
ventional sense as for inst4lction in everything
that pertained to human welfare. When the
community broke up the meetings continued
until 1868, when the Free Congregational So
cety was formed and IN 1874 Cosmian Hall was
built. With the erection Of this hall came a
congregation from all tho towns around, many
riding miles over bad roads in springless
wagons In those early days some of the most
prominent speakers in the country expounded
doctrines in that hall. including William Lloyd
Garrison, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, A. Bronson
Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Rabbi iSchIesin-
ger, Susan B. Anthony. Felix sAdlerSand John
Fske
Among the most eloquent speakers was So
journer Truth, an old colored! woman She was
wholly uneducated, but her retorts and argu-
ments were generally right to thei point. She
once said, Three thirds of the people are
wrong" when some in the audience sang
out, That takes them all, Sojourner." With
twinkle in her eye she quickly responded, Il am
sorry, as had hoped there were,a few left"
At one time small boy fell off the dam in
Mil River and fortune favored him, struck
in the only safe place possible, a marrow. deep
pool Sojourner hearing Of the accident,
marked, IF the devil made him fall. the Lord
had fixed place for him to Ight'in."
1t is also told thatat one time asgrave Puritan
of Hadey came to Florence and asked of one
of the free thinkers. What do youtdo here Sun
days?" The reply was, I'VE rest, sometimes do
pressing work. read. think. hold meetings, and
try TO behave as we'll as we do Mondays" Have
mo-" was the answer; I'VE all speak if we wish,
men and women. You can come and say what
you please; We will treat you we'll, but may
not agree with you and mayS ask questions"
Then. picking up a stick andf rapping on the
fence, the free thinker continued: You notice
when rap on one spot the sound is monoton-
Gus; when 1 my stick it'varies. Don't you
like the variations? You aretnot foolish enough
to quarrel with the stick the rail because
I 4I,16a
and you make up your mind which is best"
Anu-savery sentiments often had a. high hand
in the meetings in Florence. and several ortho-
dox ministers who had been driven from their
churches on account of their ant-skavery views
| took refuge in the society. The artist, Charles
c. Burleigh, jr.. made many inpassioned speeches
for the freedom of the slaves and atone of them
a bad egg, hurled by an enemy, struck him on
the forehead. Coolly wping his forehead, he
said. II always thought that pro-slavery argu-
ments were unsound."
Intemperance and tobacco received their share
| Of attention among the speakers, and one of
them was wont TO say: Tobacco is yet too re-
spectacle TO be talked about. Rum used to be.
but 1t does behave SO badly that It's conduct is
spoken against now by many respectable peo-
pie. and when come to the front they
will open wide the doors and sweep it out"
Now the Cosmian Hall society has pastor
fred Free. He. breaches every Sunday morning,
but at the close of his address he invites the
congregation TO express contrary views or set
forth new thought. He is at liberty TO speak
on any subject he fit, and the time the gov
ernment took over the Philippines he delivered
an emphatic anti-imperialist address, aIthosgh
the president Of the society chairman Of the
city Republican committee and a dyed-in-the-
wool Republican On Sundays when he Isl alb |
sent, he often makes arrangements for a lay
man TO speak in the pulpit. Although he has
absolute charge Of the Sunday meetings, the |
platform is open TO any one on week days.
Although the society has assumed now some |
thing the form Of the radical wing of the Uni |
tartan Church. it has features peculiar to itself
There is no such thing as pew rent. The annual
income from the endowment is 81 COO and ex- |
penses above that are met by individual sub |
scription.
Free suppers are another of its especial feat |
ures. Once in two weeks the Ladies' Industrial
Union gives a supper to which every one is |
invited, and for which pays a cent but |
a saucer is passed around at the close of the !
cents 10 pay the woman who washes the dishes. |
After the supper there is a literary or musical |
entertainment, and this is followed by a dance |
until 1870 o'clock.
1t has the only endowed young peoples re-
ngious society in the country. DR.. Joseph Mar |
tens left $1,000 to il and the income Is devoted
entirely 10 charity. The names of persons who I
receive aid from the society are not known even |
70 the young people themselves. All that is |
necessary is for the applicants name 10 come |
before the treasurer. and after satisfactory |
statements from responsible people the charity |
is extended
An applicant for membership to the Cosmian |
Hall Society is no, subjected to an examination !
on The soUnGncss % fis Theology as to his |
theory Of living re simply needs TO present his /
name and he IS admitted All that is required Of
him is that he bc a reputable sort OF person.
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