Freethought Ideal and Vindicator from Ottawa, Kansas • 3

3 The Fbeethought Ideal the.face of the earth. As meddlers in other peoples business, their equal is not. 'Why should the educated women depend on the bible for their religion The bible that is made up of fables, legends and unreliable historical events that are worse than useless to us of this day of sober fact and tireless enterprise. But yet, we have sent abroad for our religion, which reminds me to say, there are poople who have made every dollar they possess in Kansas, where they school their children, fatten their stock and are defended and protected by the state. But in the face of priceless blessings, there are those that send abroad for goods that can be procured of the home merchant and home manufacturers.

No wonder the poor are ever in the majority. But what can we expect of apaople that pay more attention to religion than they do to a business training Perhaps when some of these impracticable ones have learned that it would be of general benefit to their community for them to patronize home industries, the tide of prosperity may flow their way, Ex-Rev. Old Mortality. her sad countenance. She was not allowed to go to the theatre or any place of innocent amusement Her lot was much worse than that of her husband's slaves.

In a few months after this broken-hearted woman had found rest Iri the grave, this cruel and unprincipled wretch disposed of his negroes and his plantation and married another woman, They Went to Florida to spend their honey-moon. The spirit of the first wife, upon learning of the second mariage, then betook itself to its old home, and after making inquiries of the neighbors, the; unhappy spirit learned the whereabouts of her former cruel husband, and bent upon revenge, she took flight to She arrived in due time. Sitting upon a large veranda at one of the big hotels, feasting upon the most costly products of the country, sat the object of her search. A large folio pocket book, filled nearly to' bursting with bank notes, lay upon the table. It appears that the couple had been counting over the price of the negroes and the plantation.

As the spirit gazsd upon this huge book of bank' bills, it occurred to her that the money that had cost her her life, should yet be a benefit to a few of her old acquaintances, back in West Virginia. So she put the thought to immediate action by seizing the pocket book. The spirit then returned home, where it divided the money among the married ladies. She bade them one and all enjoy the remainder of life as becometh a poor wife and mother. And so it is even up to this day.

Mortality, I will not kill myself in order to support you an 1 your second wife in luxury and idleness. The wives of Kan sas, Colorado and Missouri, may do so, but I will see you, or any other close-fisted man in Greenland's icy mountains ore I will suffer such indignation. I hope the OUR CORRESPONDENTS. aloft our banner of Freedom and Justice. Mrs.

Etta Semple: I write to say that I will take four copies of your book, "Society, 'f as soon as they are ready for distribution. I wish I could help you more, but have been unfortunate in life, having met with many reverses and have had an invalid wife for the past seven years. Yours as ever. Dr. T.

J. Edwards, Oblong, 111. Mrs. Etta Semple: In last issue of. the Ideal, in replying to Mr.

Evans, you referred to me as offering five dollars to any preacherwho would read to. his congregation, a verse or an extract which I should select from the holy bible. The offer was originally made to the clergy of Emerson, two of them being present at the time. They, or one of them was taking me to task for not coming to church, saying: "Mr. Perry, now, you are getting old arid should be thanking god for his mercy and looking after the welfare of your immortal soul." I replied that I was aware that old age was upon me and that I had nearly reached the 72nd mile post, but during all these -years, I had seen nothing to convince me that I was under any obligations to the god he spoke of for his mercy, and that I did not believe in the immortality of the soul.

At this, they told me to read my bible and become acquainted with god. I told them that I was well versed in the bi-ble, as I read it six years as a school book, and that the more read the worthless old fable, the less I valued it. I branded it as an old, vulgar, Jewish humbug, entirely unfit for present day society, and that it should be suppressed as obscene literature, and in support of my last conclusion, I made the five-dollar offer, but I am not retracting. I will extend the offer to any preacher in the United States. and will give the chapter and all preliminaries on application, and deposit the money.

As you read what I have written, do as you please about publishing it, but correct my mistakes, as I am more at home among my cattle and pigs than I am at handling etymology and syntax. Now, good bye. I hope Matt is well and I wish you good luck. C. W.

Perry, Emerson, Neb. Farmer Wenzer's Offense. Godfrey Wenzer, farmer, of Mexico, stands convicted of having scalded his hogs and whitewashed his trees on Sunday, the same being in contravention of the statute in such case, made and provi- Continued on page 6. story I have just related will be of lasting Mrs. Etta Semple: We do not know whether our subscription to the Ideal has expired or not, but we will send you a two-dollar William; one dollar to be applied on subscription and the other to be applied you know where.

Send to the Leader as usual arid oblige. Yours fraternally. E. M. Weed Son, Long Island, Mrs.

Etta Semple: Although my year is not up, I send a little of the necessary evil of this life, therefore you" may move my peg up one year. Ihave sympathized greatly with you in your family afflictions, and only hope you will come out of the tempestous battle victorious. You are my exact idea of what a worfan of good com-mon sense should be. This is not said for flattery, as my way of voting shows I mean what I say. With best wishes, for you and yours, I remain your heathen friend.

Morgan Wamsley, Cleves, 0. Bro. Wamsley is now an officer of the Western branch of the U. S. Freethought Organization, and we want-to say here and now, that he is a hummer.

Glad he has hold of the reins, too. We like big men and some little men too; in fact, any old man who likes us and helps us to hold benefit to you. In fact, I wish it could be published in all the papers in the land. am sure it would have a tendency to stop thousand of wives from killing themselves in order to keen their husbands' second wives in jewelry and fine clothes. "The bible and the christian religion have made slaves of women.

Good books and papers have how answered her piteous cry for light and freedom. And as we learn how to make use of this freedom, in like ratio, will the bible and religion be-come useless as slag Even now, priests and preachers are pitied or despised by all thinking women. As a class, they are the most ignorant and egotistical of bipeds on.