[Prisoner for Blasphemy by George William Foote]@TWC D-Link bookPrisoner for Blasphemy CHAPTER IV 11/16
It is a striking and pregnant fact that Freethought meetings are kept peaceful and orderly without any protection by the police.
At St.James's Hall, London, the only demonstrations, I believe, for which the services of a certain number of policemen are not charged for in the bill with the rent, are those convened by Mr.Bradlaugh and his friends. Lord Coleridge, ostensibly but not actually following Michaelis, raised the subtle argument that as people's feelings are very tender on the subject of religion, and the populace is apt to take the law into its own hands when there is no legal method of expressing its anger and indignation, "some sort of blasphemy laws reasonably enforced may be an advantage even to those who differ from the popular religion of a country, and who desire to oppose and to deny it." But this is an inversion of the natural order of things.
What reason is there in imprisoning an innocent man because some one meditates an assault upon him? Would it not be wiser and juster to restrain the intending criminal, as is ordinarily done? I object to being punished because others cannot keep their tempers; and I say further, that to punish a man, not because he has injured others, but for his own good, is the worst form of persecution.
During the many years of my public advocacy of Freethought in all parts of Great Britain, both before and since my imprisonment, I have never been in a moment's danger of violence and outrage.
I never witnessed any irritation which could not be allayed by a persuasive word, or any disturbance that could not be quelled by a witticism.
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