the danger of incomplete
information. Were we to copy its manners we might use a swifter phrase.

That Atheists, in the name of freedom, throw off the restraints of moral
law, is a statement which we defy the _Commonwealth_ to prove, or in
the slightest degree to support, and we will even go to the length of
suggesting how it might undertake the task.

Turpitude of character must betray itself. Moral corruption can no more
be hidden than physical corruption. Wickedness "will out," like murder
or smallpox. A man's wife discovers it; his children shun him instead of
clinging about his knees; his neighbors and acquaintances eye him with
suspicion or dislike; his evil nature pulsates through an ever-widening
circle of detection, and in time nis bad passions are written upon his
features in the infallible lines of mouth and eyes and face. How easy,
then, it should be to pick out these Atheists. The most evil-looking
men should belong to that persuasion. But do they? We invite our
contemporary to a trial. Let it inquire the religious opinions of a
dozen or two, and see if there is an Atheist among them.

Again, a certain amount of evil disposition _must_ produce a certain
percentage of criminal conduct. Accordingly the gaols should contain a
large proportion of Atheists. But _do_ they? Statistics prove they do
_not_. When the present writer was imprisoned for "blasphemy," and was
asked his religion, he answered "None," to the wide-eyed astonishment
of the official who put the question. Atheists were scarce in the
establishment. Catholics were there, and red tickets were on their
cell-doors; Protestants were there, and white tickets marked their
apartments; Jews were there, and provision was made for their special
observances; but the Atheist was the _rara avis_, the very phoenix of
Holloway Gaol.

Let us turn to another method of investigation. During the last ten
years four members have been expelled from the House of Commons. One of
them was not expelled in the full sense of the word; he was, however,
thrust by brute force from the precincts of the House. His name was
Charles Bradlaugh, and he was an Atheist. But what was his crime? Simply
this: he differed from his fellow members as to his competence to take
the parliamentary oath, and the ultimate event proved that he was
right and they were wrong. Now what were the crimes of the three other
members, who were completely and absolutely expelled? Captain Verney was
fou