“IVO” AT THE LYCEUM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1923, 24 February 1885, Page 2

“IVO” AT THE LYCEUM.

(From the Evening Press.) This gentleman on Snnday evening delivered a sketch relating to Borne incidents in his late lecturing tour at Masterton, called " Warfare in Masteiton, and facts in Natural History." He said that a secularist lecturer doubtless appeared, to those who did not reason matters out closely, as one who was always fighting—ever in opposition. That was his duty, however. If he was worth his salt, and had faith in what he propounded, he would not permit attack, ridicule, and misrepresentation to frighten him from the path he had marked out for himself. Naturally he became a targot for attack, and if he meant to stick to his colors he must fight for-them. No reform could be carried with ambiguous phrases bearing a dozen different meanings. He had learnt to know that on religious matters it was absolutely necessary to call a spade a spade, He had latterly called, and intended in future to call, a spade a spade, and not an agricultural instrument, even at-the risk of shocking—as he had done at Mastorton—the delicate sensibilities of some" editorial bush Chesterfield." In religious controversy it was easy to discover when a " bull's-eye" was made; the target gave back an answering splutter, and some of the people who hid behind the target returned fire, principally with mud, On his late visit to Masterton he had been fortunate enough to score several controversial "bull's-eyes," and had received in return a good deal of harmless dirt, A person named Hogg had be-mired him in his newspaper, and a portion of the misrepresentation had been re-produced by a pious evening paper in Wellington, He mentioned these matters to show that an infidel lecturer's element is necessarily hot water, For myself, added "Ivo," " I like peace and ease as well as any man, but I prefer my cause to either; and if that can, as I believe, only be advanced by fighting, then I for one will fight, and will permit no taunt, no attack, and no lie against infidels to pass without hurling back taunt for taunt, attack for attack; and, as for the soft muddy untruth, I will combat that with the hard bullet of truth." The lecturer then said he had been invited to lecture at Masterton, on the Bth, 15th, and 16th inst., and he thanked all those friends who had so ably filled the Wellington platform during his absence. The first lecture, "Who are the Infidels?" was attended by some 200 persons and was most enthusiastically received, This was simply because the lecture was true; and truth in religious matter was something the good people of Masterton had not been used to. "Ivo"thankedtheWAirarapa Daily for the courteous terms in which it had spoken of him, but more especially for its fairness throughout the . campaign, The Star said little about his first lecture. It made, however, one very grave accuaation—the gravest ever made against his moral character since ho had boen lecturing, I frankly own, admitted "Ivo," it is partially true, It is this: " The editor acouses me of weighing 18 Btone!" On Sunday last, he continued, the subject was "Has man a soul?" Threo hundred persons, including many ladies, had attended this lecture/- "Ivo" then read, as he declared, "verbatim, local punctuation preserved," the critique of the Star upon his lecture, and alluded in scathing terms to the gentleman whom he presumed had written it. "Fancy" says " Ivo" "an editor who can pen such literary rubbish criticising another man's ability!" With regard to'the ability of his lecture, he could only say that the facts were collected from the writings of the the greatest tl)e wqrld had ever known—men to whom the editor of the Star was not worthy to servo as a doormat. "Ivo" defied anyone to provo that in all his lectures he had ever used one obscene, impure, or lewd expression or suggestion that ooqld oall the blush into the qheok of tho most sensistive woman, On the other hand,' the ißsue of the paper which oondomned his taste, and accused him of vulgarity, contained a full report of a police case which any decent editor would havo dismissed with two lines, "Ivo" held that questioners should keep clear of personalities and confute the subject matter of his lecture if they could. Ha had been informed prior to going on the platform that Mr Hogg, tho editor who had abused him, had stated that he thoroughly agreed with all " Ivo" had said, but, nevertheless, he should "go for" him. At the conclusion of his lecture he therefore looked at him fair in the face and dared those who had threatened to chastise him to do so there and then. But, added the lecturer, instead of meeting me face to face he wrote subsequently a scurrilous and untruthful report. The defiance, however, had brought up a olergyman, a Wosleyan minister. ' • Ivo" had said that a vast number of ministers must know the thing they taught was untrue, Mr Isitt had occupied some thirty minutes in defending himself, and the lecturer had then challenged Mr Isitt to defend his doctrines on a public platform, the proceeds to go to the Masterton Hospital, but the gentleman named declined and was afraid to meet him, Mr Isitt had said! " 'lvo' you have known three days—you have known me threo years;" " but," said the lecturer, "who are two miserable atoms like Isitt and 'lvo' in such a controversy ? Admit' Ivo' is contemptible ; admit Mr Isitt's superiorityit is not what lam but what I teach. If I teach uutruth, why do not Christians arise in all the majesty of Truth and convict me of lying, and reason or laugh me into oblivion ?" In conclusion the lecturer asked pardon for any seeming egotism in his address; he did not wish to call the attention of that audience to himself, but to the merits of the battle which was being fought. He urged Freethinkers to lend present aid to the cases of secularism as when the battle was won, recruits and comrades would not be wanted. ' Thoy '. were wanted and would bo welcomed now". The sketch which caused great laughter, was frequently and loudly applauded.