Etta Semple
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Etta Semple (''née'' Martha Etta Donaldson September 21, 1854 - April 11, 1914) was an American
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
and
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
activist,
editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...
,
publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
and community leader in Ottawa,
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
. She was the president of the Kansas Freethought Association and, in later life, founded a "Natural Cure" sanitorium for 31 patients. Semple was part of a group of people in Kansas who actively fought the intrusion of religion into
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
government, when prominent religious leaders of the time were "pushing to amend the
US Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the nation ...
and declare America a
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
nation."


Biography

Semple was born in
Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...
, to a
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
family. Semple witnessed "rampant hyposcrisy and bigotry among Christians." Eventually Semple began to see religion as a sort of "ignorance and
superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...
." Semple founded the Kansas Freethought Association (KFA) in order to protect the
separation of church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
. Semple was elected president of the KFA in 1879. KFA eventually became the subject of
censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
by town and church leaders. Briefly, Semple served as the vice president of the
American Secular Union The American Secular Union (ASU, also sometimes called the "American Secular Union and Freethought Federation") espoused secularism and freethought at the end of the 19th century in the United States. As the National Liberal League suffered cripp ...
. In 1887, she married her second husband, Matthew Semple. Both she and Matthew were active in the labor movement. Semple wrote two
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
s with themes relating to labor movement, called ''The Strike'' and ''Society''. She also ran twice for public office with the
Socialist Labor party The Socialist Labor Party (SLP)"The name of this organization shall be Socialist Labor Party". Art. I, Sec. 1 of thadopted at the Eleventh National Convention (New York, July 1904; amended at the National Conventions 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924 ...
ticket. Semple eventually was able to become a superintendent of public instruction. Using her own money and time, Semple self-published a bimonthly newspaper called ''Freethought Ideal'' which had a circulation of 2,000. Semple also had the help of Laura Knox in editing and publishing. ''Freethought Ideal'' was published between 1898 and 1901, and allowed Semple to speak her mind without being censored. In an editorial appearing in 1898, she said, "Every true Freethinker accords to each individual the right to mental freedom. Where this freedom leads is no concern of others so long as it encroaches not upon their rights." Every issue of the ''Freethought Ideal'' offered a $1,000 reward to anyone who could give positive proof of the
supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
, including God. She also worked with
cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
ist,
Watson Heston Watson Heston (September 25, 1846 – January 27, 1905) was an American editorial cartoonist who peaked in popularity during the Golden Age of Freethought in the late 19th century. Biography Born in Ohio, he spent the majority of his life i ...
, who provided work for the ''Freethought Ideal''. Her work on this newspaper was praised by the contemporary ''The Free Thought Magazine''. In 1901, Semple decided that she was tired of "trying to talk sense to the rest of the world" and stopped publication of ''Freethought Ideal''. She was also involved in the
temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...
and met once with Carrie Nation in 1901. They were seen "arm-in-arm, engaged in earnest but amiable debate." Also in 1901, Semple's husband became ill and since she was no longer working on the paper, she was able to devote time to helping him recover. Semple eventually ran a sanitorium out of her own home and for many years and it was the only hospital in the area. Semple would not turn away anyone, even if they were unable to afford to pay for care. Semple was called a 'Good Samaritan' and "one of the greatest benefactors Ottawa has ever had" by the ''Evening Herald'' (Ottawa). In 1905, in an unsolved murder, one of Semple's patients was killed inside the sanitarium by someone who came in through Semple's bedroom window with a knife and axe. Semple had given up her room to a sick patient, so it was believed that Semple was the intended victim. Semple died from
influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...
in 1914. She was mourned by the entire town with headlines in the paper reading: "A Philanthropist Will Long Be Remembered Here" and "Good Deeds of a Good Woman Are on the Tongues of Ottawa Today." At her funeral, there were no prayers or hymns and the eulogizer read many of her favorite poems. They sang the secular song, "Scattering Seeds of Kindness." For many years, her grave was unmarked, until in 2002, the Franklin County Historical Society raised enough money to erect a marker with the
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
she wrote for herself on the stone. Her epitaph reads: "Atheist, Radical, Socialist. Feminist, Philanthropist and Free thinker. Etta was a newspaper editor, publisher, novelist, a medical intuitive, sanitarium founder and operator, and a champion of the downtrodden."Old Depot Museum
via Pinterest
The building that housed her sanatorium was condemned in 2015. While many individuals wanted it preserved, it never received protected status.


References


Further reading

*


External links


Etta Semple
short biography and photo {{DEFAULTSORT:Semple, Etta 1854 births 1914 deaths American atheists American temperance activists Freethought writers People from Quincy, Illinois People from Ottawa, Kansas Philanthropists from Illinois Deaths from influenza Infectious disease deaths in Kansas Socialist Labor Party of America politicians