The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-03-06
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES,
President of the United States.
What lngorsOII Owes to the Bible.


Once in a while we see an article in
an exchange which so perfectly ex-
presses our views on subject that we
are constrained to give it room in our
columns. The following is case in
point, and ventilates in mastery
manner the debt owed by Col. Inger-
soil to the teachings of that Book
which he so vindictively attacks and
ridicules. The article is taken from
the Star, published at Cincinnati:
"In those countries where the re-
ligion of the Bible prevails there are
great many women and men, and not
few Sunday-school children, who
take pleasure in studying the so-called
Holy Scriptures, and they claim to de-
rive great consolation from their teach.
ings. They claim that their teachings
are calculated to make the world bet
ter and happier, and that they are 50
infinitely superior to the instructions
of all other philosophers and sages
that have ever lived, as to furnish evi.
dence of their divine origin, even if
there was no other evidence to sustain
that conclusion. These people, by the
general tenor of their daily lives, show
in very satisfactory manner that this
belief works them no evil, makes them
no worse citizens nor disturbs the har-
mony of the domestic relations any
more than if they were rank infidels oi
the Col. Robt. Ingersoll style of moral
architecture. 1t is quite safe to say
that they will more than average with
those who feel no inner consciousness
of possessing souls.
"No one questions Ingersoll's right
to be an infdel, or a Mahometan, or a
worshiper, in a mere worldly point
of view. 1t is guaranteed by our Con-
stitution. Those who don't agree with
him are perfectly willing that he should
abide the final result. He is no pio-
neer in this active crusade against all
religious creeds and forms of faith. He
produces no new argument, although
he may present old ones eloquently
and make them enjoyable to a mixed
crowd, by profuse witticisms and old
jokes that have done service in better
company for these many years. Why
should he, Col. Robt. G.. Ingersoll,
make himself miserable, even at net
profit of two hundred dollars a night,
in trying to bring the doctrines of the
Bible into disrepute ? Let the Illinois
orator reflect what he would now be
and have been since he saw daylight,
if he hadn't been surrounded with the
blessings that religion had already
wrought out for him Stanley discov.
cred in the interior of Africa, nations
Of people so remote from civilization
that apparently no ray from the Throne
Of God had ever reached them. Ac.
cording TO the theory of Ingersoll they
had suffered nothing from the TOM
fooleries of Christianity. They we're
simple children of Nature. AS mere
animals Stanley met some very fine
specimens among them, worthy of sup.
planting many of our decayed states
men, or representing Illinois on the
floor of COhgress-leaving the question
of souls out of account.
"But suppose for a moment that the
so'christened Robert Ingersoll, by the
ordering of chance 1--WE won't say by
the Providence of God, for that might
be considered as begging the whole
question:, had been on or about the
headwaters of the Nile, where exists no
knowledge of hell, Halifax, Chicago
or the future state, what would have
been his condition to-day? Where his
honors. and titles, and good clothes,
and pleasant surroundings, the gor-
| peoug watch chain tho fat nickinss of