Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-08-08
Ingersoll.

ent, that the Methodist Protestant bod
y will not ostracize the Rev. Alexande
Clark, editor of the Methodist Recorde,
for his kindly words about the Philistin
giant whom the religious papers have bee
throwing pebbles at so long, without gel
3. ting his sword by the handle. 1t is reall
quite breezy to read such an article as tn
following:
D "a few days ago we chanced to NEE
~ Robert &. Ingersoll, and enjoyed the in
>. terview. Don't be alarmed, timid reader
= But it is a fact. Each wished the othe
well, TO begin with, and better going fur
ther on. There is something about tn,
j. mans big round face and hearty hand
shake and straightout words that wins re
spect. He was quite ready to talk upol
: religious questions, although neither OBJ
truded upon the other. He was courteous
frank, and evidently willing to hear opin
ions expressed; however diverse from his
own. He claims to be ready tor truth
from any side. He said, in substance
among other things: If there is Heaven
1t must begin now. If there is He'll, it is
already kindled. He said that many poor,
unknown men and womeh, by their patti
encc in hard toll. by overcoming bad pro-
pensities, by providing bread tor those de-
pendent upon them. and by the unnoticed
struggles of life, were really achicving as
grand victories rs the leaders of armit
He said there was as much downright
goodness in these lowly people as among
the great teachers of theology.
''All of which we admitted, of course.
Christianity teaches just those things when
its teachers get their mouths rightly OPEN
ed. Heaven does begin here, and SO does
the other pl-. When Mr.. Ingersoll gets
rid of his IL he will see clearly how these
very principles he admires are explained
by the Gospel he now rejects.
''We do like Ingersoll. Now. please
don't frown, and slap down the paper, and
threaten to discontinue, and stamp your
foot, so. and begin to lecture the editor for
a blunderhead. We must do one of two
things: either Ike Ingersoll or get him
killed. 1t is impossible to be Indifferent
toward such man; and it would be I'M
scrjptural to hate him. If he is to be hated
to our credit, we must hire Il hater, and get
the hating done by proxy. Are there not
few professional haters hiring out now:
"Ingersoll has already overcome some
opposition. in himself-which commends
his courage. He has a steady nerve. Il clear
eye, clear skin. and manly strength.
| fIc is temperate. candid. Industrious, and.
so far as the devil will let him, minds his
/ own business. And that is about as mulch
as some Methodists get done. lie is not a
brute, nor Il demon, nor monster. lie is
rather better looking than the average
| preacher. and that is admitting a great
deal. under the circumstances. He bears
close inspection. He wears clean clothes.
His home is one Of the brightest in the
land and his family is a happy group. He
cannot be inherently and essentially IRE
deelnable. He is not such grecnback as
that. Where the outward shows some
thing of purity there is hope of man.
True, he has gone to such an extreme in
his assertions of human independence that
his influence has been counted on the side
of some very mean sins; for example, the
circulation of pernicious literature. Such
books and papers as would poison the
purest home might, without the whole
some restraints of law, ruin his own. The
best remedy for poisonous reptiles is to
smash their heads. Some vices are so
dreadful that they deserve no more pro-
lection than mad dogs. And 1ngersoli
made mistake, surely, in advocating the
right of everybody to send anything in the
United States mails. 1t was not that he
believed in such literature; perhaps he as
thoroughly as any Christian despises it.
But the point illustrasted the danger OF
lawlessness. There must be curb on hui
man passions. If men themselves do not
practice wholesome restraints, the law
must practice upon them and for their own
and others good The same philosophy
which Makes Ingersoll a lawyer, ought to
make him Christian; tor he admits the
necessity of law and makes his living as an
attorney. Therefore, he should raise no
question of right with the theologan, nor
of authority with the Almighty.
~.But we merely wished at the outstart
to say that we cannot help liking lnger-
soil. There, now! Please don't smite us
to the earth with that ponderous theolog-
ical fist. Does not the Saviour tell us to
love-that is a stronger word than luke
even our enemiesp Ingersoll's errors we
do not like, nor his way of promulgating
them. His lectures and his books, how
ever. do him injustice. He is not so rough
OF speech in private conversation. Some
men are all honey in pulpit, and on plat
form, and all poetry in the press; but they
are vinegar and mustard at home. They
scowl at their wives, and storm like thun-
der at their children, and strike like BAN
ditti among the skulls OF supposed heret-
les. Ingersoll is ut his best in his own
household. Is not that something to build
ons We hope some day to accept his kind
invitation to spend while with him at his
home. We propose to eat with that Re
publican and sinner. Wonder whether he
is ever invited to break bread in the homes
of Christians? Many believers have talk
ed about him; but few have talked .0sth
him. 1t is remarkable how sentences are
modified when it comes to talking them to
mans face, instead of circulating them
behind bis back. 1t Is somebody's duty to
be kind and patient and loving and Christ
like to Robert G. Ingersoll. We do not
presume to answer his hard questions.
Nor shall we entertain any vain ambition
to debate with him, ever SO quietly. But
somebody who has the experience will,
some time or another, meet him, and tace
churches cannot get rid of their response
bility to Ingerson by calling him names,
by avoiding him, or by ruling him out OF
the circle of their consideration. Nor can
Tuuprsoll oct rid of Christianity bv calling