The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-08-20
Col. R. G. lnsersoll.
Editor Of the Chronicle .

Editor Of the Chronicle:
SIR:-la the last two numbers Of your
paper there has been two articles devot-
ed to this distinguished lecturer. which
respectfully ask spac.. to notice. The
first article is IN editorial objection to his
lecture because he "peddles out his doc
trine at Sl.50 head" believe it to be
a rule of commercial law, that anything
is worth just what it will bring on the
market.
Now, the Coils doctrine readily sold
for Sl.5O head, and was only limited
because ofroom to hold any more. Many
persons could not get in the first night,
and for his two lectures he took IN more
than 81 600.
Now, about one wear since, the first
preacher of the United States, Henry
Wsrd Beecher, came to Bozeman and
sold his doctrine, for which l and others
payed SIPS per head from which you see
that infidelity is 25 per cent premium
above religion; and is that all? Does not
the church sell her stock in trade? The
very next day after the Coils first lee
ture, concluded l would visit the first
aristocratic church in Bozeman and see
what was said about the Colonel. was
met at the door and politely invited in
and showed very comfortable seat, but
had scarcely got seated before good
deacon thrust under my nose contribu-
ton basket. Imagine my cbagrin! The
Colonel had got the last dollar and l
did not expect to be called on to pay or 1
might have rustled copper. Thought
1, this is the first time for five years, and
this will be the last. Now which is the
worst, to be made pay before you enter
or to be dunned before all the good sis
tiers as soon as you enter? The facts are
that everything is run for what money
can be got out of it, and the churches are
no exception.
The next objection made by both you
and Hope, the lady correspondent, is
that the Colonel ''would rob you of any
hope beyond the grave" The Colonel
said he didn't know what there is after
death, and that as for him he would
rather go along with wife and children.
and those whom he had loved and had
loved him, than to go to heaven with
angels whom he had never known. He
did not know that he would like angels
nor that angels would like him. OF
course he is materialist and believes
that death ends all. That is the cold
doctrine that destroys the hope Of living
again in that beautiful land beyond.
Well he believes that your hope is
like mist cloud before an August Gun
it vanishes away before the light Of rea-
son, that the Christian is like the African
ostrich which, when persued by the
hunter, sticks its head in the sand and
shuts its eyes and then thinks itself safe
But let us compare this "cold doctrine
with the late doctrine of Christianity
The former holds that man has no soul
that death ends all Of mans suffering and
sorrow, that when death comes the body
is again subject to the chemical laws Of
| decomposition, that these particles OF
matter of which the body is composed
a.ain enter into combinations. As In
gersolI said, that the negro was mohog-
any and that mahogany was the negro
The Christian doctrine is, that man has
soul that never dies, and that in the
great morn of the resurrection that the
soul and body will again be united, and
that we will in that blessed land meet
again, and that "no sorrow will ever
enter there" That is beautiful dream
of the Inauguration, and seems very
nice at first view, but are we all to gel
there? It would be very nice, indeed
if we could. but alas. your law book SAYS
that only those who believe are to gel
there, and the rest are to be damned
Now the legend says lin the good book,
that God some six thousand years ago
made man, and after he made him (the
job was SO poor he repented, and then
after thinking about it for 1900 years,
he hit upon the place of sending hit
only son into the world to die to save
those who NAV thereafter believe. So
he let all the countless millions who died
during these years 60 to hi, and who
fail to believe since go there too. All
the millions of the followers of Buddha
of Mahommed, of Olympus Infdels
splritualists and nearly all the great and
learned men of ancient and modern
times are there.
As Ingersoll truly said: Shakespeare
the greatest dramatist of the world; Vol.
taire, who pointed the finger of scorn al
all Europe. who made the French revol.
ution possible; Thomas Paine, who help.
ed to gain the freedom of these United
States; Jefferson, the author of that
sacred magma charta of our liberties
Abraham Lincoln, the emancipation and
savior Of our country, all these truly
great men are in hi, because they had
too much sense to believe the silly stories
Of the Christian religion.
Now, from all these facts the conclusi on
is, thai 80 per cent. Of the human family
are going to HI, and 10 per cent, to
heaven. Well and truly did Col. Inger-