The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-08-06
IngerselI.

Col Robert Ii. lngersOlI delivered
sec md lecture in Bozeman on Monda
evening, July 2sth. A large audicnc
assembled at the skating rink tn hea
the man who calls himself a lover o
mankind, but instead of being greetet
with kind words and loving smiles, VI
were repulsed by ridicule and sneers, and
we wondered if the proud spirit Of tn,
citizens of the United States colli
admire the instructor whose fort is ab,,ss
rnd selfpraise.
We haye never met an intelligent
student who would not justly despise
the small specimen of teacherhood who
instead of showing the right method Of
solving problem, spends his own time
and his pupils precious moments by tel.
ling them that they are deep in the
mire of ignorance and ridiculing their
former educators, and can we, who have
older heads and should have larger in
tellects than children, be enlightened OF
instructed by the low jests and sneers OF
Robert Ingersoll.
He says that he loves mirth, and it
fills his great soul with sadness to meet
long-faced, serious Christian. He ap-
proves of mirth in its own paaca, but we
like to see man render his lecture with
dignity, and not laugh repeatedly at his
own trifling jokes and the thought &C.
ours to us that our greatest men have
been serious men, and while the sheer
ing infidel and joking clown are gather
ing the floating cnaff which is borne
lightly away on the laughing, dancing
ripples, the great and serious thinker is
diving deep for the gems.
Ingersoll believes in good fellowship,
SO do we believe in good fellowship, but
We have different opinion of good fell
lowship from that which the great in
fidel expressed by telling us the worm
out and vulgar story Of the man who,
with his large heart overlooking with
love for his friend, could not persuade
him to drink, smoke, chew or even eat
hay for the sake Of good fellowship, and,
with righteous indignation, said, "You
are not good company for man or beast. +"
1.-THE great orator does not encourage
drinking, smoking, chewing, and eating
hay, as habits which, like iron bands,
draw man to man, he should illustrate
his ideas Of good fellowship and try to
entertain his audience by relating mar
rative which is newer and more dignified
and expresses pnrer sentiment than .
low tale that we have spurned since
childhood.
Surely there is a stronger and nobler
tie that unites mankind than the mere
qualification Of the appetite. But if we
think with Col. Ingersoll that these
bodies, even these souls Of ours may,
after death, spring mp into vegetables to
appease the appetites of the next gener-
alton of cannibals, if our intelligence, re-
finement, and lofty thoughts avail us
nothing in the hereafter, unless they gain
us the distinction Of being the largest
cabbage heads and pumpkins, we may as
well join with him in applauding the
hero of his story and drink, smoke,
chew, eat hay and live as free as wild
beasts if We please, for Tomorrow wedie.
Truly the wisdom of the Ford is fool
ishness to those. who proudly scern the
paths of peace, but we feel that there is
grand reality in the religion which in
duces the missionary to leave his home
and the friends who are as dear to him
as his own life. that amid poverty, suf-
fering and danger he may snatch the
helpless babe from the jaws of the croco-
die or the poor heather mother from
under the wheels of the car of Jugger-
naut and tell her with loving kindness
that salvationis free. And when after
years Of toll and patience, the faithful
missionary has wrested the land from
the night of idolatry and the morning of
Christianity has dawned in all its bright
ness and glory and has changed the once
dreary waste into the garden of our
Lord. When instead of the. piercing
shrieks Of dying children and the agon-
izing groans of mothers, the sweet song
of redemption is waited over the smiling,
peaceful land; then Col. Ingersoll and
his followers come like wolves arrayed in
the robes of friendship and say, if you
provide us with large and comfortable
hall, and pay us handsomely We win tell
you how those poor, struggling Chris
tians who have rescued you and your
children from the chains of heathen
darkness have been filling your minds
with superstition. -. -
The missionaries should have remained
at home and cultivated their own fields
and reared their own harvests in COM
fort and luxury, for the man who turns
one furrow does more good for the world
than the missionary who saves the life
of the heather and gently guides him
from the dark ravine ofignorance, which
is strewn with the bones of the victims
OF sacrifice and lined with the hideous
faces of false gods, into the broad and
beautiful valley of gospel light and glad
ness.
We scorn your poverty and wretched-
ness, and the christians who have labor
ell for you, but we will share your
wealth and comfort, if you please, for we
are jolly good fellows and love to have
good time, but we are not our brothers
keepers.
We delight in seeing the look Of an
guish replace the calm and peaceful
smile on the face ofthat suffering invalid,
whose rough path in life has been cheer
ed by the flowers Of hope, a. we tell her
that she must sink beneath the black
waves Of despair, for there is no happy
E.A...-~ ~, 1,no l,no,, <,<,r,.