The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-03
REPLY TO 10.
A Bigot of Small Calibre Ra-
tionally Answered.


ocotist cal utterances of the Re-.
Toeeph Cook, commonly called the
Roeton wind bag. Among the audi
ence were manv ladies' snd gentle
men OF prominence, and on the Plat
form wes a circle Of The leading
liberals Of Utah. Dir. w. S, Godbe
TOOK the chair, and before pre-
snntipg the speaker of the evening
made the following Introductory re
marks
ladies and Gentlemen The OBJ
ipct of our meeting this evening, as
you are aware, is TO listen TO re-
nIv to certain statements recently
male from This platform by the
Rev. Joseph Cook, the necessity for
which has been expressed by con
siderable number of intelligent cisi-
zens, who felt that, in common fair
ness, some of the utterances OF the
distinguished lecturer should not be
permitted to go unchallenge8. 1t is
true that many things said by Mr..
Cook while in the city met with
deserved and heartfelt accept
ance, but when that gentleman
departed from his scientific and
phil1sophic basis. and sctusted by
partisan spirit had the temerity to
denounce whole classes OF people
with whom he differed and 10
whom the world is in many ways
indebted; when in the hesrt or
narrow and aggressive sectarlanism
he spoke contemptu0usly OF the
s1leuan convictions OF such men IS
Paine, CHANGING, Parker and Emer
son; stigmatizing al forms OF reli'
gious belief opposed to his own as
dead Observation-Disclosures as
corIse ready for the grave and still
worse than this: then, say, it is
time for someone &c come forth IN
the cause Of justice and freedom OF
thought and protest against so illib-
eral and ungracious a proceeding !;
and that one l am pleased to present
TO YOU in tie gentleman, VINO will
now address US, Mr.. 4. L I. Harri-
son.
Mr.. Harrison then came forward
and said that as malicious attack
had been made on free thought and
its greatest representatives., he had
consented to say something On the
other side of tue question, and to
endeayor to point out some OF the
faiIacies Of Mr. Cooks position on
this question. The address o. Mr..
Cook was an attempt to prove the
divine origin Of the Chr ian re-
ligioD, aud he started out with the
quotation t'Dc you know of any ins
fdel book you would like to put
under your dying pillow ?" This
query might have the effect to daZs
the wax minded and prevent them
from going any further into the
subject; but 7 Harrison did not
believe that Il. PARTICULAR book
under map~' pill at the critical
hour could dc any good; it was the
pure heart and the conscience which
prepared the mortal ssfor his last
sleep, and enabled him 10 "wrap
the Grapery of his couch about him
as If lying down TO pleasant
dreams" Cock had stated hat the
Bible was the origin of all governs
ment. IL reply to which the speaker
called attention to the preamble of
The Constitution OF the United
States, which proclaims that, We,
the people, do ordsin," and which
shows that tie best and greatest
government ever founded on the
earth toek for its basis the vii, and
intelligence of those who were in
terested in it's establish ment and
preservation. and left entirely out
OF tbs question al the myths of the
ancle1ts, and the mummerieF OF Gi~
vine right. Fhe Constitution was
Inc product of truly rational 1nte,s
lects, which were free and untram-
meled by the dogmas OF theology.
In MS endeavor to prove that the
oogmsS of Christianity were of
diVlne origin, Mr.. Cook had said
mat II any man believes he will
lave an Inward response OF the
spiFt! 10 prove to HIM that he is on
sue l1got track. To this pretense
mF' HsfrISoa replied that any man
Whetner he believed in any religion
al on 5oI, !eit well when he did right,
ana was conscious of the aaproba-
10 ion OF his spiritual nature when he
F Tu .Iue and manly life. And this
+' unu9ne1tai eIement of human na>
.uIe mas been warped TO RELIGIONS
purposes by theologians of slG de.
hhO LUZ ! The speaker said he
a IaT nearG the whisperines of the
stll small voice when he was a
.hIotmon, and attributed j; then to
me me power of his religion, but he
LAY LAY I neaTd 1t quite as often since he
b boG le.t zoe Mormon Church. and
the 6ao coaaa II 10 be nothing more than
his duty. 'nS' lie hao done
o,, Inc sPeaser then tolk IN tbo
GGih' t;st;oes OF the dlvlns origin Of
G6rnnf,lS5.Gblasnlty which had 81 pee g
S S1oJsm up by Mr.. Cork. IT 6aG
a. os'ieF Known as saul Of T T; 8 %G.;
cows cn HIS opposition anu miracui ms
conversion; and on mis- eni @f L. Jt 10
the the Gunltcoes, ell Of which were
diV div most convincing PROOFS of the
s s19'Ilty Of the work. Mr. H r rn
digar a0oke :! st the matter In a very
ard TN otbo light, and believed PanJ
to 6a Vyn6 6a, OF the so-called apostles
AdFS DSoQ nOtbiYc, POS'AS0