The Labor enquirer., 1884-01-26

8 - &. - :s'7'
mture As it i, the article y imply an
stt.ck upcn tho chsrscser. pubic and
private, of . gentleman whose good.
citizenship and brotherly life i sboves
reprosch.
The Republican knows it vilfnlly
misrepresents Mr.. IngersoIl when it asks
sWhy, then, does he believe himself
called to dispute the word Of God :"
This Foolish sentence is an answer to
Ingersoll's denunciation Of the assertion
that the preachers are "called, !" which is
characteristic of the Republicans usual
arguments.
'Ingersoll is to Godliness what Dennis
Kearney is to honest labor" says our
in6del-smasher. Now, is it Ignorance
concerning Ingersoll or Kearney that
makes the youth indulge in so happy .
parallelism Or is he trying to catch
some honest laborer by coupling the
name OF a traitor to. their cause with.
thar Of one who declares himself their
friend in opposition to the class with
which, by virtue of his great intellect,
he mingles. Kearney pretends to be the
friend of labor and betrays it at every
opportunity while Ingersoll does not
believe IN orthodox Godliness and asks
no odds of anybody in the position he
has taken. Can you see the similarity
in the two men
The Republican saws only, the vulgar
and weak are entertained by Ingeron.
That is pretty hard on the intelligent
and refined audience which listened to
the lecture last Sunday evening, md it
ought to be resented. There weren't but
four or five people left the house before
the address closed, and two of those
occupy pulpits in the city-it got too
warm for them But, that's the way
with such cattle as the Republican,
they can't make you believe they are
Immaculate, they call you bad names.
The article also misrepresents Colonel
IngersolPs words on the inspiration of
the Bible, though it even then fails to
make point. He said, in substance, if
the Bible was good and truthful book,
it needed no Inspiration, and that if it
was not, inspiration couldn't make it
right. He thinks the same about all
books.
. The Republican goes on to say that if
Ingersoll knows anything about human
nature, he knows that believers disagree
as to ways and means. He certainly
knows this, for the thing that seems to
displease him most is that each branch
of religionists have declared that only
they were to be saved. They have mod
Grated that some of late years; but l
suppose Ingersoll thinks that if modern
religionists have Alright to improve their
creeds to suit the advanced ideas of the
people, he has the same privilege with
the old-timers. And why shouldn't he ?
Again, the critic says IngersoH freely
takes the liberty of sending people to
He'll. The truth is he simply mentions
a few of the great and noble menrand
women who are in perdition if the or
thodox theology is true. And his list is
correct. Why don't the Republican
point out the imperfections in it, if they
are 80 palpable,2
The nail is driven home by the very
startling announcement that the ideas
advanced by Ingersoll have been given
to the world millions Of times, and
I conclude that it took more than a
few people to do it, which is pretty good
proof that Bob isn't alone in his theory,
and must be anything but a pleasant re-
Election for the other side, who see them
selves utterly helpless to save the world,
notwithstanding the positive knowledge
they have on the subject. .
The reasons why "the masses do not
agree with Ingersoll," are several. the
principal one being the same one that
deprives them of their rights as pro-
ducers-they are the blind slaves of
church and state. Mind, I do not say
they would go so far as Ingerson if they
had their freedom and the opportunity
to study, but do say they would soon
learn the wickedness of the "divine
right of kings" the servants, obey your
masters" and the suffer-on-earth-be-re-
warded-in-Heaven teachings of the
churchman at certain stages and in eer-
tain localities. 81.
Mr.. Ingersoll is humanitarian and a
believer in the rights of the producer,
and as such he is entitled to every hon.
est mans respect. He believes a mans
empty stomach and naked back should
be cared for first; and then he can take
care of his own soul. This may not be
orthodox theology, but it. is first-class
humanity. 4
The Republican may mean well in its
weak attack on Ingersoll, but it lacks
the brains to handle the man who has
foored several giants in his day-super-
stition for instance.