The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-24

t0Iced lDto the discussion. ~ nat mas 0een
the belief Of man kind as to 11ese questions
and what mental and moral forces exist ii
relation 10 them, must be co3sidered as the
prime factors. The ouesionts, what is the
condition, social or indIyid3ai, now exist
ing?
Ny answer Is, ''The habits11f thought aud
mental condition that grow srom sense OF
hopeessnsss." Not the hopalessness itself,
but the absence Of hope and1hs mental con.
ditions that must follow, brt9aght about by
the teachings OF such men assR0bert g. Iu-
geIsoll. Not Ipgersoll alonetbut men like
him. Not intellectual men kbut al classes
who use his methods, Not Ill teachers on
free-tbought but men like hkm. who scuttle
3 ship in mid-ccean filed With passengers.
Men who destroy the only Compass the sailor
can read; the charts Of chsn3els he has fol-
lowed and relied on; the ToTks and puIleys
he has learned to handle and make good use
OF; and leave none in their Iflaces the sailor
can comprehend or practically use. Then,
tell him he must take the chances amid the
storms Il at will come, and tie lee shores and
| s5~ebers mat sre On every lind. The men
| vbcfe methods treat children IS if they were
| adults; treat all men as il Jley were able to
| sec i IN the same point Of few they occupy
| themselves. Hopelessness Rsslf may not in
| 0uce ons to commit nurde3 or suicide but
| il leaves the mind barren CT restraint. There
| is no feeling to prevent mulkisr of those we
| would remove and then Of ourselves. No
| Iesson why beth may not sbe safely COM
mitted. Tbs opinions andtDeiiefs of these
men ere not under discussion. Whether
| they be the most rational e not, by any
STANDARD, has DO place in il My postulate
| raises the question: "Rayf the teachings of
| such men, with their metl 0ds-taking the
| world Of men and women 81 pupils Just as
| they were when they becax4e pupils taking
| the eocial, moral and mel tai conditions,
| taking the current thought3snd belisfs just
| as they existed-bave they 4sd to and pro.
| duceG another C ndition off thought, belief
| or unbelief, that profagates family
murders and suicide by fthe murderer
| The immediate cause of thu murder Or sui
eide may be one thing; t5lt the mortality
| following, growing out Oh produced by.
| hopelessness as to hereafter, disbsliet IN
| any other or better life, Oilers NO barrier;
rather, encourages the act
| 1t is a question in menfll science. It is
| not question of orthodox Tor heterodox be-
| liefs of theology or nihilisfl. In scussing
| it We must take facts andsconditions as we
| find them. No matter how lhey came or what
| they are. We must consider and deal with
| LheAI as they are. Let thu Sentinel anu IFS
| correspond investigate Iit. Throughout
| ChIistsndona en- had beeJ taught to believe
in Supreme eng, who Eould reward the
good and give justice 70 tht bad in a future
life; and that by 8 pracsfe Of tnst which
| benefited these around usswa could ensure
| happy future existence. I The hops of this
| future happy lie and the fear Of this justice
were the inducements to teserv vance of the
| moral rules from tine to Eme gro wing up,
| and TO avoidance OF thst Which was regarded
| as evil. The character OF his Being and of
these rules of right ard wing we're modified
as the perceptions OF mel changed. This
was the condition.
| At times, there would fpresr men who
said We did OF know, VIZ could not prove
that this is true The result Of their teach
| iT z led men to first doubt1 then disbelieye
thsn rejtc ct this belief aud discard all hops
for another life, all fear ff future Justice.
And for time their influence would be
widespread. and while it lasted suicide was
common. What they called Reason" was
invoked as the only guide Ny position is,
| that there can be no ixed3 standard of rea-
ION nor fixed one Of riglE or wrong; and
that both depend on the bowers OF percsp.
ton and the knowledge 81 the individual
each for himself; willis h3pe and tear-hose
for better life hereafter, tnd fear that there
will be an evening up, Snd dealing out OF
| justice hereafter, can be b fixed standard,
entirely consistent with nature and all there
is Of reason.
Let me illustrate one ptint, and apply it
to Voltaire, or Taylor, orI IngsrsOlI, or any
| other of that class. Take te clsssmate. The
inetapces are common. sdr. Ingersol had
q mentality and Surroundings that gave him
| quick perceptions in dsrtain directions,
great power in language, fixed conclusions
| and positive action on What he saw, heard
or Rad. With or withoui profundity and
| caution, but with plausiitility he is found
| prschcing Law with success in the civil
| cortts, and lecturiDg in 6enuncigtion of the
| Bible and the God there written about. aud
| ridiculing the sincere be fef of millions OF
people more upright thanshe is.
His clsssmste attended sthe same schools,
| went through the came course of studies in
the same time and graduated in the same
class perhaps; and his nsentslity aud sur.
roundir So aleo gave him ,quick perceptions
in certain directions, Great force IN Ian
guage. fixed conclusions ind positive action
On what be learned AMI he tried the law;
| bu. being physically and mentally different
from MIR. Ingersoll IN rome respects, with
| different surroundings Ga birth TO man.
hood, he is now found psecticing theology,
in the church, preachiDg the gospel from
this same Bible, believing much OF it to be
Divine revelation, is waiting for its mystic
ries to be revealed, finds lin It's teachings as
| he construes them consolation in grief and
hope for an eternal life: $nd By his standard
Mr.. IngenolPs conclusions are the peryer-
sion of reason. Who shall or can create
standard OF reason 70 measure them both
and bring them both to Sot by the one? Or.
| If you can bring this maa TO utter disbelief
| in all that is sacred 10 him now, and destroy
| all hope, and leaYe him anere animal exist
ence, vha. moral ideas Wall fill the soul Gov
teeming with hope OF futglrs life and desire
fer an upright one here?. And, If great bur-
thens fall on him ana THOSE ne lo7es which,
| if either, raises barriers 10 or which pro np.s
| TO, murder OF them and HIMSELF
Again: Mr.. Ingersoll with many others
| gentlemen and ladies OF superior natural aod
acquired abilities, surrounded and supported
| personally by ABUNDANT worldly comforts.
| freed from superstition, with "Rssson'(?l
enth7oned as their only guide-orssniz id q
society known SIS tine Liberal League" a I'D
| entered the charmed world OF intellectual
freedom. Mr Ingersoll was vice president
| At the second meeting Reason" was power-
less in every effort to bring the members TO
| see alike or to any satisfactory conclusions
| and Mr.. Ingersoll with others, perhaps,) ex-
pressed his views of the ms jority in language
more emphatic than classical and Withdrew;