Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-10-16
IrOn-clad Orthodoxy.

he held meeting III Cul'Imbla Hall 4,
sunday evening, osten,ibly for the
benefit Of the Young men, which was
we'll attended by persons of both
sexes, Of all ages and classes, rs was
undoubtedly intended and expected
10 he the case.
The Doctor has a smooth and gen
orally pleasing manner Of delivery,
and WAS listened to with courteous
attention aud apparent interest; but
like the forts Of most, if not all,
orators VITO address themselves to
the emotional rather than to the
reasoning faculties of their hearers,
ITS chief attraction must necessarily
he lost III any attempt at reproduce
ton on paper, however faithful the
report may be. The salient facts
set forth IN his discourse, as we re-
member It's thread, weIe as follows:
That lie Is man over fifty years of
age, that his father died when he
was nine, some forty yeais ago, leav-
ing his parting injunction ~ his son
To prepare to meet him in heaven;
that he was overwhelmed with grief
on the sad occasion (Which grief be
reproduced i'll dramatic manner
that We cannot describe); that be
has wife aud two sons, the elder
Of whom is twenty-seven years of
age, banker somewhere in the
West who handles millions of money;
that this son has q front chamber,
nicely fitted up, which he has placed
at the sole disposal of his father
without charge whenever he chooses
to occupy it; that said son was bap-
tised 10y his own hands, and that he
loves him so we'll that he would
rather see twelve men, with twelve
bayonets, take said son out and pin
him down with those twelve bayo-
nets on the railroad track, and
twelve more men with twelve more
bay onets. take him, the father, out
to witness the scene, and compel
him to see o train of cars two miles
long pass over his sons body, and
after the train had passed to look
upon his contortions of agony, rath-
or than to see him live to be u
drunkard. He affirmed also that On
certain occasion in Michigan, when
he had repeated this address with
slight variations, he received check
for $25 enclosed in letter from an
unknown party. who wrote that he
was not a Christian, but that be be.
lieved the Doctor had done 81 600
benefit by his advice to young men.
These facts were, of course, but
the foundation pillars, SO to speak,
Of his oratorical fabric, merely sup
ports Tor the advice and suggestions
he had to give TO the young men.
These were, in the main, highly
commendable, as he warned them
against the evils of intemperence,
gambling, profanity, dishonesty and
every species of vice. We cannot
help but think, however, that this
advice would have been more effect.
i've if it had not been accompanied
by bitter invective against Spiritual.
lists, Unitarians and infidels, which
constituted the principal fund If the
Doctors discourse; for it is q fact
generally conceded in this day and
generation that no school of theo-
logical belief will be silently permit.
ed to claim all the morality aud vir.
tues in the world as the exclusive
property OF its followers. It can
hardly be possible that there were
not present many young men, and
young women too, for that matter,
who were Spiritualists, Unitarians
aud perhaps in6dels. If any such
we've there, is it reasonable to sup
pose that they would take kindly to
the advice of q teacher who de-
nounced their peculiar form Of be-
lief us the sum of all iniquity and
the source of all evil? There is
much truth expressed in the familiar
proverb, Vinegar never catches
flies"
In this practical and busy world,
the average individual, whatever his
own theological views may be, does
not trouble himself to enquire
whether those with whom he is con
stan,ly brought into contact and as
ISOLATION in the multifarious rsIa-
items Of life, are Christians, Jews,
Pagans. Infdels, Catholics, Unitari-
ans, Spiritualists, Methodists. Pres
byterians or Baptist. His chief con-
Germ is, whether the -neighbor
he deals with gives sixteen ounces
to the pound or thirty.six inches for
q yard; whether be is honest, up
right, temperate in all respects and
entirely trustworthy; and he very
naturally supports those teachers
who iDculcate moral principles and o
virtuous life by example as we'll as
precept. But this average individu.
al is 90 constituted that he il sure to
DO antagonized whenever he is de.