Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-13

In gersOH Answered In His Own Vein
From the Springfield Republican
A. G. Wheeler, q New York newspaper man
somewhat Familiarity known as "Nym Crinkle,'
has undertaken novel enterprise, namely, to
demolish the influence Of Col. Bob Ingersoll by
his own weapons, after the sage advice OF Solo
mon as to the right method of dealing with q
fool. He wrote a critiQue on one of Ingersoll's
lectures in New York, some weeks ago, which
was so clever in its reduction of the big inf1del
70 r1dlcuie that it attracted general attention.
This critique he has been encouraged to work
up into lecture reviewing Ingersolps deliver
ance on myths and Miracles He calls his
Wards fashion. and it was. as iirst SPOKEN in
Providence. Sunday night, an effective answer,
with sufficient serious expressions Of faith in
ground for the play of merciless sarcasm which
was the matter Of his attack. He did not ques-
ton the sincerity ; Of M 1ngers9il he simply
said, "believes that to say that the existence of
God cannot be proved lifts a man far above a
theological G opponent AS matter of fact it
reply that the non-existence OF God cannot be
proved; Then they are both on the same plane
does not like the plane" He would regret to
create the impression that Mr.. Ingersoll did not
believe what he said; he did not wish to suggest
that Mr.. Ingersoll was incorrect And as he
exposed one after another the errors and
assumptions of Ingersoll, Mr.. Wheeler did not
cere'' in each case He quoted from Ingersolrs
"Myths and Miracles" as follows:
s. All these old fellows were sun gods There was
s Ss lost HE WAS sun god When his hair cut
other sun god He shot the demon of darkness with
his rays of light There Little Red Riding Hood
and there was Christ, another sun god 1t won't DO
They say he raised people from the dead well, why
didn't he raise somebody we knew? Ifyou was to 20
hr9nn sh tfyng to start od religion b raising
portance. wouldn't you? why ddn't he tell us some
thing about slavery when he was on the cross? Why
and faternty?" tell you it won't do
Mr.. Wheeler disposed Of this shallow talk by
adding the goddess of liberty, Hail Columbia,
and George Washington to the list of sun gods
In future agnostic catechim, in this fashion,
There was George Washington another sun god
why didn't he abolish slavery he was? IF Won were
would yous Why e AUNT he y se
transit? Why didn't he utter those inspired words
BE sure you are right. then go ahead?"
This is quite the surest wayto expose such shall
low stuff. But the healthiest part of the review
was where the speaker riddled Ingersoll's senti-
mentalism about making life sWeetly happy
All his pictures OF what he calls a rational life.
Mr.. Wheeler pointed out, involve the errors
mat pleasure is the purpose and end Of exist
ence and that sensualism is spiritual. His ideal
ofiife is a worn-out epicureanism his praise of
"dlmP!ed darlings" is "a tootsy-wooisy argu-
to be on the level of a petty Jury When Mr..
Wheeler came to IngersOlls fatal assertion that
he could write better book than the Bible him
self, ne ADVISED timid Christians who had heard
statement out in letters OF gold on seven-sheet
posters when Mr.. 1ngersoIl came to their town
III" said he, you can only get that sentence
into the heads Of the people they will never
bother much with what Mr. Ingersoll thinks of
the Bible. They will be too completely over
Wheimed with what he thinks of himself"