The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-03-27
A JOURNALS ANSWERS NIGER
.r SOIL
kle's'- Lecture, "SkyIarIss aud
Daises.'

New YORK, March 9.-The latest and
possibly the best antagonist whom Mr..
Robert Ingersoll will have to meet in
the future promises to be Mr.. A. C.
Wheeler, a New York journalist, who,
as dramatic critic. and feuilletonist
has long been known under the
name "Nym Crinkle." In a lecture
which he recently delivered, entitled
"Skylarks and Dalses," he replied to
Mr.. Ingersoll's Myths and Miracles. u
He commenced his lecture by stating
his reasons for it. He said he
spoke not as one charged to defend
OF the world, man of the Nine
tenth century. depending on the foun-
dation of the civilization in which he
was prolectrd in life and in property,
educated and freed. He did not ques-
ton the sincerity of Mr.. Ingersoll. He
simply doubted that gentleman's omni-
science. He simply believed that that
gentleman faith in himself and his
own errors was sufficient to remove
mountains. He quoted from the in
fidel's lecture on Myths and Miracles
as follows:
IAN these old fellow were sun gods.
There was Samson. He was a sun god.
When his HAIR was cut off he lost his
beams OF light. There was Apollo, an
other sun god He shot the demon of
darkness with his rays of light. There
was little Red Riding Hood and
there was Christ. another sun god.
1t won't do. They say he raist d
people from the dead. Well. why
didn't he raise somebody we knew? If
you was to go around trying 10 start a
religion by raising people from the
dead, you would raise somebody of
some Importance, wouldn't your Why
didn't he tell us something of import
ance? Wouldn't you? Why didn't he
tell US somei hing about slavery when
he was on the CROSSE Why didn't he
utter those in-pired words, Liberty,
equality and fraternityY l tell you 1t
won I do"
Mr.. Wheeler simply burlesqued this
TO show ills shaIlowness. He said that
in another year, If agnosticism succeed
ed in getting up class of pupils, this
style would undoubtedly be adopted
with effect by the infidel teacher. He
could then say: There was the Goddess
vi clC as u sun SOQ 0lC SlAOO
the demon of bondage with her shaft
and men woIshiped her. There was a
Hail Columbia and Uncle Sam, another
sun god.
There was the man who strucF Billy
Patterson, and there was George Wash
ington, another sun god. They said he
was the father of free country. Well,
why didn't he abolish slavery, II he
was? If you were going round trying
to start free country, you wouldn't
own slaves would you? Why didn't he
tell US, in his farewell address about
Mormonism and rapid transit? Why
didn't he utter those inspired words.
BE sure you are right, then go ahead ~
The effect of this satire of NJ. Inger-
soils method of mixing up historical
and mythical personages was, TO say
the least. hilarious. He poured all his
sarcasm upon Mr.. Ingersolfs state
ment, made in one of his lectures, that
he could write better book than the
Bible. himself. If" 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 two completely
overwhelmed with what he thinks of
himself" Mr.. Wheeler's closing tribute
to the spirit of Christianity was worthy
of the best pulpit. 1t was fervid, pic
torial, eloquent. He told what news
paper man in the great metropolis, who
had spent the greater part of his life in
active journalism. knew about it. He
spoke with earnest reverence of that
master whose mission opened with a
benediction of peace and closed with a
prayer for his own murderers. and
then said:
During twenty odd years Of event.
tul toll in the great city, n'N-r found
a depth of misery so deep, 3 I~.vHrty so
rank, crime so atrocious. "a -. ,'sir so
black, that some humble Ivn-rtr OF