Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-03-18

be s2oks not as one
,.x<,,,, - charged to defend
.'--2~ - the eyangel, but as
. man of the world, q man Of the Nineteenth
century, depending on the foundation Of the
civilization in which he was protected in life
and IN property, educated and freed. BE did
not question the sincerity Of Mr.. Ingersou.
He simply doubted that gentleman's omnf
science. He simply believed that that gentle
mans faith In himself and his own errors was
sufficient to remove mountains. He quoted
from the inhdels lecture ON myths and
Miracles as follows:
IAN these old fellows were sun gods. There
was Samson. BE was sun god When his
hair was cut of he lost his beams Of light.
There was Apollo, another 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 IL WON'T do. They say he raised
people from the dead. Well, why didn't be
raise somebody we mewa II you was to go
around trying to start religion by raising
people from the dead, you would raise some
body OF some Importance, wouldn't youi
Why didn't be tell US something OF import
ancsa Would't youl Why didn't he tell uB
something about slavery when be was on the
crossa Why didn't be utter those inspired
words, Liberty, equality and fraternityg
tell you Il won't do y
Mr.. Wheeler simply burlesqued this to
show its shallowness Hesaid that in another
year, il agnosticism succeeded in getting up
class Of pupils, this style would undoubtedly
kbe adopted with effect by the infdel teacher.
He could then say: There was the Goddess
Of Liberty she was o sun god. She shot the
demon Of bondage with her shaft and men
worshipped her. There was q Hail Columbia
and Uncle Sam, another sun god
There was the man who struck Billy Patter-
son, and there was George Washington, an
lother sun god. They said he was the father
Of free country. Well, why didn't heahol-
ish slavery, il be vast If you were going
round trying to start free country, YOU
wouldn't OWN slaves, would youa Why didn't
be tell us, IN bis farewell address, about Nor
monism and rapid transits Why didn't he
utter those inspired words, Be sure you are
right, then go ahead"a VI
The effect Of this satire Of Mr. Ingersoll's
method Of mixing up historical and myth
ical personages was, to say the least, hilari-
GUS He poured all his sarcasm upon Mr..
| mgersoll's statement, made in one of his lee
cures, that he could write better book than
the Bible himself. ssIf, y said he, ssyou can,
only get that sentence into the heads Of the
people they will never bother much with
what Mr. Ingersol thinks Of the Bible. They
will be too completely overwhelmed with
what he thinks OF himself Mr.. Wheeleris
,losing tribute to the spirit OF Christianity
was worthy OF the best pulpit. 1t was fervid,
pictorial, eloquent He told what a news
paper man in the great metropolis, who had
spentsthe greater part of his life in active
Journalism, knew about it. He spoke with
earnest reverence Of that Master whose
omission opened with benediction of peace
and closed with q prayer for his own muir
derers and then said:
During twenty odd years Of eventful toll
In the great city never found q depth Of
misery 50 deep, poverty 50 rank, q crime so
/ atrocious, adespair SO black, that some humble
follower OF that Master did not find it ont.
/ into all the holes and corners Of wretchedness
where vice and poverty, like twin wolves, had
hunted down their prey, the policeman and
The reporter always found the hooded sister
Or the missionary ahead Of them They were
the first to come. They were the last to 90.
They stayed and put up their supplication
when allelseo Of earth had forsaken the wretch.
They followed him to the prison cell, and they
sto0d beside him on the gallows, and they
laaver forgot in all the obloquy Of sin and
lie cry Of human vengeance the eternal
brotherhood of man. And they wanted no
Ivay, and they got no praise. They were
1 ioing that Masters work. True, ii was 1900
years aro when He called them and bid Them