Telegram-herald., 1888-03-21
IHGERSOLLANSWEnED
LEcTuRe sY GsN- eEo- =. saeRlOsN
e<ieFs fhs xsass 8sa's csEissi.a sssssis-
tksa al n4rsaz2a's 6.I8 Las Ess-iaS-
fhs eEs4x Iafiasl ssskhlasly.
Hebak~d

zst sysaiaz composed Of the best peopls
6easral 6sosgs Sheridan VIA rspt attention
and siEn varied emotions II nsFFiment and
sympathy that manifested themselves
frsqasnuy IN laaghtes snd applause.
President BotsfoEd in Introducing the
speaker said there sss warfare snd war
fares. Sherid21s sad sheridans. snd while
ss associate the name OF General Shsri-
daa with that Of litlls Pail znd the war for
the Uaion- here was General George. who
vas carrying on ss hoy = var IN a much
more pleasing way.
The General subject vas "IHgersOllism,
and be said THAI walie Robert @. Irgersoll.
vas not zphilOsophsr. or thin ker, nor even
rsasonsT he vas q most charming speaker.
De vas a good husband and fathsss kind
AID charitable. and Was said 10 De well
versed in lsE. A wonderful writer. he
never fails 70 slsass With every subject be
handles except one, and that IS the Chris
tan religion- No man ever handled 9
theme with 50 little learning and so much
eoneeit- Profoundly ignorant OF his sao-
ieet be thinks his audience just as ignorant
a. he. Because few men have opposed
him hs poses a. q gladiator Ia held
where oons dare oppose him. One would
think he would invite discussion face TO face
With the defenders of the iaith, but the
nrst time he was ever confronted oy
really able man be dew the field inglori-
0usly. This was Judge Black, who gave
him some scathing blows in an article IN
reply 10 one OF Ingersolls letters IN the
North american Rrrse1. Judge Blacks
article did not appear ia print ont three
months after 40 pages OF the vilest OF
| libels. to which Judge Black refused To
reply as DO knew the Rsrteig Was alto
| gether in IDgersoiis interest. Colonel
/ Ingersoll has denied that he had anything
to do with the suppression OF the article.
| but Judge Back Is no. dead and bss
word has as much weight as that of his
pagan opponent. Farther Lambert,
Of Waterloo, \. Y, issued a firm
and defiant challenge, who said that Inger-
soil. as q metaphysieian. was beneath his
contempt, a charlatan aud Al egotist. de
would not reply, fret because he could not.
second, because be didn't want 10. Why.
then, did not some Of his friends and ad-
mirers reply No, not q note responded.
One Of the most difficult things in this
| world for a soldier IS TO blow bugle blast
when DC Is on the keen run.
People do not generally decline to cross
swords with their opponents IN either po-
| litical or religions warfare, and il this pagan
gentleman is really anxious for the truth
let him face those who know they have the
truth. he is not an intellectual coward,
hut in morality and religion the speaker
did not know which to admire the most.
/ his readiness in attacking an opponent
when dead or far away, or his CELEBRITY in
| getting out Of the way when an opponent
appears.
| II don. { suppose" said the General. that
| Ingersoil will take any notice of what say
he will set me down as nobody, but pro-
| pose 10 have my day in court and call this
pagan gentleman 20 an account for his en-
desvors 10 destroy the blessed hopes of mil
/ lions of people without giving them any
thing in retarn. / believe be should be re-
buked not only by the church bat by every
man and woman ic this Christian land in
the name of the Holy Nszarene."
| lngerson has the insolvent land illogical
| habit OF making propositions of his own
and then establishing them as facts and
proving them by illustrations of his own
Imagination. he says Christians teach that
all the great and good are dead; that sighs
and Rroans are alone pleasing to God: that
men are totally depraved; that we must all
bear q cross that we may wear palm. If
! there are some who believe these thing.
! what's TO hinder them, Who else saws SOP
! Nobody. Who insists upon Ingersoll carry
| ing cross that he may De some time loaded
| down with pslms2 Nobody. He tells US
with tears IN his eyes that he wants to do
everything to make this country truly free.
We say amen to that. but when did be find
out that this conntry was not truly
free. His free thought free speech
or tree press has never been
shscklsd- II the country is not free some
thing must have occurred since bis celten-
! nisl speech at Philadelphia. when he said
this coGntry was all tree. free IS air, free as
thought. Something mast have happened.
tie knew Of nothing except the success of
the Democratic party and even with that
which did not tickle him bit. he failed to
see wherein the Colonel was abridged Of
bis freedom. He had right 70 hold any
Office from President down-mostly down
provided always be could be elected. and
have his votes counted. He has perfect re-
ligious freedom. he can worship the sun,
the water, the moon block of wood,
or even himself-which he does
principally. There is one thing only that
be may be restricted in and that is giving
evidence in . court Of justice and il is fitting
We should guard against the dire conse-
quences Of perjury by excluding all who do
take q solemn oath. But he teaches .
docsrins OF living. lie says, "It viii help q
child 10 De able 20 throw up breast work
of hes against q pueFite parent" IL is 3
provision that the restriction OF q belief in
God should be thrown around those who
srs 70 give evidence against a nsig Dor.
None OF the gallant band OF Pilgrim
fathers stretched forth their hands TO the
air aud said thanks TO natural causes.
/ -. - q.
They barred their heads snd raised their
hands to heaven and thanked their God.
Their. was no atheist. no infidel among
them. but sll cried TO God. ''Our trust is in
Thee" Every enc Of tho ggners OF the
! Declaration Of Independence, which
! Tnge-son ssysts The scriptins Of freedom
but that scknoxlsdgsd ara worshipped God
What Is true Of the Pilgrim fathers
il true of all The colonists. All the pioneers
we're people WHO worshipped God. -Four
million sausrs mics Of tarritOry and this
pagan cannot put hls inEer on one squsrs
/ foot thst vas net peopied by d-fesring
snd God od-prsising people. Christians Dis
covered occupied. decsred the independ-
suce. founded the govern meat peopiei
and educated this country. sud thsir
| memory and their v0rEs viii i've long
after t6@ memory Of ali such as Ingsrso
are buried Il, anhouored graves.
lngsrsoll bss ali be wsats without
| future. enough 70 eat and wear, houss
70 i've IN. a horse 70 d1vs. and De car
save money enough By lectuFinS on
what be Knows nothing soo1t--sn IN
limited field b1t be SAYS he must knox
and comprehend everything While hers
Vel 1T ban set his compreheuder % sors
| TIL IL runs down OF 5asss
There vas q sick man whose phvsiciar
toid aim he must drink quart Of chsm
/ pe91s al e. oncr OF ks co1ia1t I've
~Then- ssT- he. Doctor. I must die
Way .sked The doctor. Way. + 90 =
bold plat The spesxsr sad hs wssn