Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1889-10-05
CORRESPONDENCE
For the Independent.
Small Shot for Small Game, at Short
Range.
Continued from Sept. 21.l


And Mr.. Ingersol says, does he,
that every thought is a necessary
product over which we have no con-
troll" What can it be else if man
has not been created, but sprung from
some inferior animalf He is only
an animal, we suppose, having origi-
mated with animals. Several distinct
things of the animal world perform
acts that are essential to their exist
ence and to perpetuate their species.
Such as the bee, it builds the honey
comb after mathematical precision,
and fills it with honey for winter use,
and when the queen bee dies, the
hive of bees creates another. Most
of the birds build their own nests,
lay, set and hatch, and take care of
their young. OF their thoughts we
know but little. Their actions, guild
ed by instinct or whatnot, are neces-
sary to their existence, increase and
continuance, and over their actions
whether preceded by by thoughts or
not-they have no control. They
are necessitated to straight course,
and from it they do not vary Meth.
er do they improve upon the produc-
lions of their progenitors, and man
is like such as he? He has no con-
troll OF his thoughts, has he and
then he cannot be responsible for his
actions, can he? If he kills any
body, he cannot help it, or could not
If he is midnight burglar, and steals
our silver and gold, burns our house
or barn and grain and cattle, he has
no control over his actions, for they
are but thoughts made visible. What
ever any one determines to do, good
or bad, he must do (?). His deter
sminations are only "thoughts over
which he has no control )" and as for
good and bad, how can they be eth
er the one or the other? That is
morally so, if he is not responsible.
oh, we are not bothered about that.
We are accustomed to look upon the
time piece, clock or watch, and think
it to he the result of thought. On
the locomotive, railroad track, cars,
speed of travel, bridges across rivers,
&c; on the telegraph wires, poles,
electric batteries, &c; telegraphy,
&c, as the result of thought, under
control, can it be that we are mista-
ken How is it then, when send a
dispatch to Cumberland, it does not
90 to Winchester Did not the dis
patcher's thought control it in the
right direction /? When / purchase
a ticket for Cumberland, and intend
to go and am ready, am I, after all,
necessitated to go to Baltimore ?
The thinker says will spend two
hours per day to write on the science
of medicine, and two hours on the
science of law, one hour on travel,
one-half hour on astronomy and five
minutes in my diary, and carries out
his purpose to the letter; does he
have control over his own thoughts ?
Read his papers-is his paper on
medicine mixed up with jurispru-
dence, and scenery of mountain and
valley, lakes and seas, and planets
and systems, and stardust, and pedi-
gree, heartaches and joys, and court
ships and marriage, &c ? Is it mix
ed up in that way? No. Why not ?
His thoughts were under his control;
he has written according to q declar
ed ana set purpose, that he might
have altered at any moment. He has
written as one responsible for his
thoughts, and their issues. Are these
not intallible proofs, and many Of
them, that sane men and women are
thinking and doing after the same
order on different lines al about us
continually, and that they have con
troll OF oheir thoughts.
Are we all mistaken Is r. G..
Ingersol a safe guide ? Would our
homes, wife and children, and our
rest be as safe and comfortable if we
teach men that they have no control
over their thoughts and are not re-
sponsible? And yeti it be true, we
ought not to fear to teach it. Truth
is what we need Certainly the evil
dence accumulates, X. G. Ingersol is
either non-compos or is very wick
ed, according to established views Of
morals, for propagating, or trying to,
such dangerous doctrines, whose le-
ultimate outcome is murder on the
individual and anarchy in the gov
eminent Are there intelligent men
in Martinsburg following the celehra-
ted fool, /" and win they continued
And Mr. Ingersol says that "The
church teaches it is wrong TO Think
does he? How broad and sweeping
hic accnrtiopa II ba hid caid a nor