Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-03-27
Sorne Other Thoughts.

move ne6Q- W nat was III INST only tluJ u1mcs
threatens to result in confagration.
Sine, J. P. has SO valiently thrown himself into
he beach it opens the controversy (if the word is
to those who may wish to enter. In
Iced, the mantle Of one Of the principals has de-
,cended to the shoulders Of j. p, and while We
may hesitate to credit the present wearer with
The discretion that characterized the former, We
cannot doubt his valor. J. P. seems to occupy
The position Of diminutive Boswell, thus far,
with possibly less discretion, but more combat
veness. His charging Anxious with being an
Agnostic, is sufficient evidence Of self-compla-
cent mind. Ind, ed after a pcrusal Of j. P.'s dis
sertations one is surprised that a mind 60 en-
tirely satisfied with itself, could ever acknowl-
edge or feel the need Of Deity. j. p. labor
iously fixes his wooden men in shape and then
proceeds to knock them down, to the infinite sat
isfaction Of his own mind. Having assumed that
Anxious is an Agnostic, j. r attempts TO justify
the premature conclusion. by forcing an argu-
ment tending Ia commit Anxious against religion.
What was merely technicality between Rev.
Wright and Anxious, has been construed by j. T.
as vital point. Hence the charge OF agnoeticism.
Another explanation is plausible. J. T. may be
gifted with a somewhat fanatica'
mind, which cannot tolerate even friendly
criticism of his spiritual advisor. ald immediate
ly consigns any one guilty Of the crime, to the
category Of Agnostics. We would warn j. p.
from the first possible explanation, as premature
conclusions are some times unpleasant. Pos
sibly j. p can recall to mind, in his swn expert
ence, case where the result. has proved 60. In
wandering through this cherries vale, one can
not tell at whose fire We may wish to warm our
cold and acheing feet, and SO let us ase discre-
ton in arriving at conclusions. j. p lie solicitious
regarding a foundation for Anxious, which in
iucnces US in believing that the former explana-
ton is the more probable.
j. P. says: ITO establish, or demOnstrate fact,
or line of facts. to the perfect and overwhelming
satisfaction Of dozen, hundrea. or thousand
good and thoroughly competed y people, fs use
less, for these ere loftiIy br4sA.d aide by the
Asrostic with denial; and reason, authority
and logical argument are In vain"
This savors somewhat of hisntory. The trouble
with j. P. is he presumes to e,state to the Agnos-
tic, the effect his argume nc shall have upon the
unbc,ieving mind. What might be convincing
proof to J. p, would be the opposite with the
Agnostic. Indeed what is logical argument with
]. P. is not 50 with the Agnostic else there would
be no unbelievers. j. P. drops into the same old
rut through which all the argumentative vehicles
Of the true believers have passed. Because. he
is born with the regulation grain of faith, he can
not conceive why the usual arguments are not
logical with the AgnOstic. j. P. complacently
asserts that Anxious has offered no logical argu-
ment. AS matter Of fact the burden Of public
OpiI ion gives the laurels to Anxious in the con-
troversy. and the assertion seems little para
doxical when We remember that j. P. has con-
sumed many columns Of space in answering the
illogical ~ argument.
The brief, concise manner in which ]. P. dis
poses Of four Of the most noted writers Of this
and preceding centuries is surprise as well as q
revelation. In three lines Tom Paine, Renan,
Hume and Darwin are consigned 10 oblivian. We
are little overawed by mind which can shatter
idols in such short space. But this illogical argu-
ment' that is born in the complacent mind Of j.
p. has reached this satisfactory conclusion and
the poor Agnostic must believe it-must throttle
his rebellious reason. True some OF the greatest
minds claiming allegiance to the Christian faith
have thought the works OF these men worth crap
ping WITH fearing the result il they were ignored,
but as j. p. has disposed Of all of them in three
lines, we are led to believe that THEIR efforts
were unnecessary and supcriuous. j. p betrays
lamentable provincialism in asserting that Paines
works are obsolete. Any well selected library
contains copies. Remains works are not nearly
so obscene as portions Of the Bible. We are
loath to believe j. P's ass rtions regarding OAR
win, SO long as he numbers among his followers
some Of the most scholarly and philosophical
minds Of the age. Ingersoll is honored with .
paragraph in order that his annihilation may be
the more complete. While Gladstone. Cardinal
Gibbons, in fact a majority of the greasest minds
Of the age have considered Pope Bob foeman
worthy Of their steel, J. P. through his illogical
argument demonstrates beyond peradventure.
that lngersoll really amounts to very little. Has
ii never occurred to P. that, il ingersoils lee
lures and works contain NO wheat, religion also
contains only small quantity, II these same
writings require such extended answers from the
true believers.
Let us compare I'VE are aware that comparisons
are sometimes odious) two OF J. P.'s sentences in
order to demons the CONSISTENCY Of mis- clog
icsi argument" Here Is the frsi; Tom Piine's
Arguments are .oso.ete, Renan's obscene, Hame's
absurd and exploded, Darwin's .elf-conyincing. :"
together by almost any one. II they are sensible.
true, logical, they say something End lead from
something to something We Submit that the
f-st sentence veriies the wisdom OF the last.
The first assertion likewise ver.es that J. p. un-
consciously (perhaps) believes thsl every mind
is kingdom, every brain a sovereign Possibly
we ma, differ from J. P. regarding he nearing
of the sentence We apprehe'Id that it means
VERY mind is allowed freedom o; Thought snd 10
not bound to accept conclusions, unless consist
ent with the reasonings OF thar mind The sb-
surdity Of claiming that each mind Is sovereign
over all other minds fo,i.j not birth in the mind
Of Ingers, IL but in J. Pc In precisely the same
manner J. P. has fitted his construction Of Ami
Gus eaying that mo one knows what the Truth Of
an lndeterminabie matter may be-" 80 that IL win
dovetail with what is intended - . sarcastic and
witty reply. II one lie giyess philosophical o.
ecientifc question To study and sitter examining
all authorities available, concludes that II 10 H.
determinable, ~ . matter Of fact he Nuef con-
clude that no one else knows, else he would con
clude that the matter - deferminabse.
From reading the various contributions, We are
lead to believe that J. p has Understood The
articles signed by Anxious, IN yet he statsment.
wer- 50 plain to b. axiou atic. J. p has rushed
In where angelo would fear 70 tread and that til
result has been disastrous. thoee whs have
perused the vszicus contributions, will .testify
Amicus - explained for J. P.'s beneAt wha9
shee11 haoe lqep cQmprri saosd oy rcteol beg
so60 oas1y 5astntes H. n: ssSjng rnaRc ~
S(t1tra dgvAow in ~ -. HI.