The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-10

oAo OoioHeiS parUlculoi AoiAs9Ao' 'AS'7'' 49,
they are well known. In some ways, how
ever, he has been recently misrepresented.
In the libel suit recently brought by him
against DR.. Dixon the latter has charged
that Col. Inger soil was the attorney OF
the people who were seeking to pollute the
minds of the youth of the country by the
circulation through the mails OF obscene
literature. I was in Washington at the
time that Colonel Ingersoll made an ar
gument against the law in question. 1t
was special law framed for the purpose
of giving the postmaster-general extraor-
diary powers to inspect and examine mall
matters. Colonel Ingersolls objection
and argument against the law was view
which afterward prevailed, while the OBJ
ject sought to be arrived at was good.
The powers given to the postmaster-gen-
eral were such that the public would not
approve. 1t gave the postmaster-gen
nearly as much authority of censorship
over the mails as is now had In Russia.
1t was the greater object of protection the
inviolability of the mails to which the
Colonel addressed his argument. Ills
libel case against DIR. Dixon will only be
prosecuted to the point of making COM
plete record of his real position and the
proving that the doctor is in error. Pos
sibly no other point of attack would have
SO stirred him up to action. There are
few men whose private lives are SO clear
and clean and who could afford less to be
put in the light of the opposite.
The Colonel is profound student OF
Shakespeare A bust of Shakespeare al
ways occupies most important place in
his household. A copy of one of the first
editions of Shakespeare occupies as prom
inent position in his house as the Bible
in most houses. He is beautiful reader,
and his home readings of the great poet
have been so admired by critics that the
Colonel has been repeatedly invited to
give series of dramatic readings. 1t is
possible that some of his future lectures
will be upon Shakespearean subjects.
The Colonel is a great believer in 8
mans having sincere convictions. Some
time ago a would-be lecturer called upon
him for advice as to how he should sue
coed in the lecture field. The Colonel
asked him if he had anygspecial subject in
hand ,oghe visitor replied that he had
come to the Colonel for a subject The
latter replied that the only advice he
had to give to any man before going into
any field of literature or the like would
be, first, to have something to say second,
to believe what he said sincerely, and,
third, to say it in as simple manner as
possible.
The Colonel has made, perhaps, the
greatest number of admirers and the few
est enemies in his lectures upon "The
Family" His lecture on "The Liberty of
Man, Woman and Child" has had, per-
haps, the widest circulation of any of his
writings A friend of the Colonel related
an incident which is suggested by the
topic of this lecture. He said that he and
the Colonel were once walking through
the Union railway station at Pittsburg to
change train. On their way through
the station they met man and his family
coming in an opposite direction. The
man had his hands in his pockets and was
smoking comfortable cigar very much
at his ease. Behind him came his wife
carrying baby, weighed down with bum
dies, and with second child dragging at
her skirts. The man caught sight of
Colonel Ingersoll, and then darted back
and picked up one of the children and all
the bundles. His wife then turned and
stopped Colonel Ingersoll. She said:
Colonel Ingersoll, I want to thank you
for your lecture on the liberty of man,
woman and child. My husband was very
much impressed by it, and he is trying to
do his best to be thoughtful. Your
presence here in this station just sug-
gested to him this division of labor
which he has just assumed" The Colo
mel smiled and passad on. 1t was one OF
the many thousand and one incidents in
his life-the coming in contact with peo-
pie who like his humanity, his gentle dis
position and his thoughtful regard for
others. He has passionate desire for
every one to be comfortable, contented.
I have heard him say over and over again:
"Every one has right to be happy,
and he is swindled out of his rights VIII en-
he is unhappy"
l think that much of his hatred of re-
ligious forms and orthodox methods
comes from an ultra puritanical training
given him by his Vermont ancestors. He
is a natural born rebel against prescribed
methods for doing anything unless those
methods appeal to his common sense.
He is an extreme believer in equal rights,
and as freely accords the right of criticism
to the clergymen who oppose his views as
he does in return demand on his own
part the privilege of criticizing them. 1t
is one of his lines of thought that if re-
ligion is strong it cannot be weakened by
criticism.
He does not believe in the Parkhurst
system of reforming society. shall not
quote any of his language upon the sub
iect, because he is rather ayerse to critl-
Ching clergymen to the public, upon
the theory that his view of this class is
considered by many prejudiced He con-
siders, however, Parkhurst's method a
wrong one, and one that has done more to
poison the minds of the youth throughout
the country than any one thing that mas
occurred during the century. The name
of Parkhurst is associated in the minds OIL
,,,asorlr ax,o,,y ona y,,ore with what was to