The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-07
ROBERT G. INGERSOLL
Coa.iaued from Pane .

Continued from Page o.
development and employment of sh;lIad
orains: In speaking of the field of politics
an9 OF politicians, he said: Popularity
anu craftsmanship in politics consists in
having good sized swill trough. The
longer the trough and the more swilI. the
greater the statesman. His popularity
ueases ana ms statesmanship disappears
trough would be a most annronria,e
monument at the head of the grave of a
Poiticlan In these days. He then went on
70 TAX In more serious vein by saving
that the respect of every one followed
me the man who fought for some principle.
Inc man who fights for principle. let it
ue protection. honest money, honest eiec-
~ or whatever 1t may be, is respected
II ne goes down. He has got something.
put the man who fights for mere office, for
mere position, and fails TO get it. goes
down and disappears He has no
trough; no supply for 1t, consequently he
While the colonel may be cynical in the
nsiu OF poltlcs and skeptical in the field
ana happiness of those about him he is
anything but that When he lived in
W Washington City he kept open house. His
hospitality was of the most genial Western
west He found his hospitality tremend-
ousiy abused. The tribes of cranks who
flourish in Washington City swarmed into
MS house until he was Obliged to practi-
cally shut it up to guard himself against
the horde of crack-brained visitors. One
night, during one of his Sunday evening
receptions, DIR. Mary Walker came to the
door ana insisted on coming in. The SER
want did not known what to do. DR.. Mary
was dressed in full snit of broadcloth
and carried high hat. The colonel came
himself to settle the difficulty. He said to
DR.. Walker: II never vet have closed nv
door In the face of any human being, and
DO not say that my doors now close in
your face. Dressed as you are You cannot
come in here. If you care to come back in
the habiliments of your sex you are well
come" 1t is needless to say the doctor
went away angry.
1t Is in the household that the colonel is
seen at his very best. His wife is as keenly
interested in life and in the mental occu-
patlons Of her husband as he can be. The
atmosphere of the house is the happiest
conceivable. spirit of kindness rules
everywhere. The colonel is devoted to mis-
family, and his life is as pure and as clean
on the private side as the most severe
critic could demand
One day in Washington CITY a lady
called at the colonel's house tor the pur-
pose OF converting him to the cause of
reilglon. She represented some mission
airy society. She came into the hall of the
house trembling at her own audacity in
invading the household of this great free
thinker. The colonel was called. and she
explained with trembling voice the object
of her visit. She expected to be over
whelmed with rude and sarcastic laughter
but she met only the polite and smiling
good nature of the colonel He said: Il
feel plimented, but let's not make the
matter too serious. I'm just going out to
dinner. Won't you come out and dine
with US, and you may have an opportunity
there OF saying what you want to me-"
She accepted. The colonel introduced the
lady to the Ingersoll family, who were
prepared for everything always, and who
showed nothing but cordially to the
missionary. who was a real lady, and
who came there animated by a high pur-
pose. This lady came to the Ingersoll
house and made several attempts to con-
vince the colonel of the error of his ways.
In the end she was 80 affected by the at
mosphere of kindness and content in the
house that she came to the colonel at last
and begged his pardon for attempting to
convert him. saying that she believed that
he was in practice much better Christian
than she.
One of the strongest and best things that
have witnessed in the coionel's career
ocCuIIeu az supper gwen Uy an uptown
club in New York several years ago.
Around the table there were gathered
actors, authors, newspaper men, dramatic
writers and club men. Colonel Ingersoll
was one of the honored guests of the club.
1t was the habit of this club at the dinners
thus given to have special subject for
discussion. This night the subject was,
SIS Marriage Failure?" The tone of the
talk was commonplace, vulgar, inane,
almost idiotic. One guest after another
made some commonplace attempt
to be witty at the expense of
the institution of marriage In the
midst of this talk the colonel's turn came,
and have never seen q more triumphant
display of the influence of serious and dig
nitied treatment of what is the most seri-
Gus and dignified thing in life. 1t was like
cool wind displacing an atmosphere of
malaria. The colonel with brush of his
hand waved aside the idle talk of the mo-
ment and said that the man who says that
marriage is failure has never stood with
his hand locked in the loyal grasp of a
wife and mother at the side of child's
grave. The tribute which followed to mar
riage. to love and its duties, was so elo-
quent, so convincing and SO touching that
there was hardly a dry eye in the room
when he finished. His speech put an end
to the discussion. The colonel is by ma
ture loyal enthusiast. He is a firm
1rlenu, ana does not understand friendship
clouded by personal interest. His devotion
to his family is one of the most marked
traits of his nature.
AS he comes to be better understood there
is less Misrepresentation of his attitude
before the world. People have come to
believe that he is sincere in his disbelief
and are not disposed to quarrel with him
about it, | asked him if he did not find
a good deal of change in public sentiment
in the last few years upon the subject, in
the direction of greater tolerance of the
views of free thinkers. To this he gave
the most decided affirmative. People
have greatly changed in the last fifty
years, he thought. IF they had not, I"
said he, II could not live"
lie finds. however, that the clergyrnen
are as ifnrelenting as ever, and from them
ne receives no concessions. In speaking
of this he said: There is such vein of
snobbery that runs all through the exist
ing system of religion. No one in his
Judgment was so snobbish as a servant i'll
standing up for the Importance of his
Master. The more important the master
the greater the snobbishness. So what
must be the feeling of the servant toward
a free thinker who has criticised the mas
ter whom he regards as iniinIteP
\ recent caller upon Colonel Ingersou
said: You are too critical. Way, be-
lieve you would even criticise the Lord $
Prayer" 1T is a subject for criticism, "