The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-23
INGERSOLL ON PROGRESS.
The Great Agnostic Speaks OF Reforms
That Are Yet to Come.
Nay York World

New / OK NOriQ.
Col. Robert G. Ingersoil began his lee
ture on progress" by paying tribute to
the old year and a greeting to the new as
follows: "For countless ages the old
earth has been making in alternating light
and shade, in gleam and gloom,
the whirling circuit of the sun, Ieav-
ing the record of its flight in many forms
in stone, in growth OF tree and vine and
flower, in glittering gems Of many hues, in
curious forms of monstrous life, in raw
ages of flood and fame, in fossil fragments
stolen from decay by chance. in molten
masses hurled from lips of fire, in gorges
worn by waveless. foamless cataracts of
ice, in coast lines beaten back by the i'm
prisoned sea, in mountain ranges and in
ocean reefs, in islands lifted from the
under world, in continents submerged and
given hack to light and life.''
"Another year has joined his shadowy
fellows in the wide and voceless desert of
the past, where. from the eternal hour
glass, forever fail the sands of time.
Another year, with all It's joys and grief,
of birth and death, of failure and success
of love and hate. And now, the first day
of the new, DER arches all, standing be-
tween the buried and the babe, we cry
Farewell and Hailn"
Continuing, the colonel said: SONY a
few years ago our ancestors lived in dens
and caves, lived on berries and nuts-on
everything that could be caught and killed
with stones and clubs. Most people are
chilled with horror at the thought of
cannlbalism, of man eating his fellow
man. but after all, IS not cannibaliSm the
most mercliul way In which man has
al
far better to fatten, and kill, and eat
than TO enslave? The pain of dying is
momentary. the sorrows of slavery may
drag the lengtheuipg chain for seventy
years. For instance. \ woman living IN q
tenement surrounded by hungry children,
sewing with tear-iilled eyes for few cents
day, would ii not have been better for
her at the age OF IA: happy. tieshy. dim
pied, TO have been killed, roasted and
eaten? grand dish at q festival, instead
OF skeleton AZ famine"
Col. IngersOll spoke of the great strides
that have been been made during the past
half century-the telegraph, the telephone.
the phonograph, the electric light and
motor. Speaking of this later on.
Edison has reflected more light upon the
world than any millionaire that ever
lived
What do we want next? We want free
thought. Let each BRAN furnish its quota
OF ideas. II Is the great reservoir OF hu-
man knowledge to which every man
should be able to contribute. There are
tell what he thinks, keep still or
lie. The respectable way Is to
lie. II was not until ISIS that man was
allowed 10 bring his case into court and
then the man was not allowed TO tell his
story. They said: Why, he'll be tempted
10 commit perjury There is nothing more
foolish IN my opinion than swearing 2
witness. " heneyer man is sworn the
jurors put him ON an equal with God and
believe he Is In partnership with Him.
Let every man tell his story to the jury.
Let them take into consideration the
mans character. If you believe he tells
the truth stand by him, if not. act accord
ingiy."
Then the colonel spoke Of crime. There
are only two objects IN pun!shlng n man
one is 10 prevent him from doing more
harm, the other to try and reform HIM.
Lex the very best men we have control the
penitentiaries and other institutions. and
not the hasest. Mercy is better than
cruelty. We know it because it brings
happiness. After all i said AMI done
there 5 only one crime, cruelty; only one
virtue, generosity. II had the power d
have mans arm paralyznd when he
struck his wife. paralyzed when he pulled
a revolver to shoot his friend, and so on.
Compare the great inventors OF our
day with the miiliouaires. The inventor
of matches. for instance, has done more
for the world than all the rich men.
II want you 10 know that surgery and
medicine have made great progress.
That's because men have stopped looking
Al the stars anu gone 10 looking AZ natural
causes
After ali. We get our real throbbing 10y
from death, and i there was not any death
III afraid there would not be so much love
II may he that love Is a little dame that
grows on the grave OF love. | want to see
> world without 4 slave and without caste
only few days ago some people in the
: pree depended on wandering missionary
To save them. The Nooriiand had no
prayer. They were in q bad TX. They
played cards IN the saloon. Which was
the hest? The event shows that one Was
Is good IS the other poker or prayer.
want a world filed with intelligence, en-
Tlchei with art.
Dr. J. Eugene Jordan has removed from the
i-sleT resideECs to sale Deposit building.