The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-02-16

courts without hearing. You con-
denim me without according ME this
privilege. Nay, you give what | say
an Interpretation, taken as whole,
it Will not bear. You say:
We are afraid Mr.. Harris reputation gained
by many years Of brave, honest and liberal jour
nalisrn will be seriously impaired, if not totally
wrecked, fhe does not stop excusing prize fights
and lotteries.
Now, submit that if you publish in
the columns of your paper just what
| did say in full, and not independent
and isOloted paragraphs, that very
few, if indeed, any of your readers will
come to the conclusion that you did.
The preacher, whether in his pull
pit or in his newspaper, must be care
full of his utterauees as well as of his
treatment of others.
The worst fiaying that | have run
across in many day was that admin
istered to the eminent president of
Emory College by devoted member
of his church, and this member a
woman. See Mrs. w. II. FeltOn's let
ter in the Sunday edition of the
Atlanta Constitution of February 4th,
which enclose.
We live in an age of independent
thinking in an age of investigation;
in an age in which everything the
preacher says is not taken for granted !;
so unless he wants his utterances to
lose their SAVIOR he must salt them
down with truth and all the con-
comitants thereof.
A false statement, a false inference,
false Interpretation, from the pulpit
or in the religious press, i'll the eyes
of this christian woman, and there
are many like her, are more pernici-
Gus and harmful than the avowed
teachings of Mr.. Ingersoll-
In speaking of the Bible narrative
of the great feats of strength performed
by Samson and David l said:
As the achievements OF these champions III
single combat are narrated with more or less
gloss and glamour so have the Commanders Of all
victorious armies, from Jackson to Grant, been
immortalized as heroes, and pictured TO us as
receiving and deserving the piaudits and hom-
age of the world and the favor of Cod and as
long as our civilization, moral and intellectual
PERCEPTION lead up to these things instead of away
from them; as long standing armies are re-
garded as necessary annexes TO Christian govern
ments: as long as the military overshadows the
civic hero we must not too harshy censure those
just now engaged i'll showering praises on the
victor Of the handtohand combat that SO recent-
ly occurred in the metropolis of our state" And
1 added: 1T is the natural and necessary oht-
growth of the moral intellectual and religious les
sons of the ages, and viii not be stopped as long as
our civilization is as it is"
humbly submit that this is not an
excuse nor justification for prize
fighting.
1t is not only condemnation of
prize fighting, but is likewise con-
demnation of the civilization that has
attained in Christian governments
| which thinks it necessary to main
tain standing armies for the butchery
of neighboring nations, and which welt
the earth with. the bitter tears of
weeping mothers, widows and orphans
for the blood of their slain, and which
cries as loud to heaven as ever Able's
did.
Again you interpret me wrongly. I
said:
,sThe Louisiana lottery has asked for no grant
| of power from the legislature Of Florida, aud
cannot see how the establishment Of its prints
shops at Fort Tampa can work an injury to the