The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-04-19
BOB INGERSOLL FLAYED-SAM
JONES AT HIS BEST.

IL Will ue vi Interest 10 NempnlanS.
where Sam Jones has so many friends
and admirers, TO know that he and
Col. Robert Ingersoll have got pretty
close to one another in St. Louis.
Sam is conducting big revival in
that city, and Bob struck the town
last Sunday night on lecturing tour.
Sam was interviewed on what he
thought Of Bob and Bob was asked
what he thought of Sam. Sam got
the best of the talking.
Among other things, Sam said the
following, in reply to questions put
by Globe Democrat reporter:
"What do you think of Ingersoll and
of the influence of his lectures?" asked
a reporter Of Rev. Sam Jones as he
sat in his room at the Southern Hotel,
evidently only partially recovered
from the exertions of preaching to
5000 people the preceding evening.
Mr. Jones thought for Il moment
and then said: "Thc question is a
very broad one and cannot be answer
ed in two or three words. Personally.
Mr.. lngersoll is no doubt a genial
gentleman. Physically he Is fat, IN
tellectually he is bright, morally there
may be worse men, but theologically
he is bad egg"
"You have seen the picture of Mr..
Ingersoll nursing his grandchild 2"
ayes, and l could not help feeling
sorry for the grandchild.'
Apart from his personality, what
do you think is the moral influence of
Mr.. 1ngersoll's lectures!"
"That is very easily answered. A
visit of Mr.. 1ngersol to any commun-
ity is calamitous to all whom he
reaches, and the worst Of it is, he gen.
orally reaches the very class OF people
upon whom his teachings have the
most baneful effect. No God, no Bible,
no heaven, no hell, catches the masses
of non-churcl-gOers, and turns them
over to utter rcckleSSncSs. The lee
turer fOrgets that they were all reared
in Christian homes, and brought up
under the cultlyating influences which
he himself enjoyed. They were not
trained up in the virtues as he was by
his godly father and mother. What
ever virtue Mr.. Ingersoll possesses is
IA gift or grace of Christianity. Many
parade his charity, his liberalty and
his love of home. lie never got these
elements as gift of infdelty. They
are but the expressions Of Christian
elements that live in his character in
spite of his intldelity, and when he
throws his teachings of no God, no
bible, no heaven and no hell into the
hearts and lives of Others who have
not been blessed by the help which
Christianity gives to US, he turns the
whole human life into utter rot"
"How do you account for Mr.. Inger-
soils power to attract large audi
ences?" was question which the
above criticism naturally suggested.
"llis power to attract lies in his
ability to shock" replied Mr.. Jones,
with more force and earnestness than
he had hitherto displayed. "He is
the devils dynamo, and when a man
stands upon the damp soil of sinful
life, old Bob can turn current on
him that will almost make him leap
u out of his hide. Men love to be
] shocked. | have often thought OF
: Col. Ingersoll in his disclaimer OF
Christian virtues and his disbelief Ia
y God and the bible, as putting him
Z in the attitude of the drummer's lit
tie girl of whom a commercial travel
J er once told me. He said he fount
his little girl, on one Of his visits
II home, sitting on the floor playing
G with her kitten. While loving ant
y caressing it she said, Kitty, you ar
) a sweet little kitty: I love you and
9 know who your mommcr is. Ol(
: pussy is your mommer. She's a goot
u old cat, and love her, too. But
y kitty, l don't know who your p0ppe
0 Is, cause l never saw him. l 'spect'
e your pepper is travelling man. w,
= all know from Mr.. Ingcrsoll's doc
l. trne who his mother is, moral,
: speaking. Earth is his mother.
e expect his father is travelling man
e Certainly nobody has ever seen him /,
i these parts. They all say that Col
IngersOll is jolly fellow. l dom
n know him rpersonally, but l dom
e doubt that he is"
I. "How about Mr.. Iugersoll's argu
% ment?"
'r "He hasn't any. He is an orator o
5, the first water. know no man aliv,
s. to-day who can put English togethe
d like he can. His words put into sen
n tenccs look like streams OF pearls; bu
they are merely bracelets and neck
II laces for swine. His philosophy an
II his religion do not build colleges
h. almsh0uses and asylums. Neither d
they take care OF the poor, the MAIN
ed and the halt. They are powerles
:" to reform the drunkard and the ou
law. They do not make a man mol
kind in his home, or more respected
the community where no lives. r
~ clamors for free thought aud NOR
a liberty. Establish the fact that me
Sc can think as they please. and vii