The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-25
INGERSOLL AND
THE PREACHERS.
HIS LECTURE ON THE BIBLE GRE.
ATES DISCORD AT
HOBOKEN.
AN ATTEMPT TO STOP HIM.
He RIDICULEs NEW JERSEY LAW
AND ASSAILS THE
CLERGY.

New YORK, Feb. 24.-The attempt made
to prevent Colonel Robert Ingersoll from
delivering his lecture on the "Holy Bible"
at the Hoboken Theater tonight proved a
failure. As the result of protest issued
by the pastors of three of the most proml-
nent churches in that place, Mayor Pagan
yesterday issued orders that the theater
be closed today, thereby practically debar-
ring Colonel Ingersoll from appearing.
The Mayors decree occasioned great
deal of comment last night, with the result
that the matter was reconsidered to-day.
Before noon Corporation Attorney Min
turn and Mayor Pagan called upon the Rev.
H. t. Beatty, the minister who is at the
head of the reform. movement in Hoboken,
and stated that it was the opinion of the
corporation attorney that no steps could
be taken by the authorities to stop the
lecture.
Shortly after noon consultation was
held in Chief of Police Donovan's office, at
which, in addition to the Chief, the Mayor
and Mr. Clark, manager for Colonel Inger-
soil, and Mr. Davis, the manager, of the
| theater, were present The two managers
were informed of the decision of the cor
poration attorney and they departed with
the assurance that the lecture might take
place. To prevent any disturbance on the
part of the audience and also to stop any
blasphemous utterances on the part of the
lecturer several detectives were sent to the
theater.
Beyond frequent bursts of applause, how
ever, the audience was most orderly, and
the speaker confined himself almost en-
ti-ely to his text, with an occasional com
zeal allusion to the clergymen of Hoboken
and the statute of New Jersey law to
which the feformers had been clinging. He
began his well-known lecture without ref
erence TO the attempt to stop him until he
had reached point in the discourse for
which evidently he had been waiting
where he alludes to the ignorance and saw
agery of the Bible. He broke away from
his text long enough to say:
There was enacted a statute in the State
Of New Jersey one hundred or so years ago,
when most of its inhabitants were savages
which says that nobody shall ever discuss
the Bible except on one side. Since then
the inhabitants have grown more civilized
| They have grown to have knowledge OF
! fair play; they have been civilized to a de-
| SACC N4ISiC t4Sy Ndii IlON ItdilI6 ILLS
absurdity and to realize that this statute
sleeps in the past. 1t has been invoked by
number of narrow minded persons who
should have lived one hundred years ago
l don't blame them. Their heads are out
| OF shape and they are not to blame"
He said his hearers could make up their
| minds in secret about what he had to say,
for he believed there was no statute against
that. That the Bible was inspired he had
some doubt, "but," he added, 'if the Legis
lature OF New Jersey says the Bible is in.
! spired tits, and that settles it,
Colonel Ingersoll grew more bitter as the
lecture progressed, and declared there
never was any kindness in the heart of g
clergyman, and he believed that there were
certain persons in Hoboken to-day who
would gladly bring fagots and build a fire
around one of their enemies. He said thai
no criminal lawyer in the State of New
Jersey would allow a minister or the Jury
that was to try a client of his. 1t was sur.
| prising, he said, further on, how much
these parsons knew of GOD and how littIe
they knew of human nature.