The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-13
Col. IngersOII EIectrifies a Chi
cagO Church Audience.
The Great Agnostic Says Edu-
cation is Needed.
BETTERMENT OF MAN
Was His Topic, and He Pied
ElOquently.
Should Turn Fashionable
Churches Into Schools.

CHICAGO, April Is.-Colonel Robert
G. Ingersoll spoke before the Militant
church congregation yesterday in re-
Spouse to an invitation extended by
the pastor, Rev John Rusk. The Mil
liant church is organized for the pur-
pose of lettering the condition of
mankind. regardless of creed, or lack
of it. Among other things, Mr.. In
gersou said:
"Cerem onies, prayers and inspired
books; miracles, special providence
and divine interference belong to the
supernatural and form no part Of real
religion. Every science rests on the
natural-On demonstrated facts So
morality and religion must find their
foundations in the necessary nature OF
things.
Ignorance beng darkness, what
we need is intellectual light. Man
should cease to expect any aid from
any supernatur source. By this time
he should be satisfied that worship
has not created wealth, and that pros
perity is not the child of prayer. Man
should turn his entire attention to the
affairs Of the wOrld-to the facts in
nature.
Colonel Ingerscl said that there
should be a stop put to the appeal to
said, peace had been preached, yet
the civilized world had impoverished
itself supporting vast armies and
navies. Instead of paying these
amounts out for the purpose s'of kill
ing and preparing to kill our fellow
men," they would better be applied
to building schools ana supplying the
wants of the people. An internatiOn-
al court, wherein national differences
might be settled was the proper sOlu-
ton of the question. said he.
There was another direction in
which the wealth and energies of man
were wasted. immense amounts had
been paid. continued the speaker, for
the erection Of costly church edihces,
and other vast sums were paid for
keeping them up. The returns were
remarkably small, said he; the good
accomplished does not appear to be
great. There is no great diminutiou
in crime. The decrease of immortality
and poverty IS hardly perceptible. In
towns of 4, 600 to 5, 600 people Colonel
IngersOu would have all churches
mbined in One-in a general build
ing. In this building should be the
library Of the town. 1t should be the
club house OF the people; plays should
be presented by home talent; rooms
for billiards, cards and chess should
be arranged. 1t should be the intel
lectual center
They could employ a gentleman of
ability, possibly of genius, said he
to address them on Sundays on sub
1ects that would be OF real interest, of
real Importance. He should base his
sermons on the history, philosophy
and the art and the genius of the
Greeks. Let him make his congrega-
ton cOnversant with the philosophers
OF the world, with the great thinkers,
the great poets, the great artists,
or
Of industry, the soldiers of progress.
Let them have a Sunday school, in
which the children shall be made &C
quainted with the facts OF nature,
with botany. entomology, something
of geology and astronomy"
In spite Of all that has been done
for the reformation of the world, ii is
still cursed with poverty and crime.
PenitenIaries should be Transformed
into schools and workshops. The con
victs should be educated and paid a
reasOna ole sum for their labor.
Colonel IngersOn paid pretty trib-
ute to the home. The more homes,
said he, the broader TIE foundation of
the nation and the more secure.
Everything should be done to keep
this from being a nation of tenants.
Men who cultivate the earth should
own it. He would exempt homes from
sale, not only under execution, but
granting divorces, he would give the
wife divorce if she requested it, if
she wanted it. There is no danger in /
demOralizing the world through di-
vOrce He would not allow the man
to cast off his wife unless she had fla
GRAVITY violated the marriage con
tract But for the sake of the com
munity, he would give the woman a
divorce for the asking. There would
never be a generation of great men
until there had been a generation of |
free women-of free women.
The speaker referred to the labor
question and said he saw no satisfac-
tory solution OF it except through the /
civilization Of employers and en- /
ployed- Great railroads should pay /
pensions to their worn out employees /
and care for them IN their old age. !
The employee must learn to make rea-
sOnable demands of his employer
Let every human being do al the /
good he can and let him bind up the |
wounds of his fellow creatures, and /
at the same time put forth every effort /
to hasten the coming Of a better day. |
This, in my judgment, concluded |
Colonel IngersOn, is real religion. To |
do all the good you can is to be q /
saint in the highest and noblest sense.
Shortage Largely Increased
LIEcoLE, April I3.-Anotner mys-