The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-03
STILL AN AGNOSTIC.
Christian Endeavor Prayers
Have Not Reached Ingersoll.
ug HAS OBSERVED NO CHANGE.
Cannot Imagine That the Prayers OF
the Whole World Would Change
Any of His Views.
New York Recorder.

returned To New York recently from
Michigan. where he has been Iecturing for
the past Two or three weeks. From reports
received daring his absence, Col. Ingersoll
had not experienced any change OF heart.
and ne CONFIRMED them IN conversation yes
terday with a Recorder reporter.
Did yoti, asked the reporter. "at any
time when the prayers of the Christian En-
deavoreES were being offered for your con-
version. experience any sensation as the
result ?'
II had. SO far as / know, my usual
Senses the colonel replied Il was fairly
hungry three times day and sometimes
wanted a lunch late in the evening. l be-
came sleepy as usual, and enjoyed my
sleep as / generally do. Cigars gave me the
same happiness, and in every way, so Ear
as | know, l was in a perfectly normal
state. No man can change his opinion
simply because he desires 10 change,
neither can he change because other
people wish that he change: because
opinions are based upon evidence, or On
what appears TO oe evidence, and the OILY
way 10 change opinions is 10 produce rev
facts. new evidence that destroys or
changes the old. An opinion based ON pre-
judge dies when the prejudice disappears.
So one based on supposed fact perisnes
when the supposed fact is found 10 be I'M
true. There is nothing miraculous OF SD
pernatural IL opinions or in belief. Every
man believes as he must. This belief may
depend on his intelligence or on his ign9r-
anoe II may depend upon the shape, guam
tity and quality of his brain, on his eduea-
ton, on his surroundings. But If the belief is
changed, there must be a change n sur
roundings or in the realm of evidence, or
some new idea must be adopted-in other
words, the change must DC naturally pro-
duced
Prayer and Conviction.
Now, if knew that all the Mohamme-
dams were praying for my conversion. l
90 not think that my opinion of the inspir-
alton or truth OF the keran would he
changed. IL l know that all the Hi1doos
had united in prayer for my conversion, /
do not think my opinion OF the Vedas
would be changed. l cannot imagine that
the prayers of the whole world could
change MY convictions on any subject
Prayers furnish no new ideas; no new facts,
and prayers Go not expose errors or bring
falsehoods e. light. Neither can prayers
eradicate pfejudice. We do not want
prayers for the purpose Of changing our
minds, but new facts, intellectual Light.
intellectual development. and there is moth
ing supernatural in this.
80. while the prayers were being offered
for me | had to rely on the old facts. the
old impressions, on the old conclusions,
because no new fact was produced; no
new asisence presented; consequently
there was notnlnS TO cndnSe my opfn-oLS
On any subject
Thought transference being an estao-
lished fact in physics can you explain why
TO sensation was experienced by your"
I'm the first place, l do not admit that
though. transference in the sense you
seem to speak of ii is an established fact.
l transfer my thought to another first 10y
language: second. by motion: third, by
expression; fourth, you may say. by action,
not in the presence OF the peison to whom
the thought is given. But there is nothing
miraculous in this. We have agreed sub
stantially upon the meaning Of certain
words or sounds BY the use OF these
words l give information to another Of
what has passed or is passing in my mind
So | can give the same information in many
ways BY the expression of my face, by
motions with my hands. So, too, thoughts
can be given 10 another through music;
and so by my actions under certain condi-
tons, although the person getting my
thought was not a witness of the actions,
hut was informed what the actions were.
In this there is nothing miraculous. / 40
not believe in any thought transferencc,
except through physical agencies. One
man cannot transfer his thought to another
without doing something. lie must give
what might be called a visible
sign or sign understood by
one or more of the senses. NIL
lions OF men might pray for me without
my knowledge, and such prayers wouli
have no more effect upon me than the
sounds caused by cracking ice in the Arctic
Zone. In other words, do not believe in
the miraculous or in the supernatural.
Everything that exists must have a basis
in fact, and in what we know as matter or
force"
United action in the physical world
produces great results. Can you explIn
why it should not be so in the mentalg
Force From Nature.
Where men unite for The purpose OF pro-
ducing result In the physical world great
results are produced or results IN Accord
ance with the force and intelligence en-
ployed. Man gets his force from nature.
He does not create H. No new force is
created and no force is destroyed. As a
rule, two men have more strength than
one. and If the object is to lift a weight,
many men can succeed whore few you'd
fan But this is III exact accordance with
known and natural facts. Now, in what 5
called the mental world. the many years
have more intelligence than the few, and
this mental force may nave effect. II may
have effect In accordance with its truth or
IA accordaI CO with its adaptabil.ty 10 the
minds Of many. The probability IS that
an expert tuggler would have more efert
on the minds Of Central Africans than
ST. Isaac Newton. Some ministers that
I know woul4 have had more Influence on
South Sea ISLANDERS than Darwin or Hum
bol3t. But naent2l power must come in
contact With mind. or 81 is lost. All the
philosophers ia the world could not change
the opinion Of one man. unless this one
man listened 20 AMI understood what the
philosophers sad. Men are more or less
Influenced by Their fellow men. and It often
happens that tlTe many are improperly con-
tr5Icd by the ssw. The peasant lmaEines
that the king must he right. and IN the
presence Of the kfug his reason abitcates.
So. many people imagine that the pope or
the priest knoRE far more than they do,
and. consequeu 4. they accept the asser-
lions Of these knpUdent fheoiogt3ns as
truths. and act H. accordance with them
The point I ws 10 make .s that no miud
can De- coatcoaee by the opinion or IDEAS
IN another mind Eln!ass those opinions ami
Ideas are conn. eC.cafed 10 the person
sought to Or Geo 4uole-t IN This there e.
nothing Tn.r-3cllo D, nothing supernatural.
nothing 10 ~ Ma 3ered az. except The I'M
pudence Of one tie and the creduliJy OF
tAe other"
Us uot "a th supreme power The
primary point Of our highest emottons2
think tHat IL in "a supreme power
h4s nd effeet upof our hunger or thirst.
ana no eject on 81 Ioye o. hatred or adj
miration ~ our tow men Faith ia a
supreme power. "a belief IN supreme
power. ! suppose, Il certain states Of the
human mind or IN trIaln phases OF evo-
lat3on. = perfectly Natural. The SAVAGE
h"lleNes mat an ~ nite savage created
ana governs the wofd. Every man. Tor
that matter. endeaeo-s n arcouof for
himself and hts SURROUNDINGS. and tries.
tt may De in q rude wkv. To aceount far
the ialngs OF which nj. senses take cog
ntEanc*, and / suppose that his fear OF
soTne supreme power thai viii hold hlrn
accountable. Affects his conduct. But faith