The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-17
INGERSOLL ON HANNA.
He Says ssPeOpIe Suspect Money
Without Genius.'

Cincinnati, Nov. 17.-COlOnel Robert
C. Ingersoll, the most renowned agnos-
tic of the age, arrived at the Gibson
house yesterday afternoon. to lecture
this afternoon at the Grand
Opera house on why Am an AgnOs-
tic" The colonel is a bit depleted in
avoirdupois as he approaches his three
score years and five, but his wit is as
iridescent as ever. Always ready to
answer questions about anything the
following verbatim dialogue ensued be-
tween a reporter and the colonel in
his parlor at the Gibson:
What is the matter with HANNAH"
Il do not know Mr.. Hanna Never
met him, and consequently have no
clear idea as to his case. I suppose
the people regard him as on the trust
and syndicate side, and possibly they
think there are enough rich men in
the senate. The people, as a rule,
have a liking for a genius without
money, and they suspect money with
out genius. 1 have never heard a
word against Mr.. Hanna except from
the other side. I suppose he is good
Organizer-a practical politician, and
I would not be surprised if he sue
ceeded, or if he did not. Ohio pOliti-
clans have prejudices and scores to
settle, and old debts to pay So 1 will
have to wait until the Legislature set
ties the question before 1 can state
what the matter with Hanna is
a What do you think of the admins
tratiOn so far?"
.'Wen, I like the administration I
think Mckinley a careful, sensible,
safe man. He will do nothing in pyro-
technics-nothing for display. 1 want
him to take decided ground in favor of
Cuba, and I think he will. He has
shown good judgment in his appoint
ments-has good men about him-ex-
cellent. His cabinet is Il good one,
and each member seems to be attend
ing to business"
s'What do you think of the future of
siIver?'
1T will go into spoons. forks, yacht
ing cups, teapOts, urns, statuary and
small change l do not believe it will
ever be the standard again. That ques-
ton has been settled-that straw has
been thrashed-that egg has been bro
ken. Silver is dead, and it is 16 to l
that it will stay dead. I know that
millions yet believe in silver but the
number will dwindle and will keep
dwindling. 1 was always in favor of
silver but I wanted gold dollars
worth of silver in a silver dollar
What significance is there in the
election of Van Wyck in New York %
Entirely local In the first place
the men opposed to Van Wyck were di-
vided between Tracy and Low, and in
the second place the people did not
think much of StrOng's reform admins
tratiOn- They were tired of the Raines
law, tired of the idiotic arrests of wO-
Colonel Fred Grant, that the police
should not be used as decOys for the
purpose of inducing people to violate
the law. The people We're sick of the
enforcement of Sunday laws-arrest-
ing women for selling soda, candy and
pickles on the blessed Sabbath. The
reform administration became ridicu-
lOus and hateful.
Another thing. People thought Mr.
Low too gOOd-tOO piOus-tOO utterly
too, and there were not enough Repub-
Hcans to elect Tracy even if none had
voted for Low"
Whom do you consider the greatest
Americana
In the realm of Observation-Disclosures
The best actress in modern plays is
Minnie Maddern Fiske. The best DO
ct, among the cOlOred people, is Paul
Dunbar. am not certain about the
rest"
DO you think the Sermon on the
Mount has ever been equaled, viewed
as human productiOn?''
"Oh, often, many times over. Some
of it is good, and much of it silly
laughable- The best of it had been
said often before