The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-02-20
Universalist Thought.
OUR OWN WRITER'S.
The Arbitration Treaty.

lne ArDltratl0n Treaty.
1t is said that England will gain much
from this treaty, and this is WHY she is
anxious to consummate it. No doubt it
Will be greatly to her advantage; but
will 1t not be just as much for our a6-
vantage also? 1t is puerile reasoning to
argue that it must be detrimental to our
interests, if advantageous to hers.
Again, it is said we shall not get Justice
done under it; we shall be overreached
automatically. But are we more likely
to be deprived of our just rights when
the case is adjudicated by tribunal of
eminent judges than when we resort to
the tribunal OF war? Are we sure that we
are more likely to get justice il we fiehtf
The decision of war is on the side of the
strongest. not on the side of justice. 1t
Is not at all certain that in an armed
contest we could whip Great Britain:
but, granting that we could, do we want
to play the part Of bully-the very thing
we condemn in her-and insist tn at we
must have our way and carry our point,
or are we to be willing to submit the
case to competent and unpreiudiced
judges to say which nation is in the
right? Are we seeking for justice or are
we seeking simply to win our case in
national contentious? For the old
wager OF fire and battle in private cases
civilization has substituted the courts
of justice. Why should we not follow
the same course in international dis
putes?-ReU. r. F. Johonnot.
Eulogizing Col. Ingersoll.
We have yet failed to see what par
ticular good liberal ministers hope to
accomplish by eulogizing Col. Ingersoll
before he dies. We fail to see the pro.
priety of it. Col. Ingersoll may be an
honest man. He may be man of char
ity and uprightness; he may deserve a
particularly favorable location in heaven
we do not know. 1t is true that he
has attacked the dogma of eternal pain
in an eloquent way. but at the same time
he has shown himself to be the foe of
organized religion. He has injured the
dogma he opposes. and led many men
out OF fear, but at the same time he has
led them into scepticism. He has set
them adrift. A bad religion is better
than none, and the Catholic or Presby-
terian faith is a thousand times better
for mankind than the materialistic scep-
ticism which Col. Ingersoll teaches in
tones of eloquent sophistry. Col. Inger.
soil doubts the existence of God, and
looks upon religious aspiration as kind
of pious nonsense which men of welI.de-
veloped brains, such as he possesses.
can live without. So why this eulogv
of IngersollY Is there no truth In
preach? Shall the thirty minutes set
aside for sermon be wasted in defend.
ing man who is religious anarchistP
Shall we hazard the good name of our
churches and give occasion for scandal
and suspicion to those who now falselv
hold us up as the foes of the Gospelp
Let Ingersoll take care himself. We lib.
eral ministers are engaged in work
that We cannot afford to compromise bv
incurring the suspicion of those whom
we wish to reach and influence. I lool,
upon this eulogy Of Ingersoll as uncalled
for, and it results from predisposition.
in some pulpits. to "slop over."-Rev. -
+. Buckner.