The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-11-08
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER $, 1925.
rwo rrryrs IN cHIo4ao.

Washington Post: 1t so happened
that on last Sunday evening, when ten
thousand citizens OF Chicago we're
crowded into the Auditorium to par
ticipate in . religious ceremony in
commemoration of the returning
peace. Col. Robert G. Ingorsoll was de-
livering an address in the Columbia
theater in that city The coincidence
was Incidental, the colonel having
made his dates prior to the arrange
meuts fcT the peace jubilee, and Of
course without reference TO the great
event But in the course OF his lecture,
address or oratIon he took occasion to
say
~ do not thank God for the victory
Rt Mapilss l thank Dewey, the bravest
admiral that ever trod deck. thank
the brave men and officers under him;
! do not thank God. / do not thank
God for the destruction OF CeTvera's
feet: / thank the brave officers and
men. / do not thank God for the cap-
ture of Santiago; / thank the heroes;
thank the regulars, white and black;
/ thank the men in the trenches, the
volunteers, the Rough Riders, the
wounded and maimed ! thank the
worn and faintiEss / thank them all,
the living and the dead. e"
This plain statement Of individual
opinion excited the indignation, not to
say wrath, OF the Chicago Times
Herald. and that paper, in it's .ssue Of
Monday, treats the colonel very much
as he was treated by some hundreds OF
newspapers few years ago FOR a bad
break that he made in Republican
national convention held in Chicago.
The Times Herald speaks OF Col. Inger-
soil as "this ancient blasphemer, who
comes to Chicago once a year to take
In few hundred dollars from those
who are willing to be amused by his
musty and waggish epigrams." 1t says
that he "long ago ceased to be se-
rious factor among influences that
shape the thoughts of men"
Col. Ingersoll is one of very small
number OF American citizens who can
draw large audiences at dollar a
head in every considerable town in
the United States year after year He
is an orator, and men of whom that
can be truthfully said are becoming
scarce In these days. His great ora
torlcal gifts and attainments have not
been confined TO the exploitation of
agnostisism or in6delity. As politi-
cal speaker he has few peers; and II
he had been content to keep his views
OF the bible and Christianity TO him.
self and to seek political preferment,
he might have attained almost any
eminenee to which he aspired. He
knew when he began his career that
the proclamation OF his opinions would
be fatal to any chance Of success in
politics that II would shut him ont
OF candidacy for any elective Office,
and that no administration would
deem it polite to name him far any
position OF honor and responsibility.
II Is not reasonable to assume that in
sacrificing ambition and setting him.
self against the irrisist,hl current, he
acted in accordance with his eonvie-
tions OF duty
And who is there who believes IA
special providence who will venture to
say that Col. Ingersoll is not an in
ntru,nent in the hands Of the Divine
Power for the promotion Of religion
Coineident with his assaults on Chris
tianity. the churches aud sects have
had their periods Of maximum pros-
perity. Opposition is always whole
sale stlmulant to good work. While
Ingersoll has been going mp and down
the land hurling the keen shafts OF
satire at the churches and their faith,
there has been steady and great In
crease OF interest in religion; more
money has been contributed for the
erection of houses Of worship and
for the spread of the gospel than at
any previous time. While Ingersoll