Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-30

ooAt nhcAlnI6y M6SSage-SayS
1t Lacks Color" Has Confidence
III Mckinley.
Col. Robert G. Ingersoll, the noted
inhdel, last evening delivered his lee
ture Why | Am an Agnostic," TO
good sized audience at the Opera
House. Among the audience were no
tlced one minister and a number of
church members who gave the great
agnostic strict attention. There Xare
also present quite a number of Col.
lngersoll's admirers and followers who
applauded him frequently.
Col. lngersoll was dressed in an ele~
CANT. well fitting evening suit. with
broad immaculate shirt front. 1t Tas
noticeable that he was much thinner
than when here before. Being a suf-
ferer from rheumatic govt he has de-
creased his ayerdupois, by dieting him
self, from 260 to 1873 pounds. Having
reached the age of 65 years he has not
the sprightly, vigorous step Of his
younger days, but the fire of his strong,
emotional nature has not been quench-
ed by the increasing years. His adj
dress was delivered eXtemporaneously
principally Col. Ingersoll only referr-
ing to printed notes on the desk. He
spoke mostly in a tone modulated a
little above the conversational but
which could be easily heard In lay
ing particular emphasis on some state
ment which he wished to impress upon
his hearers, or when assailing Christi
anity, his infection rose and he spoke
with more energy.
The lecture was, however, devoid of
the bursts of fiery eloquence or brill
liant flights of fancy for which Col.
Ingersoll's efforts are noted. 1t lack
ed fire and energy and did not arouse
very much enthusiasm. 1t was strict
ly lecture and not a display Of ora
torical powers. His keen wit and cut
ting sarcasm were admirable and
caused many a smile and laugh. In
fact, sarcasm was his strongest wea-
pom in assailing the church and re-
ligions of the past and present. Col.
Ingersoll stood 0y a stand, arranged
for him in the centre Of the stage, and
only moved from one side of the stand
to the other during his entire lecture
of two hours His gestures We're sim
pie but effective Coz. Ingersoll walk
ed to the stand. and laying his right
hand on it. began his lecture without
introduction. The lecture is printed
and copyrighted The following are a
few extracts taken from it:
For the most part we inherit our opn-
ions. We are the heirs of habits and
mental customs. Our beliefs like the
fashion of our garments, depend on where
we were born We are fashioned and
moulded by our surroundings.
Belief is not subject to the will Men
think as they must. Children do not, ana
can not. believe exactly as they We're
taught. Like the most of you. L
was raised among people who knew-who
were certain. They had no doubts. They
knew that they had the trdth In their
creed there was no guess-no perhaps.
They had a revelation from God
From my childhood | had heard read and
read the Bible. In my youth ! read re-
ligious books-books about God, about the
atonement-about salvation by faith, and
a bout the other worlds.
For time. / left the dreams. the in
sanities. the Illusion and decisions, the
of theology / studied as
tronomv just a httle-I examined the
maps of the heavens-learned the names
OF some of the constellations-found
something of their size and the velocity
with which they wheeled in their orbits
obtained a faint conception Of astronom-
cal spaces-found that some Of the known
stars were so far away in the depths OF
SPACE that their light, travelling at the
rate of nearly two thousand miles a sec
ond. required many years 70 reach TINS
little world.-found that. compared with
the great stars. our earth was but a grain
of sand-an atom-found that the old be-
lief that all the hosts Of heaven had
'heeo created for the benefit Of man, was
infinitely absurd.
Then l studied geoogy-not much, Just
a lttle-just enough to find in general
wav the principal facts that had been dis
covered and some of the conclusions
that had been reached. learned some
thing of the action of fire-of water-of
the formation Of islands and continents
the sedmentary and igneous rocks-of
the coal measures-of the chalk cliffs
something about coral reefs-about the
deposits made by the rivers. t0c effect Of
volcanoes. of glaciers. ana of the all
surrounding sea-just enough to know
that the I.aurentian rocks were millions
feet-iIst enough to feel certain that this
world had been pursuing IT'S fight about
the sun. wheeling in light and shade. for
millions of years-just enough to know
that the INSPIRED" writer knew nothing
Of the history of the earth-nothing of
the great forces of nature-of wind and
wave and fre-forces that have destroyed
and built wrecked and wrought through
ali the countless years.
Then | studied biology-not much-just
enough to know something of animal
forms, enough TO know that life existed
when the Laurentian rocks were made
Just enough to know that implements Of
stone implements that had been found by
human hands, had been found mingled
with the bones Of extinct animals bones
that had been split with these imple-
ments. and that these animals had ceased