The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-06

| certain, he injured the cause of labor.
| He called the men out without organi-
cation and evidently with no further
purpose than to create a provocation
| for attacking Tammany Hall. His
| strike was a source of joy to capital,
| for it was the sort of fiasco which
weakens labor in every limb.
If the season continues as it has
| progressed thus far, SO will go into
history as the year when New York
| was the ideal summer resort Of the ma
ton. Were it not for the fad of going
out of town during July the resorts
| along the Atlantic would be in the
hands of receivers Even the Mon
tanan finds the air bracing and invigor-
| ating.
Are they idiots or knaves, lunatics or
| plain, ordinary, low-bred liars-these
| obtrusive nuisances who, the moment
a man of prominence dies, leap upon
| his grave to gain financial reward or
| advertise their hobbies?
The death of Robert G. Ingersoll
called the entire band of spiritualistic
| freaks from their dens of obscurity and
| gave them an opportunity for exhibit
| ton. Before the body of the agnostic
| was cold a pestilential ass in Ohio ad-
vertised throughout the length and
breadth of the country that he had
communed with the departed spirit He
| insisted that he had received several
| important messages from the spirit
world and proceeded to tell how the
dead orator was passing the time on
| the other shore.
Imagine the feelings of the afflicted
| family and friends when confronted
with the brutal inventions of the ghoul-
ish knaves The Ohio medium was sur
prisingly familiar with the spirit, who,
| RI tall
| him freely. The condition of the wealth
er. the scenery, the fashions. habits,
| customs and eccentriCities of the vari-
Gus spirits were candidly discussed and
| Colonel Ingersoll seemed delighted to
find confidant to whom in life he had
| been an utter stranger.
And newspapers paid for the rot and
gave it to their readers. The news
gathering associations insulted the in
| telligence of the public and shocked
| the mourning family by placing the
| asinne drivel upon the wires and bur-
| lesqung the season of sorrow with q
vulgar and grotesque imposture.
Another pestiferous mountebank
| sulled a Boston assemblage last even
| ing. Having announced that he would
hold communion with the spirit of
Ingersoll, he drew large audience of
morbid ninnies who nearly mobhed
MIN because the advertised message q u
not arrive.
What a spectacle in a so-called civil
| lized American community! Nor is the
spiritualistc the only brand of perver-
sity which has been made conspicuous
| by the wave of human interest which
| followed the agnostic to the grave. A
newspaper, in the hope of increasing
its circula ton. called upon the noto-
riety-seekers of the community to 1--WE
their opinion as to what Ingersoll
would have said on his death bed had
he been given an opportunity. AS a
result the mental puerility of presump-
tuous nincompoops has been given to
the public. OF course all grades and
shades of opinion are represented. Some
say that there would have been a re-
cantatiOn; others say nay. A few go
into the maudlin details of long mes
sages which they are certain the dying
man would have uttered, and one de-
lights the degenerates by insisting that
had Ingersoll been given an opportunity
to speak in the presence of death he
would have exclaimed: Great God,
Almighty"
And this is published and sent into
the homes of many who. though differ
ing with him on religious questions,
had sincere regard for the orator.
What further step can be taken in
the direction of coarse absurdity? Who
is qualified to speak for the dead?
What man has right to interpret the
unspoken farewell of tine departed?
Who can penetrate the mystery of the
grave and tell what words lie dead
upon the silent lips?
Is it any wonder that doubters some
times rebel at the savageTy of So
called Christians and turn in sheer des-
peration to the path of agnosticism or
infidelity? The selfish and hypocritical
adventures who hide their moral de-
formities under the cloak Of Christi
anity do infinitely more harm to the
church than is within the power of
open foes. JOHN. NJ. QUINN.