The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-26

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sentinels Of care ana grief
These leaves are the friend Of the Ere
side. and their smoke-like iaesnse rises
from myriads OF happy homes. Cuba Is
the smile OF the sea-
The philosopher said OF BE adverse
critics and tobacco. -sueh rAen would h6ld
Shakespeare Responsible Tor what FAX
stan said about sack and Tor Hrs. ouiek-
ley's notion about proprfsty
There Is an old Greek saying applicable
here: TN the presence OF human stupid
ity even the gods stand helples
Ingersoll wanted men to BE kind. 10 Be
patient. to live without fear OF the I'm
known To free the world from vain ter
ros was a mission that he had imposed
upon himself with the intensity OF = vow.
He wrote:
Ny father was kind ana loving man.
He loved his children tenderly and in
tensely. There was no sacrifice he would
not and did not gladly make for them
He had one misfortune and that vas
his religion. He believed the Bible, and
in the shadow Of the frightfuI book he
passed HIS life. He believed In the truth
OF its horrors. and for years. thinking OF
the fate OF the human race. his eyes were
filled with tears.
Seeing the effect upon hin1-seeIng that
religion simply made men uphappy-I
learned TO hate what Is generally known
as orthodox religion. abhor the aut-
rageous cruelties and horrors described In
the Old Testament. perpetrated, as Il al
leges. by the command OF God.
Testament. utterly despise the doctrines
OF total depravfty and eternal punishment
hate any book that teaches these doc
trines; hate any God who writes such
book; hate these things because have
a brain and a heart. hate them because
they are UNANIMOUSLY and heartlessly and
brainlessly cowardly and infamous"
Ingersolrs latest lecture, ''The Devil"
was the first in his mind. In reality. Hat
ing the devil. Ingersoll's legal bent led
him to attacking all Inducements about
his identity. Ingersoil said:
ST saw that the devil was really the
keystone OF the arch. and that to take
him away was to destroy the entire sys-
tenn.
st Is far better to have no heaven than
eternal sleep than TO be an angel and
know that the ones you love are suffering
eternal pain; better to live a free and low
ing hve-a life that ends forever at the
grave-than to be an immortal slave"
Superstition terroried. Ingersoll at
tackled II as follows:
For many centuries Il was believed
that eclipses OF the moon and sun were
prophetic of pestileuce or famine, and
that comets foretold the death OF kings
or the destruction OF nations. the coming
OF war or plague. All strange appear
ances in the heavens-the Northern
Lights. circles about the moon sun dogs.
falling stars-filled our intelligent ances-
tors with terror. They fell upon their
knes-did their best with sacrifice and
prayer to avoid the threatened disaster
Their faces were ashen with fear as they
closed their eyes and cried to the heav-
ems for help.
"The clergy. who were as familiar with
God then rs the orthodox preachers are
now. knew exactly the meaning OF eclips-
es and sun dogs and Northern Lights:
knew that he was then whettins the
sword OF HIS wrath. and that the people
could save themselves only by obeying
the priests, counting their beads and
doubling their subscriptions
Gods wrath described In the Bible. Is
terrifying. Ingersoil attacked the Book as
folioys:
There are millions who believe the H.
BILE to be the inspired work of Cod mill
ions who believe that II is the fountain OF
Ia fstaNf
wise and benign teachings the world Is
indeb,eded for fits liberty. wealth and civ
iliation-millIons who imagine that this
Book Is revelation from the wisdom
and love Of God Of the brain and heart OF
man--mIllions who regard this book az a
torch that conquers the darkness OF death
and pours It's radiance on another world
-aworId without a tear.
They for get its ignorance and savegry.
its hatred OF liberty. its religious rsrse-
cution; they remember heaven. but they
forget the dungeon OF eternal pain
They forget that Il imprisons the brain
and corrupts the heart. They forget that
IT Is the enemy OF intellectual freedom
Liberty Is my religion. Liberty OF hand
and hrain-Of thought and labor
Liberty is a word hated by hing
loathed by popes. It Is a word that rhat-
tiers thrones and latars- the leaves the
crowned without subjects. and the out.
stretched hand OF superstition without
aims. Liberty sthe blossom and fruit
OF justice-the perfume of mercy. Liberty
is the seed and soil. the air Hnd light the
dew and rain OF progress. love and Joy"
Epicure in the ancient world said things
like these Ell also tried 10 free the world
from vain terrors His name Is a sypo-
nym for gourmet" But that r. no, h,s
fault. He was really an antique Inger-
soil