Evening journal., 1899-08-15

Sdius WISH 10 tell you Wnat q great
man ! think you are" Don't tell me
that, sharply responded Mr.. Glad
stone; tell me how insignificant am,
and you will speak the truth" And
Mr.. Gladstone man who was pro-
fundity itself: man whose crammed
intellect was tuned to a razor-like
keenness; a man whose massive brain
absorbed almost every atom Of earthly
knowledge-Mr. Gladstone himself
lived and died with an ever-increasing
faith in "the resurrection OF the body
and the life everlasting Now, II any
man can demonstrate to us that Mr.
Gladstone, the giant intellect OF the
century, was, theologically, mere SEN
man who was content to
hlindly follow a will-o'-the-wisp an
ignis fatuus-if any man can demon
strate to us that the ever-practical VIII
liam Ewart Gladstone based his i'm
plicit belief in the Supernatural upon
shifting sands, then we would be pre-
pared to sorrowfully throw up the
sponge, and give any man leave to
write us down an ASS"
The harmful effect Of Mr.. Ingersoll
and his pestlential creed was, after
all, very limited. We hold the opin-
ION that the egotistical doubtings OF
the champions OF higher criticism
men whose better sense should have
taught them that by indulging in
trivial and hair-splitting arguments
concerning the probability OF either
this or that event set forth in the
books OF the Old Testament--produce
IA far more baneful effect upon the in
telligence than ever did the fiimsy, in
substantial light-as-air and mushroom
vaporings of Robert G. Ingersoll. In
fact, the idle declarations OF Mr.. Inger-
soil had no appreciable effect upon the
minds OF the believers in the Man
Christ, beyond causing a smile to rip
pie the cheek at the senility Of the man
and his advocacy OF lost and obso-
lete cause.
We don't antagonize the memory OF
Mr.. Ingersoll as a man. Judged by that
standard, and by that standard alone,
he, doubtless. far excelled in excel
lence the average man. And we per-
iectly comprehend any appreciate the
splendid and exceptional oratorical
gift with which Mr.. Ingersoll was roy
ally endowed, but gift which he sadly
perverted by the advocacy OF ranl1 inf
delism. We fancy we hear either this
or that individual exclaim-"Oh, Mr..
Ingersoll had the courage OF his con-
vlctionsl" Indeed Well. we very much
doubt II Mr. Ingersoll ever spoke ten
words with the courage Of
We believe that right
down at the bottom of his heart he felt
that he was on the track: that he
was skinning his mental digits by con-
tact with an invulnerable wall, and
that his faith in nfidelism-infidelism
as a hard, concrete fact-was at zero.
Indeed had we the time and space to
spare, it we're easy to point out how,
in some OF his oratorical flights, Mr..
Ingersoll unconsciously employed
metaphors savoring OF a religious char
acter, thus indicating the real or in
nate belief OF the mar. The truth is,
MIR. Ingersoll scarcely knew what he
believed. His brilliant and imagina-
tive mind noundered in the ocean Of
speculation: and his mental dory, ever
rudderless. was blown hither and
thither by every chance or passing
breeze.
The great American public con-
demns the memory OF Mr.. Ingersoll, in
that he antagonized the principles Of
christianity when he knew full we'll
that the adoption OF any doctrine anti
thetical or opposed to those principles
would not be practicable. even only
SO far as the conduct or management
OF this world is concerned. And Mr..
Ingersoll had sense sufficient to ap-
preciate the fact that the adoption by
the masses OF his tenets. his death
ends-all creed, would result in social
chaos and disaster, and an utter indif-
ference to all consequences resulting
from the performance OF each and
every vicious act. The great Ameri-
can public condemns the memory OF
Mr.. lngersoll for his dead and past ef-
forts to negative and disturb the we'll
ordered religious convictions Of the
many, in order that he might cater tC
the foolish amusement OF the unletter-
ed few. The great American public
condemns the memory OF Mr.. Inger-
soil for his having ever evinced ma.
licious delight whenAgiving his puny
miserable and distorted solution Of tn,
greatest OF all the great riddles-th,
, riddle OF the universe. And the SAM