The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1899-10-23
TRIBUTES TO INGERsoLL.
DIR. Felix AdIer's View of the Great
Agnostic

NEW YORK, Oct. 23.-Dr. Felix Adler
delivered an address before the Society for
Ethical Culture yesterday at Carnegie Hall
on Conflicting Views as to the influence
of the Late Robert G. Ingersoll"
The first thing that one notes about In
gersoll is his vigor, sweep. and dash At
Inc close OF the last century there was a
free thought movement, as there has been
recently. Franklin, Jefferson. John Ad-
ans were conspicuous in this movement,
and tits believed by some that even Wash
ington was influenced by it.
That movement, however, was based
upon intellect-it strove to explain the uni
tions affecting the will. His ideal was
liberty. He stood for the unshackling of
man, woman, and child, for the removal OF
restraints upca the will. He was in fact
simply the exponent of the opinions of a
great portion of the American people The
only thing peculiar about him was that he
proclaimed aloud what others merely
thought.
Twenty CT thirty years ago the spell OF
ecclesiastical conformity was still potent
throughout America. Especially in the viii
iages, not 10 belong to a church, not in
some way to pay homage TO the opinions Of
the majority, meant to incur a certain loss
IN both business and social relations This
Is still true TO some extent, but not nearly
so much as formerly and the change is due
in no small part to Ingersoll
He made men tolerate opinions that
they hated. His power was due not merely
10 what he said, but to the personality be-
hind his words. Ingersoll had an exceed
ing personal charm.
Kindness shone in his face and the
tears sparkled in his eye at the mere men,
tion of suffering. And he practiced what
he preached Everyone knows that the
avenues of political power were open to
him. He deliberately threw this away to
carry out what he considered his mission.
"Ingersoll was chivalrous toward women
His essay on the Liberty of Man. Woman.
and Child can be read with profit and
pleasure by every right thinking person.
He could do without God AS to the exist
ence of God he used to say, L neither af-
firm nor deny-I do not know Toward
the end of his life, however he practical
Iy denied the existence of God When
asked about Immortality, though, he said
L neither affirm nor deny-I hope In this
masses.
so much for Ingersoll the man. Now,
what as to the tendencies of his teachings?
His criticism of the old religion is essen
tally one-sided and partial. Hence it was
in effect, though not in intention, unfair.
Every religion has its good and its bad side
But Ingersoll selected only those things
which showed the bad side, and said little
or nothing about the good. Ingersoll con-
vineed only these who did not know the
other side.''
did not take a correct view of the Bible
speaking in a historical and critical sense
He was always speaking about "the BIZ
Bile" as saying so and SO. AS a matter of
fact, said the doctor, the Bible is composed
OF the fragments of a whole literature and
there are often in close connection pas
sages by two authors who were bitterly
opposed to each other. DR.. Adler remarked
that some of Ingersoll's writings have been
bound up with the writings of some of
his bitterest opponents. "It would be just
as fair" he added, "to hold Ingersoll re-
sponsible for Cardinal Manning's criti-
cisms as to make one writer in the Old
Testament responsible for what another
said Yet that is what Ingersoll did,"
He took some of the doctrines of the old
churches too literally, and he did not un-
derstand the real spiritual need which un-
derlay such doctrines ofttimes. With him
pain is the great injury. From this came
his dangerous statements about suicide.
which the sturdy conscience of mankind
resents. An example of patience in suffer
ing may be of more Importance than joy.
In spite of these errors, however, Dr. Ad-
Ter said, Colonel Ingersoll deserved honor
for his sincerity and for an admirable in
consistency which made many of his harsh
er statements innocuous.