The evening times., 1899-07-22

livered the following address at the funeral
of Master Harry Miller, young son Of
Mr.. and Mrs. George o. Miller, at the Con-
gressional Cemetery, in this city. This,
like the funeral oration over the body Of
his brother, also attracted great attention
throughout the country. Upon this occa-
sion the great orator said:
My Friends: know how vain it is to gild
grief with words, and yet wish to take from
life and death are equal kings, all should be
brave enough to meet what all have met. The
future has been filed with fear, stained and pol
luted by the heartless past. From the wondrous
tree Of life the buds and blossoms fall with
ripened fruit, and in the common bed Of earth
patriarchs and babes sleep side by side. Why
should we fear that which will come to all that
isl We cannot tell We do not know which is
the greater blessing, life or death. We cannot
say that death is not good. We do not know
whether the grave is the end Of this life the
door OF another, or whether the night here is not
somewhere else dawn. Neither can we tell,
which is the fortunate. the child dying in its
mothers before its lips have learned to form
a word, he who journeys all the length of
life's uneven road, painfully taking the last slow
steps with staff and crutch. Every cradle asks
us ''Whence?" and every coffin ''Whither?"
The POOR barbarian weeping above his dead can
answer the question intelligently and sats-
factorily as the robed priest Of the most authen-
tic creed. The fearful ignorance Of the one is
ing words Of the other. No man standing where
the horizon of life has touched grave has any
right to pfophesy future filled with pain
and tears. 1t may be that death gives all there
is of worth to life. II those who press and strain
against hearts could never die, perhaps that
love would wither from the earth. Maybe COM
mon faith treads from out the paths between our
hearts the weeds Of seifshness and should rather
live and love where death is king than have eter-
nal life where love Is not. Another life is
naught, unless we know and love again the ones
who love us here. They who stand with break
ing hearts around this little grave need have no
is, and is to be- tells US that death, even at its
worst, is only perfect rest. We know that through
the common wants OF life. the needs and d.ties
of each hour, their grief will lessen day by day
until at last these graves will be to them place
OF rest and peace. almost of joy. There is for
them this consolation The dead do not suffer
II they live again their Lives will surely be
good as ours We have no fear; we are all chill
dren Of the. same mother and the same fate awaits
all. We. too have our religion, and it is this:
Help for the living, hope for the, dead
Many references to Colonel Ingersoll will
be made in the local pulplts tomorroy-
Some Of the Washington pastors with
whom a Times reporter spoke today said
generous things about the dead.
The Rev. Alexander Kent, pastor Of the
Peoples Church said:
''Ingersoil has done great work ip
breaking down superstitions and falsehoods
which have gotten themselves embodied in
the creeds OF the churches. / think that
the weapons Of ridicule and sarcasm that he
used in attacking. errors. although shock
ing at times to even liberal minds. had the
effect of revealing those errors that solid
argument did not have. His gospel of
hope and cheerfulness has been OF serv-
ice TO rnultitudes of people and has been
not without its Wholesome influence on the
preachers in the churches. r5
''As liberal, have always felt that In
gersoll did injustice to Christianity in as
suming its identity with the creeds. and
believe that il he had been a more careful
student CT the New Testament" with
such light as modern scholarship has
thrown upon 1t, he would have been more
discriminating in his attacks. But my own
confidence in truth is such that / have
never been disturbed by these attacks, al
ways feeling that truth is able to take
care of itself. 1t is not like basket of
eggs that must be handled gently to pre-
vent breakage. but Is more like a foot
ball-the harder you kick 1t the higher it
will rise. / have never regarded Mr.. In
gersoll as q great iogician. but as a mas
ter in the use Of rhetoric and a superb
orator.
While disagreeing with him in many
things and feeling that he has not used
his great powers to the best advantage, l
still regard him as having been one of the
useful men of our times, who has done
not a little to promote intellectual and
moral freedom and TO opening the way to
higher and better thinking. From all that
have heard and seen. OF him, his domestic
life has been one of rare fidelity and beauty,
and any one OF whom that can be said,
whatever his attitude toward the dogmas
of religion. must have had some of the
root Of the matter in him"
The Rev. DR.. Domer said:
II would not disturb his, memory, nor
will l indulge in a single harsh reflection
now that he is gone. ] never cherish re-
sentiment. Nothing can be said against
the general character of Mr.. Ingersoll. His
home life was pure. believe that his in
fdence was not for good but l will not
pronounce Judgment in his case. l con-
slider him as peerless orator. People
have right TO their views IL they hold
them honestly, and l gave Mr.. Ingersoll
credit for sincerity. His cratory was pow
erful and insinuating. 1t was like the ap-
peal of a flower. Of a strain Of sweet mu-
sic-it would take you away in spite OF
yourself"
The Rev. DR.. Stafford, assistant pastor at
discuss the character OF IngersolI.
The Rev. T. Dewitt Tallmage Is not in
Washington. A housemaid at the Tallmage
residence on Massachusetts Avenue told a
reporter for The Times this afternoon that
Mr.. Tallmage is at East Hampton, Long
Island.