The Irish standard., 1909-03-20
VIEWS OF OTHERS.
Eminent Instructor in InfideIity
At the "U,"

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Eminent Instructor in infideIity
At the "U."
Editor Of the Irish Standard:
There is man here at the ~" in
Minnesota who is destined to revolu-
tionize the world of thought. At least.
he himself thinks go. His name is
Peach-no, Beach, Professor Beach,
although the Professor is evidently
also "a peach!" He delivers lectures
at the University on poetry and things.
The world has not heard much of Prof.
Beach, as yet, but it will-just as soon
as his own estimate of himself is real
:zcd by the world at large. Up to the
present writing he has enjoyed a
monopoly Of this estimate all to him
self; but he is in a fair way to become,
if not celebrated, at least notorious.
In a recent lecture to his class at tho
"U", report Of which got into print,
he makes a big bid for notoriety by
''PSS~A"A6 VI luo
worlds greatest thinkers. He is re-
ported as having said that "All the
opinions SO far advanced by theolog-
ians and scientists in regard to i'm
mortality are absurd"
1t is almost incredible that any man
ir! his right senses should have uttered
such sentiment as this even if he
thought it; but Prot. Beach has not
contradicted the published statement.
Occasionally a man has been found
who imagined that all the rest of man
kind were fools and that he alone was
sui compos, but the evolution of such
Authorizations usually ended in a mad
house. There is nothing new, indeed,
il a denial of the souls immortality;
CT the contrary, it is old as idiocy it.
self; but it is the brutal frankness of
the terms in which the opinion is
conveyed that is so amazing. Here is
a man who has the surprising-can-
der to inform us that the world has
been in utter darkness with regard
to the most important problem that
can engage the human mind until he
was sent to enlighter it. and yet he
makes the extraordinary announcement
without SO much as batting an eye.
The, greatest intellects Of the human
race from Plato to Pascal, from Aris-
totle to Aquinas are simply mot in it,
in comparison with the effulgent lumi-
nary of our Minnesota gu" The most
distinguished professors of such re-
nowned universities as Paris, Oxford,
and Salamanca were all unfit 20
hold candle" to this stupendous
prodigy of wildwestern culture. The
professor does not deign to argue the
c.uestion-why should he? His func-
zion is to decide, no. to discuss, and
he does decide with u vengeance Cali
tile opinions so far advanced by theo-
logians and scientists in regard to inn
mortality are absurd" From this de-
cis;on, of course, there is no appeal.
The PROFESSIONAL chair is the court OF
last resort. Beach locutus est, causa
tinita est. We have heard a good deal
C the dictatorial decisions of Rome,
but hero is decision which leaves
the ex-cathedra announcements of
the Vatican entirely in the shade.
But if Prof. Beach is hard on the
t,eologians and the scientists he has
Il warm corner III his heart for the
poets. "The poets," said he, "are the
only ones who are capable of advance
ing opinions in regard to a future life"
Poetry be it remembered, is the pro-
fessor's speciality. 1t is the old, old
story-"there's nothing like leather"
1t has been generally supposed that
the legitimate sphere Of the poet is
:Ic imagination rather than the intel
lect, fancy rather than fact: but doubt
less this opinion is another of the alb
surdities which it is the professors
mission to abolish. But then most o.
the poets themselves, especially those
Of the highest order, shared the alb
surd opinion of the theologians. HON.
err and Pindar, Horace and Virgil,
Dante, Shakespeare and Milton were
all devout believers in the immortal
i.y of the soul. Indeed the only ex-
ception amongst the Greeks to those
who believed in future state was
Ericurus, the depraved apostle of SEN
sualism. Of course, understand the
futility of appealing. to authority
against a man whose contempt for
al authority is his only claim to dis
tinction. I do so merely as an argyll
nlentum ad hominem. He had invoked
the poets; it was competent to show
that his own witnesses give testimony
against him.
Il believe in the immortality of the
deed" continues the professor, but
can scarcely reconcile myself to a be-
lief in life after death when the good