The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-21

together TOT the common welfare or
the people here and now on this
earth.
Shades of Robert G. ~Ingersoll. That
was just what he tried to hammer into
the b%rain-pan OF the bigot and the
hard-shell theologian. fancied l
could e his shining face and broad
smile up there among priests and
preachers. This world" cried Inger-
soil, this world, here and now, with
its crimes and tears. its poverty and
drunkenness, its shame and heart
aches-make it better. Never mind
h length of the ark. forget the kind
of wood it was made of-make this
world today a world of justice and low
and kindness
And for this his pious brothers r
viled him, and the little v%audevill4
evangefists and cross-road preacher
are still telling us how he is burnir2
in a place whose name non but wipe
can consistently utter and which r.
self-respecting man ever uses in politv
company.
No man ever gave the wide-open !
quor traffic and the rum system hara
err hits than Ingersoll. Hating SLAYER.
in all its forms he hated this TYRANNY
OF the strong over the weak with az
the intensity of his great soul. There
was no hypocrisy in his hates an6
loves. Like Voltaire he could pray.
Good Lord, take care of my friends
l will loo after my enemies myself"
Read his creed. SO wide and great that
every man and woman should hang it
upon the walls of the mmo sitting
room:
My reed is to love Justice. to
long for the right, to love mercy, to
pity the suffering, to assist the weak,
to forget wrongs and remember bene-
fits; to love the truth, to be sincere,
to utter honest words, to love liberty,
to wage relentless war against slav-
cry in all its forms. to love wife and
child and friend. to make a happy
home, to love the beautiful in art, in
nature, to cultivate the mind, to be
familiar with the mighty thoughts
that genius has expressed. the noble
deeds of all the world, to cultivate
courage and c~heerfulness, to make 9TH
ers happy to fill life with the splend-
or of generous acts. the warmth of
loving words, to discard error, to de-
stroy prejudice, to receive new truths
with gladness, to cultivate hope, to
see the calm behind the storm. the
dawn beyond III night, to do the best
that can be done and then to be re-
signed"
And he lived his creed royalty.
And who was more familiar with the
mighty thoughts hat genius has ex-
pressed than he? How often he quot
ed from Shakespeare. None can be
called deformed but the unkind." or
this splendid phrase from Othello:
20 that ever should pu' an enemy in
their mouths to steal away their
brains! that W. should, with joy. rev.
ell. pleasure n applause, transform
ourselves into beasts"
And by the way, if anyone wants to
read a temperance sermon from the
greatest genius of all time, let him
take up Othello and see how the tragic
climax builds upon the drunkenness
of Cassie. 1t was Cassie who said
when asked to drink by Iago, Not to-
night, good Iago. l have very poor
and unhappy brains for drinking. I
could well wish courtesy would invent
some other custom of entertainment"
1t was Cassie who said. 20, thou
invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast
no name to be known by, let us call
thee-Devil."
The 1afo civil NOR did nn,oh 70
break down sectarian differences. 1t
not only liberated black slaves, but
largely freed the intellect of the
whites. In that war men of different
churches n beliefs stood side by side
in truth, toiled side by side in trench
es. suffered together in prisons and
hospitals. learned to love and respect
n another as human creatures with
out regard to their theologies. The
awful experiences of those few years
brought character to the front. and
disclosed the fact that human nature
was not materially different in ortho-
0 and heterodox; that 'Evangelists'
were not, of necessity better soldiers,
Drawer, more constant OF more trust
ing, than 'Infidels.s The sustaining
power was felt to be something deeper
than vas indicated by theological
badges"
No man need fear that the drink
problem will no be solved. Life it.
self is a problem and veal men fall
into despair over it. but strong and
sane minds seek comfort in the simple
faith of the meek who are said to in
herit the earth. 1t will be solved and
personal liberty will not only be pre-
served, but enlarged. Duels were done
with. but men are just as brave
and honorable as ever. Snufftaking
is forgotten but men are still gentle |
men. Doctors nc longer wear swords
at their sides, but they are better
armed today with the weapons of sci
entiic truth. True. the quack-doctor
still kills with dope, but he is fast
becoming a 'has-been." |
John Wesley we'll said that the
foundations of Christianity would
crumble if the laws against witch
craft We're repealed. Well. they were
repealed. The witchcraft fake was
exploded. Religious truth still re-
mains. There are business mem