The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-17
COL. NGERsoLL AS A HERO.

Editor Tribune:-It goes without say
ing that there were many thlnss ABOUT
Col. Ingersoll TO be admired: even even by Hg
extreme infidel views. One could NOT
help admlring his rare talent as po-
lItical speaker. At time when our
country had many great poNticaI speahe AZ
top Some OF his speeches ! greatly ad-
mire. The famous speech he made pc
fore the Grand Army OF the Repuonc
national masterpieces OF patriotic ora
tory.
He seems to have been a man Of hu-
name spirit and was devoted to his lam
lily. To give him credit for some worthy
traits OF character, and TO eulosize the
great infldel as a noble hero worthy OF
general imitation, as though he. were al
most free from any moral defects, are
TO me very poor material to make
hero OF.
NY chief objection TO Col. Ingersoll is
that ne was dishonest IN his negative
belief and in his savage and most unrea-
sonable attacks on the Bible ana the
Christian religion. The proof of this dis
honesty is very direct and conclusive
mat mate friend, Newton Bateman, for many
years the great and worthy president
OF Knox college at Galesburg: knew
President Bateman well and, had many
interesting talks with him about lnger-
President OF Knox college. Newton Bate
man was, for sixteen years. superintend- :
ent Of public instruction for the state
OF Illinois and made great reputation
for himself as an educational leader.
He told me that during two years OF
that time Col. Ingersoll held the POSI-
and that their offices were just across
the hall from each other in the State
House at Springfield, They were con
stantly back and forth In each Others
friends. talking freely on every subject.
Ingersol seems TO have had great ad-
mfration for Superintendent Bateman.
as every one did who knew him. For
he was a man OF peace, broad minded
and tolerant in his Views, but an un-
compromising Christian.
One day Ingersoll was in Bateman's $
office and they were talking on the sub
ject OF religion Superintendent Bate
man said to him: You are exercising
great influence by YOUR lectures and
are undermining The Christian faith and
hope OF many people, old and young. Now
are you sure OF your own position? Are
YOU sure you are rightP" Ipgersoll had
been talking while lying on the lounge.
fist down on his knee with great force,
and said With deep earnestness: mo.
! am not sure And ] would give ten
people the harmful doctrines OF which
ne himself was In serious doubt. In.
gersolllsm ran Itself into the ground
years ago by Its extreme Views.
The complete worthlessness OF Ingor-
soils negative Views was we'll Illus
trated by what occurred in his own FAM
lily a the time OF his death. he had
! instiied these negative views into the
minds of his wife and two daughters.
| 30 that they were utterly without hope
| OF any life beyond the grave His phil
osophy OF life entirely collapsed and left
| his family in darkness and despair. They
believed death 20 be the end OF the one
| they 80 admired and loved AS I re-
\ member. his death occurred quite sud =
denly and the funeral had been set for
day came they could not endure the
| thought Of having him carried out OF
| their sight forever. So tho funeral was
postponed until Thuraday. When Thurs
| day came they were as reluctant as ever.