The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-24

I|ullOI lIlpuUcH H-NIJj peS Sl'dtG III
your valued paper to reply 10 r. G. Nc
Niece's Vicious letter attacking the hon
csty OF Colonel Ingersoll, published in
The Tribune of date February II?
I suppose that DR.. q. I. Goshen's eu-
logy Of Ingersol last Sunday morning
has called forth this letter OF protest
against hero worship OF the great aS-
nostlc. Look in your Webster for hero
and see if Robert Ingersoll docs not fill
every requirement Flc Is termed an IN
ndel by this nan that never read him,
for he was not that as the term is ap-
Piled In this day. lie was an agnostic-
He ridiculed that which was ridiculous.
But did he ever say one word against
the golden rule Against the beatltudes?
Against the man OF NAZARETH
He said: I'VE do not know, we cannot
say, whether death is n wall or door "
But he said more than this: II live, and
that, OF itself, is Infinitely wonderful.
after that was, Now that / am, l
may be again.
And then we have those words which
We're. uttered at his brothers grave. and
which have found their way into many
u Christian sermon
sin the night OF death hope sees a
star ana listening love can hear the rus
tie of a wing There was this differ
men. Most great men Will not tell a
lie, but 1ngersoll told the truth. He
never Strangled a conviction Of his brain
for gain. His thoughts were the wealth
OF his mind, and he gave them to the
world, and the time will come when
these thoughts on liberty, on woman. on
home, on life, on every subject that his
marvellous genius touched upon, will be
treasured as the gems in our literature.
Ingereol put his own splendid heroisn
Into his words. No man has ever lived
in this land with such magnificent dis
dain for intellectual cowardice as Robert
G. Ingersol He had faith In his reason.
He dared TO speak aloud what others only
dared to think.
ers What tho advanced in sociology
were guardedly thinking he announced
boldly and defended successfully.
He was an exponent OF the new so,
there IS sufficient cause, and carrying
this truth TO It's conclusion, he knew that
the VIII was not free, that man after all
'VSS TngeFso 1s a. sad S Away @ " with this old
doctrine OF the freedom of the will, A
man is no more responsible for his dis
position than for his height, for his acts,
than for his dreams" Bold words. but
true words He knew that character dc"
pended upon training, upon environment.
upon heredlty, upon "a thousand causes
for which the individual is not respon-
sib1e, and that the VIII Is product OF
these; and. knowing this he had pity
| for tho criminal lie was attacked by
orthodox reformerS, and by men OF small
| vision, but the attempts today OF re-
, formers, ministers and all workers for
/ the betterment OF conditions, and all at
Lempts 10 give the children better sur,
rouDdings and influences. is practical
dental on the part OF these people OF the
! freedom of the VIII.
He realized the debt that society owes
! TO labor-"that all there is OF value In
the world is the product OF labor, tina
I la In hprInp all the EXPENSES,
and that whatever taxes are laid on the
! luHuries or the necessities OF life. labor
pays every Gent'mand knowlng, that ttat
! in spite Of It's boasted civilization. pro-
duces poverty, crime and want; he looked
! forward to the time when labor, should
one solid organization to secure what III
asked for and what was fair.
Fle regarded marriage as the most sa-
cred. the most important Sr contract that that
was the real heaven. He said IL IS bet
ter to build home than to erect church.
The holiest temple. bepeath the stars is
hoiest altar in all the wide world j. the
hresIde around which gather fathers.
mothers and the sweet babes"
"The man who has really Won the
love OF one good woman In this world
| | do not care II no dies in the ditch a
be9sar-hIs life has been 2 success"
H looked sNS SSs noHeaS fSSensE Sa Eamy
OK infomies
! He called "Iove the legal tender Of the
! soul JOY. wealth.
/ "The laugh OF a child will make tho
noIiest day more sacred stIll, Strike with
! ha nd Of fire. Oh weird musician, thy harp.
strung with Apollo's golden hair; fll the
vast cathedral aises with symphonies
sweet and dim. doft touches OF the or.
gan keys; blow buSler blow until thy
Silver notes do touch and kiss the moon
! III waves and charm the lovors wander
! Ing mid the vine-clad hills. But know
your sweetest strains are .discords al
compared with childhood's happy laugh