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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 1899)
T orch of VOL. 3. R eason . SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1899. FAREW ELL, He has laid dow’n his work, but that which he has done will, in never-ending, but ever-widening circles, help mankind and finally theology to accept that truth of the universe, the doctrine of develop ment. “Truth alone is cosmopolitan,and in science alone does truth reside.” All lovers of this cosmopolitan truth, which purifies, organizes and unites, will mourn the death of Robert G. Ingersoll, the brave, the honest-minded, the true, loving and just. his family caused me to change my mind. I was soon acquainted with F thB g r a v s B n d s all) if a ll t h a t Mrs. Ingersoll and her mother and w a s o u r friB n d is d E a d , thB Eva Ingersoll-Brown, whom I had w o r l d is tiB ttB r f o r t h a lifB hB l iv e d . not met before. We were all seat B B y c in d thB to m b w s c a n n o t s b b . ed in the large room, visiting, talk W b lis tB n , h u t f r o m t h s lip s of m y s tE ry th E rs c o m e s no w o rd , ing and joking. Everything was d a r k n B s s a n d silB n cB b r o o d i n g o v s r love and harmony in the Ingersoll a ll. A n d y B tb E c a u s B w b 11 v b w b home. I nevei saw so many fami- hopB . F arB W B llT a n d y E t a g a i n ilies living under one roof and the fBrBW BllT— Robert C, Ingersoll. members loving each other so de votedly. I believe there was more F o r th e T orch of R eason. unadulterated love in that family Tribute to Ingersoll. than in any other in the world. At the supper table everyone was jol BY MRS. M. M. TURNER. ly. Miss Farrell seemed to take the lead in joking, but no one could hen in the fulness of time F o r th e T orch of Reason. excel the Colonel in appropriate some advanced soul is Ingersoll in His Home. witty remarks. After the meal we borne upou the stream retired to the billiard roorp, where of life to a point of vantage whence BY PEARL W. GEER. a delightful two hours were spent a larger grasp of the meaning of olonel R obert G. I ngersoll before retiring for the night. I was things can be had, leading to the is dead! We all knew that inclined to criticise the Colonel’s overthrow of old theories and the he would die, but we were good playing by calling it luck, unfolding of new truths, the unen he informed me that I not prepared to hav*1 him go whereupon so lightened have resisted, accused and tortured. So it was with Galileo, soon. Just two weeks ago I spent was rather plain spoken and de Bruno, Bacon and other noble men. a day and a night at the Ingersoll clared that the “higher critics” Each victim left a demonstrated home, Dobbs’ Ferry-on-Hudson. would pronounce my opinions “un truth of nature, wh’ch gradually The Colonel was not in the best of inspired”. Sunday morning the family ap- worked its way into the minds of health at that time, but little did I the people, shedding a light which think that in less than two weeks appeared at the breakfast table and made life easier for the next to whom his noble life would come to an ab Colonel Ingersoll seemed livelier than the evening before. During Nature, in answer to loving inquiry, rupt end. It was 4 o’clock Saturday after the morning the time was spent revealed more of her secrets, so that persecution and the physical tor noon when I arrived at the station reading the papers, discussing cur ture of advanced thinkers has been and was told that I would find the rent topics and playing billiards. I done away with. But the position Ingersoll family at the summer hall never forget my hour’s visit of standing by and proclaiming a home of the son-in-law’, Walston H. nth Colonel and Mrs. Ingersoll new truth is yet beset with thorns, Brown, whither 1 was directed by lone that Sunday morning, two Little did I some of the residents of the village. yeeks ago today. as in the case of R. G. Ingersoll. Science asserted that the sun is A lovelier home I never visited. hink that it would he the last time the center of his family of planets, The large stone house is situated in would visit with the great Inger- We discussed the Free- which move around him in rythmic the center of a 30-acre park, in the oll. harmony. Theology said that the midst of beautiful oak and maple bought cause in general and the glorious orb circled around the trees, and surrounded by magnifi jiberal University in particular, earth, for which alone it was creat cent scenery on every side. When I lolonel Ingersoll expressed great ed. Theology, strong with a hack arrived at the house Colonel Inger elight in the progress being made ing of ignorance, persecuted science. soll was asleep, so I waited and had n Oregon, and told me of his inten- Unrepentant, theology now accepts the pleasure of a nice visit with Mr. ion to belp the University in a the scientific truth o f the sun-cen- Brown and Mr. and Mrs. Farrell. inancial way when the lecture The time passed quickly while we eason opens next fall. He talked tered system. Science says that the human were seated on the veranda, looking f visiting Oregon again, and said family has developed by various out upon the beautiful Hudson and ie would surely come to Silverton sublimations from lower organisms. watching the little yachts testing nd give a lecture for the benefit of What a delightful he Liberal University. Theology claims that the people of their speed. Thus passed the twenty-four the earth have descended from one place for a home!’ While Mr. Farrell and I were lours in the delightful Ingersoll man and woman, who by their one act brought all generations for all chatting a footstep was heard upon lome. It was nearly 4 o’clock in time under the curse and wrath of the veranda, and, turning, I saw he afternoon when I climbed into God and made them liable to “the Colonel Ingersoll approaching with he phaeton and was driven to the an outstretched hand of welcome, tation. I hade them all goodbye, pains of hell forever”. Ingersoll accepted the teachings which I quickly arose to grasp for ,nd when I grasped the Colonel’s land he gave me a cordial invita- of science on the question and tried a hearty shake. “Well,” said the Colonel, “I ’m ion to call again, and suggested to show its beauty to the world, and, of course, brought upon him glad to see you; and now that you hat I “stay another day and we self the condemnation of theology, are here, prepare to stay over rill have some fun”. What a hospitable man! And to W ’hich his honest convictions, the night.” I had arranged for a bicycle ride iow he is dead. I can hardly real- vitality of the truth he loved and proclaimed, and his own happy, next day with the Macdonalds, but ee it. The morning papers reveal honest heart, made him indiffer a heavv * shower of rain and the hos- he fact, and today the country pitality of Colonel Ingersoll and aourns the loss of one of its great- ent. W C NO. 30. est men. The papers speak kindly of him in their editorials, and even the preachers seem to have lost their desire to abuse him. They say that “he had a conception of a religion of the past, which is but a travesty on the true religion of the present day, and that is what he taught against”. They are mistak en. Ingersoll taught against the old “true religion”, and under his influence it has changed so that the religion of the present day is so Ingersollian that there is but slight resemblance to the old. If the relig ion of today is the true religion, Ingersoll has made it so. A good and noble life has been lived, and, living it, Colonel Inger soll has taught many lessons to the world which the world will never forget. His work will last as long as human reason, and the name of Robert G. Ingersoll will echo throughout all the ages to come. We who survive him have lived to see the peaceful ending of a noble life. He has quit an active life for an endless rest, and his immortal ity consists in the good work he has done. That will never die nor rest. Cincinnati, O. Lived at Home the Gospel He Preached Abroad. J. A. CLEMEN80N. is dead. Perhaps some will say they are glad he is dead. Perhaps no one in the public will weep over his death, for he asked no one to grieve for him. But his death gives us the right to consider seriously what his life meant, and the question arises in my mind, did the Creator put that man of eloquence and beauty, of sympathy and patriotism, of charity and good will, into this world to destroy his work. The man lived his life believing in the doctrine he preached, and he died still believing. He lived believing in charity, and he died taking no man’s good’s with him. He died leaving no man’s goods willed to anyone else. He lived the gospel at home which he preached abroad. He died leaving his good will to all, his belief in freedom and honest purpose. He lived and died without hope, other than a belief in everlasting peace and rest; but he passed away leaving a doctrine that forces no one to believe in anything but do ing right, and he asked no one to believe in anything until education ngersoll I C oncluded on 3rd page.