_Question_. Colonel, what do you think of the course the Mayor
has pursued toward you in attempting to stop your lecture?
_Answer_. I know very little except what I have seen in the morning
paper. As a general rule, laws should be enforced or repealed;
and so far as I am personally concerned, I shall not so much complain
of the enforcing of the law against Sabbath breaking as of the fact
that such a law exists. We have fallen heir to these laws. They
were passed by superstition, and the enlightened people of to-day
should repeal them. Ministers should not expect to fill their
churches by shutting up other places. They can only increase their
congregations by improving their sermons. They will have more
hearers when they say more worth hearing. I have no idea that the
Mayor has any prejudice against me personally and if he only enforces
the law, I shall have none against him. If my lectures were free
the ministers might have the right to object, but as I charge one
dollar admission and they nothing, they ought certainly be able to
compete with me.
_Question_. Don't you think it is the duty of the Mayor, as chief
executive of the city laws, to enforce the ordinances and pay no
attention to what the statutes say?
_Answer_. I suppose it to be the duty of the Mayor to enforce the
ordinance of the city and if the ordinance of the city covers the
same ground as the law of the State, a conviction under the ordinance
would be a bar to prosecution under the State law.
_Question_. If the ordinance exempts scientific, literary and
historical lectures, as it is said it does, will not that exempt
you?
_Answer_. Yes, all my lectures are historical; that is, I speak
of many things that have happened. They are scientific because
they are filled with facts, and they are literary of course. I
can conceive of no address that is neither historical nor scientific,
except sermons. They fail to be historical because they treat of
things that never happened and they are certainly not scientific,
as they contain no facts.
_Question_. Suppose they arrest you what will you do?
_Answer_. I will examine the law and if convicted will pay the
fine, unless I think I can reverse the case by appeal. Of course
I would like to see all these foolish laws wiped from the statute
books. I want the law so that everybody can do just as he pleases
on Sunday, provided he does not interfere with the rights of others.
I want the Christian, the Jew, the Deist and the Atheist to be
exactly equal before the law. I would fight for the right of the
Christian to worship God in his own way just as quick as I would
for the Atheist to enjoy music, flowers and fields. I hope to see
the time when even the poor people can hear the music of the finest
operas on Sunday. One grand opera with all its thrilling tones,
will do more good in touching and elevating the world than ten
thousand sermons on the agonies of hell.
_Question_. Have you ever been interfered with before in delivering
Sunday lectures?
_Answer_. No, I postponed a lecture in Baltimore at the request
of the owners of a theatre because they were afraid some action
might be taken. That is the only case. I have delivered lectures
on Sunday in the principal cities of the United States, in New
York, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, San Francisco, Cincinnati and many
other places. I lectured here last winter; it was on Sunday and
I heard nothing of its being contrary to law. I always supposed
my lectures were good enough to be delivered on the most sacred
days.
--_The Leader_, Pittsburg, Pa., October 27, 1879.
[* The manager of the theatre, where Col. Ingersoll lectured, was fined
fifty dollars which Col. Ingersoll paid.]