Colonel Ingersoll at Pike’s Opera House
COLONEL INGERSOLL wrote to the manager of Pike's Opera House, asking for its use Sunday evening, May 9th. The Committee of the Methodist General Conference had control of it during the mornings and on Sundays, but had arranged no service for the evening. The manager had to get their consent. Had they refused, the Quixotic Colonel would have made capital. They interposed no objection. He came; drew a crowd, that hooted, and yelled as he joked, argued, and blasphemed; and went away, leaving the secular papers to draw a contrast between the spirit and influence of the Conference and the effect of the Colonel's career. Ingersoll, on the whole, does little or no harm. If there were one such agitator in every city, it would promote religion. Few who see where infidelity leads will follow it to its last results. But to denounce and oppose them is to advertise and strengthen them. Nothing would have pleased the Colonel better than to have been refused; unless, indeed, the Conference had passed resolutions denouncing him.—Independent.