The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Volume VIII | Page 7

any depositor who puts gold in the bank for
demanding gold in return. Yes, we must have in the silver dollar a
dollar's worth of silver.
--The Commercial, Cincinnati, Ohio, November, 1878.
THE SUNDAY LAWS OF PITTSBURG.*

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 As a general rule, laws should be enforced or repealed; and so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.]
POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS.
Question. What do you think about the recent election, and what will be
its effect upon political matters and the issues and candidates of 1880?
Answer. I think the Republicans have met with this almost universal
success on account, first, of the position taken by the Democracy on the
currency question; that is to say, that party was divided, and was

willing to go in partnership with anybody, whatever their doctrines
might be, for the sake of success in that particular locality. The
Republican party felt it of paramount importance not only to pay the
debt, but to pay it in