Show THAT DISCUSSION CONTINUED CON-TINUED I Editors Herald The stomach of your correspondent correspond-ent George M Mann appears to be incapable of digesting my remarks upon the exhibition at the Walker Opera House last Sunday evening Whether my cemments were too strong or his stomach too weak matters mat-ters not It is a known fact that there are several articles of food of rare value which a dyspeptic cannot can-not assimilate but they are always on the best bills of fare nevertheless neverthe-less Because a child is taught something some-thing while kneeling beside a Christian mother does it follow that when he is a man he must agree with that teaching In this case however I learned the prayer as commonly taught at that time and in the way to my mind less objectionable ob-jectionable It is true notwithstanding notwith-standing that we do not forgive our debtors and we ought not to say we do If it be important that honesty prevail between man and man how much more important is it between man and his Maker Referring to the teachings of a Christian mother what do our so called Christian friends recommend in cases where the Christian mothers taught their children to believe that Joseph Smith was a true prophet The penitentiary is prescribed in most cases as witness their denunciation of Mormonism as a crime Presumptuous Pre-sumptuous as it may seem in me to speak for the whole audience audi-ence 1 feel confident that I understood under-stood the assembly as well as Mr Mann who does not think it presumptuous pre-sumptuous for him to say < we were highly pleased with the opening open-ing exercises and consider that they were very appropriate and think that the speaker defended Christianity Christ-ianity ably and eloquently I am glad some one thought so The gentleman must be joking when bespeaks of the clear waters of Christianity It has been generally gen-erally conceded by the brightest minds of the age to be the muddiest stream extant and no wonder when every upstart empirically attempts to settle it by throwing in the first ingredient suggested by lack of knowledge of human nature He says I am a tenement of prejudice prej-udice bigotry and sophistry I am somewhat surprised that he did not call me a polygamist In any case he might have called me a rhinoceras a pterodactyl or a me gatherium Please to dont He says after writing my conglomeration con-glomeration of prejudice foolishness foolish-ness aud sophistry that I was ashamed to sign my name to it Is it not rather singular after his elegant collection of brilliantly arranged ar-ranged sentences with their invaluable inval-uable wisdom and profound rendition rendi-tion so plainly manifest in every line that his modesty should permit per-mit him to sign his name in full Why not have remained unknown un-known unhonored and unsung and let the critics variously attribute the production to Carlyle Spencer Hume Macauley or even to Shakespeare Shakes-peare The truth is if I had signed my name the HERALD would have wanted me to pay for it as an advertisement ad-vertisement If I had assailed Mr McNieca or any other gentleman I should very willingly have given my name I did not assail any one but the HERALD is herebyauthorized to inform in-form Mr McNiece personally should he like to know who wrote the article The idea of Mr Mann comparing i my wouldbe conceit and pedantry pedan-try to the efforts of the leverend gentleman in a similar direction is considering time place person and circumstances ridiculous My apology apol-ogy for the use of foreign phrases is that I am not yet master of English En-glish and am compelled to use such words as are at my command If my friend Mann had used a few foreign words I might have been able to see the point of some of his remarks j now I cannot Mr Mann says conclusion I will say that in my humble opinion opin-ion the principles of Christianity as taught by Christ will be fresh and green long after the doctrines of Mr Ingersoll and his imitators have been lost in the maelstrom of forgetfulness The gentleman is entitled to his opinion maelstrom and all but what has that to do with the matter t is clear that some of the defenders of Christianity are altogether too fresh and green now or they would not show such signs of weakness weak-ness In conclusion I will say that in our humble opinion any preacher who goes on the public platform to reply to a speaker who has observed all the decorum of debate de-bate and then takes with him a band of choristers with an organ and all the accessories used en the occasion referred to is as censurable censur-able as would be a prizefighter who enters the ring with a six shooter In his belt even if it was loaded with blank cartridges I And now farewell Mr Mann Be assured that I envy you nothing 1 only that peculiar position which j enables you to sign your name in full without being accused of a sinister motive But in this I will not be outdone for the name I sign is much better known here than your own although you probably came here and made this country so that such fellows 1 as I am could live here as we are often told by men of a few months residence i You may know me Did you ever bear of JOHN SMITH En |