Whimsies [excerpt]

All [93][94] the good and all the evil in the world has been caused by “feelings,” but I think that feelings-plus-logic, have done more harm in the long run than feelings-plus-feelings. Logic is relentless. The logic of Torquemada was unanswerable, once admit his axioms. Heretics were damned. They made converts who were also damned. It was better to torture and kill a few of them here than to consign a large portion of the race to hell forever. Q. E. D. The argument is unanswerable. But if Torquemada had consulted his heart, he would have thrown the whole flimsy sophism overboard. If I may indulge in a Hibernicism, I would say that it is a good thing to keep your heart at your elbow. But even Tucker’s logic is faulty at times. He thinks that it was Czolgosz’s feelings that prompted him to shoot President McKinley. This was clearly not the case. Every feeling in him must have protested against the killing of a smiling elderly gentleman who was receiving him like a father. It was logic that wrecked the lad. Government was wrong. McKinley was a governor. Hence he should be removed. Q. E. D. [94][95] It was the logic of Torquemada. We owe a heap of trouble to the Q. E. Ds.