THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER R , 1896. man is inspire« I just liecause bis word understood, the world becomes Dry under two years of age. It was a followers say so? Are we to sutler M paradise.” remarkable and most cruel event, throughout eternity liecause we 'fake courage friends of liberty, but the other three knew nothing of think if any prophesy ever came although every man who has dared it, or if they did, did not deem it true tliat it was ma<le to come true to oppose this slavery of the mind worthy of mention. The four writ- l»y interested parties <»r th at the has had his reputation blackened ers do not agree as to the time when guesser made a good guess ? <), and his efforts ridiculed, yet there Jesus entered Jerusalem. They do the base of the brain are sufficiently awake to act aud produce their im- preosions, one may dream he is a murderer, or tiiief, or capable of committing almost any crime, aud he is practically in a condition such as he would be in if his moral and u^.. w ithdraw our are m anv coining .to. the front not agree as to the < rot. ¡fiction, a* iiiteBeciual fAenhiev-wnre badly from these errors and ready, if need be, to sacrifice all for to the inscription that was placed represented in the brain as to leave ijtv jrieu il- let support support institutions of modern the love of truth. For ages we thought. Let us teach the children have been taught to stop our ears something more elevating than the to everything tending to rob the fear of a vindictive god who will ppjest or preacher of his revenue or send bears to destroy those who power. We have been taught to shun ifre naughty, and the older children the works of such meu as Thomas some better motive for doing right Paine and we dare say that outside than the fear of an awful hell or of the clergy that nine-tenths of the promise of great reward. his enemies never read his works Dr. Cooper says: “If the people or know of his patriotic devotion do not keep the clergy under control to his country and to the cause of they will bring the people into truth. abject slavery. In every nation In speaking of this noble hero a upon earth they have done so; preacher, not long since, thundered what should change their charac- from his pulpit words to this effect: ter here?” “His carcass was not fit to he buried There are but a few thinking hi a Christian land and so his rot- people wdio believe this superstitious ten, stinking bones were dropped religion and if disbelievers would hito the sea:” but we say unto you withdraw’ their support, the old that Thos. Paine’s noble words and rotten structure would fall of its works will live and be loved and own weight, but thousands of dol- respected long after the rotten the- lars are given for effect; many are °logy of certain preachers has been slaves to fashion; others give for buried deep in the sea of oblivion, praise, some through fear, and Kind reader, do not misunder- others because they go to church stand us. \\ e condemn no’ one for and think it no more than right to his mintakes, and have none but pay for their entertainment: so the die kindest of feelings toward all church at home is supported and men. We all make mistakes and the poor heathen wa v over in the in our judgment there is no greater dark continent is taught to believe mistake than vindictive condern- or be damned, but if the poor hea- nation, be it found in man or in the then believes all the contradictory gods. What is needed is more love doctrines taught by contending f°r all mankind and to this end let churches he is certainly foolish ns investigate, and fear not to give whether he is damned or not. our honest opinions on these ques- Liberty is what we want and as dons which affects us all, and we 4 • , greatest . . orators . may one „ of r America’s „ J be sure that . the dark clouds x . of error will disappear, the bright, says, the most important thing . .. ,, . ,, . beautiful sun of truth will finally in this world is liberty: , , . , , More nn- . ,, . . . . . shed its life-giving rays over the portant than food or clothes, ’ more whole earth, and the world . will ... In , r important than gold or houses or free from the deadly hate which lands, more important than art or comes from stupid superstition and science, more important than all re iguorance. ligions, is the liberty of man. With J E S U S O F N A ZA RETH out it there comes suffocation, deg radation and death. Liberty is the We need not cite the great num condition of progress. Without ber of discrepancies which exist be liberty there remains only barbar tween the statements of the four ism. Without liberty there can be evangelists touching the story of no civilization. Jesus, but they inevitably shake Without freedom of thought no confidence in their accuracy and human being has the right to form truthfulness. Matthew, in giving a judgment. It is impossible that the genealogy of Jesus, and to show there should be such a thing as real that he descended from David, men religion, without liberty. \\ ithout tions 27 persons through whom the liberty there can be no such thing descent came, beginning with • I as conscience, no such word as jus- Joseph. Lukein attempting the tice. All human actions—all good, same thing, with the exception of ail bad—have for a foundation the the two ends of the line David and idea of human liberty, and with- Joseph, gives an entirely different out liberty there can be no vice line of descent, and gives 42 names and there can be no virtue. With of forefathers, in place of 27. One or out liberty there can be no worship, the other must be wrong and if no love, no hatred, no justice, no Joseph was not the father of Jesus, progress. Take the word lilierty both are utterly preposterous. In from human speech and all the living the genealogy of Jesus, other words would become poor, i 1’“? of ,Jo8eph’ if„ not h'8 _______i father, can have no possible connec withered, meaningless sounds; i hut . tion. Matthew mentions the des- with that w’ord realized, with that troyingof all the infants in thecoun- upon the cross. They do not agree little but animal propensity and as to the place of his aseention. selfishness as the basis of his char H. D. B acter; he would thus have a strong ( to be continued .) tendency to he a thief aud a ruffian really. Sometimes in a dream one D R E A M IN G . rises to an ecstacv of benevolence Dreaming or incomplete sleep is and kindness; his aspirations are an instance proving that the mind angelic, for then that part of the is not one separate faculty or power, brain is active through which those for if it were so, it would he either elements are manifested, and the all awake or asleep at the same selfish or sensual part of the nature time. Dreams are inconsistent, ill- is hushed in sleep; as an organist ogical, and as all the faculties he- would say, a man is working with come awakened and fully conscious, a peculiar set of stops drawn, or the dream which seemed real iscor that the mind was working its up reCtly estimated. As the organs in per register.—Heads and Faces. You W an t a neat X m as p re se n t call at C ity P h a rm a c y . You will find an up-to-date line. G uiss & Son O T T O W E T T S T E I N ’S P o p u la r F re e th o u g H t B adge. “ A pin whose to rch an d golden sh een , W ould grace th e b reast of S h e b a ’s q u e e n ; And will lend grace (now a n d ) in com ing tim e To queens of Iteauty m ore su b lim e .” Should he worn by every man and woman favoring the cause of Ereethouglit and reform. See design in heading of this paper. Now is the time to buy. O tto W e tts te in , The Liberal jeweler and writer, Designer of the O tto W ettstein W atch , the C ol . I ngersoll S ouvenir S poon , and the beautiful F reethouoht B adge . Es tablished in Rochelle, Illinois, in 1857. Send for price-lists of goods and work. Do all you can yourself, an d get o th ers to help. Liberal U n iversity Popular S u b scrip tio n $....... ............................................. 1896. I hereby promise to. pay............................. dollars to the Oregon State Secular Union on demand, for the erec tion of a Liberal University at Silverton, Marion county V 7 Oregon, provided, that the sum of five thousand dollars is subscribed by good, responsible parties before said de- mand is made.