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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1896)
THE TORCH OF REASON. SILVERTON, OREGON. THDRSDAY, DECEMBER .-¡1, 18;»«. M ateria lism a n d Id ealism . coeio, and which can he confounded with each o th er only hv malevo- M a te r ia lis m a n d id e a lis m a r e u s- le n c e o r iu c o m p e te n e v . W hoever u a l l y r e g a r d e d a s a b s o l u te o p p o - s a c r if ic e s h is life to i n v e s t i g a t i o n , »« <**», s ite s . M a t e r i a l i s m is r e p r e s e n te d a s a m is e r a b le , c o m f o r tle s s , h o p le s s , s a d a n d e m p t y t h e o r y , o n l y fit fo r h y p o c h o n d ria c s , m is a n th r o p e s o r h is p e r s o n a l in te r e s ts to th e t r u t h , a n d th e fa c t o f h is a c t i v i t y to t h e im p r o v e m e n t o f t h e lo t o f h u m a n i t v h a s n o le is u r e t o r u n a f t e r s e n s u a l p u lt~ 'i< ? * > . n.-'isj w h iis i in b p p o s i- tio n to t h i s t h e s o - c a lle d id e a lis m p ro fe s s e s to s a t is f y t h e h i g h e r i n te l - l e c tu a l a n d s p i r i t u a l n e c e s s itie s o f m a n a n d to r a is e h im , b y a h i g h e r c o n c e p tio n of th e w o rld a n d o f life , a b o v e t4ie d e fic ie n c ie s a n d n o th in g - n e s s o f t h i s e a r l y life. In tru th , e n j o t ? m e n t >, a t i d is in r e a l i t y a ° ° ® «3 0 0 0 0 0 < » « ,O , e» If You W an t & a neat New Y ear’s p re se n t <•••11 at C ity P h a rm a c y . i U 1. ’cl d a t e lin e . ta r g r e a t e r id e a lis t t h a n th o s e w h o fin d in t h e i r id e a lis m a m e a n s of o b t a i n i n g g r e a t offices, fa t l iv i n g s , r ic h s a l a r i e s o r b r i l l i a n t d i s t in c t io n s . B u t e v e n s h o u ld m a t e r i a li s m , w h e n m o re w id e ly d iffu s e d , a m o n g m a n - k i n d , c o n t r i b u t e , ( e x c e p t a m o n g jis 5?- :» : ■ J ;; - J, - ( m is s & S on O T T O W E T T S T E IN ’S P o p u l a r F r e e t h o u g r h t B a d jg e . h o w e v e r , t h i s is so in c o r r e c t t h a t s c ie n tif ic s u p p o r t e r s ) to s t r e n g t h e n t h e m a t e r i a li s m of s c ie n c e m a y r a - t h e s t r i v i n g a f t e r t h e e n j o y m e n t s o f t h e r w ith p e r f e c t j u s t i c e he d e - s c rib e d a s t h e h ig h e s t id e a lis m of life. F o r t h e m o r e w c fre e o u r - s e lv e s fro m a l l d e lu s iv e i m a g i u a - <>f t h i s w o rld , w h ic h in d e e d is a l - r e a d y s u f f ic ie n tly s tr o n g , t h i s c o u ld o n l y be g r e e te d w ith s a t is f a c ti o n in t h e i n te r e s ts of p r o g r e s s ,— a lw a v s tio n s o f a w o r ld a b o v e u s a n d o u t - s id e of u s , o r o f a s o - c a lle d f u t u r e , t h e m o re d o w e fin d o u r s e l v e s n a t- u r a l l y d ir e c te d w ith a ll o u r f o rc e s a n d e n d e a v o r s to t h e p r e s e n t , o r to t h e w o r ld in w h ic h w e a r e liv in g a n d feel tn e n e c e s s ity c f a r r a n g - in g t h i s w o rld a n d o u r life a s b e a u - tif u l l y a n d a d v a n t a g e o u s l y , a s p o s - s ib le b o th fo r t h e i n d i v i d u a l a n d fo r th e w h o le . I t is c le a r t h a t t h u s a p e r f e c tly i m m e a s u r a b l e fie ld o f e x e r t i o n a n d a c tio n is o p e n e d u p for t h e id e a l- ism o r th e i d e a l i s t i c s t r i v i n g o f h u m a n n a t u r e , — a f i e l d , i t is t r u e , w h ic h n o lo n g e r lie s b e y o n d t h e s u p p o s in g t h a t th e k in d o f e n jo y -} m e n t w a s s u c h , in th e s e n s e o f s c ie n tif ic o - m a ie r ia lis tic c o n c e p tio n of th e u n iv e r s e , a s d id n o t m e r « l\ s a t is f y t h e g r o s s a n d a n i m a l im - p u ls e s , h u t at th e s a m e lim e a c te d e n n o h lin g ly u p o n th e b o d y a n d m in d . B y t h i s m e a n s we s h o u ld a g a in a p p r o a c h t h a t c h e e rfu l a n d jo y o u s c o n c e p tio n o f t h e U n iv e rs e w h ic h w a s h e ld b y c la s s ic a l a n t i q u i t y , fro m w h ic h we h a v e b e e n u n f o r t u n a t e l y c a r r i e d f a r a w a y by m o n k e r y a m i e c c le s ia s tic a l g r e e d of p o w e r; a n d th o s e in n u m e ra b le a n d im m e n s e a i d s to c iv i l iz a t i o n , w h ic h we h a v e A p in whose torch Mid gohjeu sheen, W ould grace th e breast of S h e b a 's queen ; And will lend grace (now and) in coining tim e To queens of lieauty m ore su b lim e .” Should he worn by every m an and woman favorin" th e cause of E reethought and reform. in heading of this paper. See design Now is the tim e to huv. O tto W e tts te in , 1 he Liberal jew eler and writer, Designer of the () t t > W hirsiEiN W atch , the (' > l . I ngersoll S ouvenir S poon , and the beautiful E eekthovght B arge . tablished in Rochelle, Illinois', in 1857. price-lists of goods and work. s t a r s , b u t u n d e r o u r fe e t, a n d s e ts a n d th e a n c i e n t s d i d n o t p o ss e s s, r e a l it y in p la c e o f i m m a g i n a t i o n . w o u ld i n c a lc u l a b l y f a c ilita te , in - T h e r e a r e c o n s e q u e n tly n o m o r e c r e a s e a n d e n n o b le o u r e n jo y m e n ts . Es Send for Do all you can yourself, and get o th ers to help. z e a lo u s p io n e e r s of p r o g r e s s , n o A ll t h i s s h o w s t h a t m a t e r i a l i s m • L i b S T a I U i l ¡ V e r S i t V P o O U l a P S i l b S C r i O t i o n g r e a t e r f r ie n d s o f fr e e d o m a n d n o a n d id e a lis m a r e n o t a s s o m a n y s u p - ** 1 ip u u n m o re s p i r i te d d e f e n d e r s o f th e '* g e n - p o se, b o rn e n e m ie s , h u t t h a t a t th e • t I e r a l e q u a l i t y o f m a n k i n d in r i g h t s b o tto m t h e y a r e o n ly d if f e r e n t e x - a n d h a p p in e s s t h a n th e M a te r ia l- p r e s s io n s fo r o n e a n d th e s a m e th in g , « .......... .............................................................. 1 8 0 0 . is ts a n d F r e e t h i n k e r s . T h e i r f a ith I n t h e o r y , m a t e r i a l i s m f a r e x c e e d s I hereby prom ise to pay......................... .......dollar.- to ( f o r e v e n th e m a t e r i a l i s t s h a v e a t h e o ld i d e a lis tic p h ilo s o p h y in f a i t h ) , i s , t h a t m a n is b e t t e r t h a n id e a l v a lu e , a s m u c h a s it d o e s n o t, the Oregon State Secular Union on dem and, for the erec f h e se e m s, t h a t h e c a n d o m o re t h a n lik e th e l a t t e r , a s s u m e a m u ltitu d e h e t h i n k s , a n d t h a t h e d e s e r v e s to of o b s e r v a t i o n a l fa c ts a s i n e x p lic - b e h a p p i e r t h a n h e is. H e a v e n a b le , a n d th e r e f o r e d e d u c e th e m a n d h e ll, th o s e p r im e v a l b u g b e a r s fro m s u p e r n a t u r a l o r i n n a t e c a u s e s o f s p i r i t u a l d e s p o tis m , e x i s t a ls o (e.g ., t h e m i n d ) , h u t i t g o e s to th e f o r t h e m a t e r i a l i s t ; b lit h e s e e k s b o tto m of t h i n g s a n d s e e k s to e m a n d f in d s t h e m , n o t, a s of o ld , o u t b r a c e t h e i r m o s t i n t i m a t e a n d fin a l s id e of m a n , h u t w ith in h im , tion of a Liberal U niversity at Silverton. M arion countv. Oregon, provided, th at the stun of five thousand dollars is subscribed by good, responsible parties before said de m and is made. Name. and c o n n e c tio n s . I n p r a c tic e it e x c e e d s s h o w s t h a t it d e p e n d s s o l e ly u p o n a ll o t h e r s y s te m s a n d c o n c e p tio n s of Please cut this out. (or copv) sign what you can and return to the T orch or - - - - - Silverton, Oregon. m a n h im s e lf and h is c o n d u c t t h e u n iv e r s e b y s e t ti n g th e id e a l K kahon . w h e t h e r h e s h a l l h a v e a h e a v e n o r w o rld w ith in u s in p la c e o f th e id e a l w o rld w ith o u t u*, a m i e n d e a v h e ll u p o n e a r t h . T h is s t r i v i n g fo r h u m a n p e rf e c o r s to g u id e it t o w a r d s r e a l iz a t i o n . tio n , o r fo r e a r t h l y im p r o v e m e n t N o o t h e r p h ilo s o p h y h a s e v e r sto o u a n d f e lic ity h a s g iv e n r is e to th e lik e t h i s in t h e c lo s e s t c o n n e c tio n w ith life its e lf ; a n d t h e lieet t o u c h f u r t h e r o b je c tio n to m a t e r i a l i s m , t h a t its so le o b je c t is s e n s u a l s a t i s s t o n e o f its v a lu e a n d c o r r e c tn e s s f a c tio n a u d e n jo y m e n t, a m i t h a t w ill he fo u n d in t h e in f lu e n c e w h ic h th e r e f o r e , in th e s a tis f a c tio n o f it h a s a l r e a d y e x e r te d a n d w ill y e t m e r e a n i m a l im p u ls e s it n e g le c ts e x e r t u p o n life a n d its fo rm s . J u > t t h e h i g h e r s p i r i t u a l n e e d s of m a n , a s its t h e o j v is s im p le , u n i t a r x , t h e i n t e r e s t s o f h is so u l. T h i s o b je c c le a r a n d d e f in ite , so a ls o is ¡is t io n r e s ts u p o n so a b s u r d a n d e v i p r a c t i c a l te n d e n c y a n d its w h o le p ro - d e n t a c o n fu s io n o f . s c i e n t i f i c o r t h e o r e ti c a l m a t e r i a li s m , w ith p r a c t i c a l m a t e r i a l i s m o r t h e m a t e r i a l- ism o f life , t h a t it s c a r c e ly d e s e r v e s g r a m e w ith r e g a r d to th e f u t u r e o f m a n a n d of th e h u m a n r a c e m a y h e e x p r e s s e d in s ix w o rd s , w h ic h co n - t i a n a ll t h a t c a n be t h e o r e ti c a l lv o r s e r io u s r e f u t a t i o n . p ra c tic a lly The ism o f sc ie n c e a n d th e m a te ria l- m a te ria lis m of life are things which differ toto re q u ire d t u r e . n a m e ly : a n d P ro s p e rity fo r th is fu - F re ed o m C u ltu r e fo r a l l . — B u c h n e r . V isiting Cards W e w ill p r i n t y o u r n a m e on a b e a u t if u l v i s i ti n g T h e se c a rd s h a v e th e c e l card at $ 1 .5 0 p e r 100. e b r a t e d O tto W e t t s t e i n ggSfeHT* Badge Design n e a t l y l it h o g r a p h e d in c o lo r s ^3^ c a n ’t. tai t your at t h e left o f f f ie h d s w h e n your volt