Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1897)
T H E TORCH OF REASON, S IL V E R T O N , OREGON, TH U R SD A Y , A P R IL 29, 1897 and others who have pet ideas m ight com plain in the sam e m anner an d call us bigots, etc. but we get used to such things and take no offense. Let us rem ain broad enough to embrace the study of all n a tu re ’s laws and not go to building fancy pictures of a future life and thus repeat the bigoted presum ptions of the dism al past, or if we are so constituted th a t we m ust p ain t these pictures let us be broad erfough to refrain from try in g to force th>se ideas on to those who can not appreciate them . T urks and Arabs—God and Mo ham m ed. C hristians — Jehovah, Jesus, M ary, Angels, Cheribim, etc. Secularists — No gods. W ork for H um anity. W hich is right? A S p iritu alist 5peaks. tional institution in the state and S IL V E R T O N ... would undoubtedly have patron ized the Silverton school largely; but since its prom oters and the m a jority of the Secular Union conven tion see fit to class them with “ free- ..... A rtistic W o rk lovers, libertines” and “other su perstitions,’’ they certainly cannot have the sam e friendly feeling to W hen vou w ant a .... ward the Secular Union which ex Good S m oo th S have isted before this juvenile at tern pt Or a F irst-C lass......... to narrow Liberalism down to a H a ir -C u t certain groove of pet ideas. This -----------CALL ON----------- action is in harm ony with the m ethods em ployed by religious big o try — an enem y we have been fight ing shoulder to shoulder. S il v e r t o n , ..................................... O regon W hile I endorse the action of the convention in refusing to issue cer tificates to h ab itu al users of liquor or tobacco, or in fact an y th in g which tends to lower the refined in colored w ith “ P E R F E C T IO N ” tellectual sensibilities of m an, ye' Dyes will m ake b eau tifu l C ar I am forced to ask th is question: pets an d R ugs, an d , u n lik e o th e r dyes, th e colors o b tain ed Does a study o f th e laws governing will not wash o u t o r fade. our being tend to degrade m an? They are sim ple am i econom If not, then why should th at study ical to use, and th e new “ P e r be restricted? I t was this very pro fection” 0 )tton Dyes a re esp e hibition of the thorough investiga cially ad ap ted for Rugs and Rag tion of n a tu re ’s laws ami forces C arpet m aking. which kept the hum an race in ig For Sale By All norance wherever the priesthood D R U G G IS T S . could enforce it. And now’ we see G UISS & SON, the very people who have fought W holesale A gents. for centuries for a certain privilege S IL V E R T O N ,.....................OREGON. to study and investigate nature, turn about and enact the very same law which th eir forefathers consid ered so odious. If m en who are adm itted to be Force and M atter, B u ch n er, c l o t h . . $1 00 intellectual, by a close and scru ti Locke on H u m an U n d e rsta n d in g .. 140 nizing study, have been forced to An Ideal R ep u b lic, p a q e r.................. 50 A risto tle’s E th ic s, G illies, c lo th ___ 1 40 th e conclusion, by the weight of T he N atu re C u re, Dr. Conger, new, c l o t h ................................................... 2 00 evidence discovered, th a t th e h u Sam e as last in le a th e r e tte ................ 1 00 m an ego does continue to exist in a V olney’s R u in s, c lo th , 76c p a p e r ... 60 finer body th an th a t which is visi V ital Force, A. C hevannes, “ . . . . 20 risto tle ’s P olitics, E llis, cloth ___ 60 ble to our physical eyes—if they T A rials an d T riu m p h s of Lalxjr, Ber- n ard i, p a p e r ....................................... 60 are forced to this conclusion by the H y p n o tism , How it is Done, its facts discovered, who dare say they Uses an d its D angers, J a m e s II. Cocke, M. I)., c lo th ...................... l 60 are wrong, and do not have a right Dialogues of P la to , tra n s la te d by to be recognized; and especially if Care v, c lo th ...................................... " 80 their judges have not studied the Del M ar’s H isto ry of M onetary . • • • S ystem s, c lo th ................................... 2 00 sam e questions in a scien R e n a n ’s Life of Je su s, p a p e r ............ 60 tific m annner? Such m en as M olecular H y p o th esis of N atu re, L o c k w o o d .......................................... 26 Crookes, W allace and V arley are H andbook of C urrency and w ealth, W a ld ro n ............................................. 50 recognized as highest a u th o rity in R a p h e a l’s A strological A lm anac and their respective branches of science, E p h e m e r ic ......................................... 35 and when thev w m ake the statem ent Language of th e S ta r s ........................ 50 h ith e r are We D rifting as a N a th a t they have dem onstrated to a W tio n , W iley, p ap er ........................ 60 satisfactory conclusion, th a t we do We keep u p w ith th e tim es in L ib e ral, continue to exist after discarding Progressive and Reform txx)ks, and ask you for all y o u r Ixxik o rd e rs; will fu rn ish the aggregation of elem ents called you any Ixxik you w ant a t th e low est the physical body, we cannot, as price. A ddress all o rd ers, W . E. Jo n e s, 291 A lder stre e t, P o rtla n d , O regon. th in k in g , intelligent L iberals u tte r Who can think ly discard th eir conclusions on this o f some simple thing to patent? Protect your Ideas ; th ey mav bring you wealth. m atter, while accepting them on Writ« JOHN WKDDKKBURN A CO.. Patent Attor- neys, Washington, I). C., for their >1.8X1 prise offer the other. and new list of one thousand Inventions wanted. Let us rem ain broad enough to em brace the study of all of n a tu re ’s laws, and not go to building a fence about us, thus repeating the bigoted exclusiveness of the dism al past. C. S. H A R N IS H . Barber E ditor Torch of Reason: By your kind permission, I wish to use a little of your space in order to express a few thoughts regarding one feature of the by-laws adopted at the recent convention. The p ar ticu lar [K>int which I wish to brief ly discuss is th a t which reads: “ No L ittle Points. lecturer or teacher shall be granted Secularist— You say th a t God is a certificate who is an habitual user of intoxicating liquors, or tobacco, a spirit? or who advocates free-love, libertin- Preacher— Yes. S.— Did vou sav th a t th e Holy age, a future life, or any other p rin ciples, superstitions or doctrines Ghost is the spirit of God? which are detrim ental to our m e m P.— Yes. S.— Well, then the Holy G host is bers, our homes or our state, and co n trary to the teachings of Secu the spirit of a sp irit, isn ’t it? P.— No-o, yes, th a t is------ (The l a r i s m .” A casual glance at this wording preacher then changed the subject.) reveals the fact th a t the p a rt refer S e c u la rist— D o you believe in a ring to “ a future life” is intended to be aimed at S piritualists. Wt p erso n al God? P reacher— Yes, I know there is a do not in the least question th right of th e Secular Union to force God. S.— Do you th in k th a t God is all S piritualists out of its ranks, hut we do question the advisability everywhere? of such action. P.— Yes, he is everywhere. J u s t as far as the Secular Union S.— How can a personal God be reaches, the S p iritu alists stand on everyw here? P .—W ell, yon see, i t ’s like this: the same ground exactly. They I f a m an m akes an engine we can are the two great divisions wdiich see the m an ’s m ind, i. e., his idea m ake up the arm y of Liberalism . in the engine, an d so we can say On all reform questions upon which th a t we can see our friends in their the Secularists have taken a stand, the S p iritu alists are w’th them , works. S.— O, we u n d erstan d ; God is not and have been for nearly h a lf a really everyw here then any more century. W hy this exclusive insertion was than the man who makes engines is in every state in the Union and placed in the bylaw s we neither when you tell people th a t God is know nor ask. However, it ap everywhere you are deceiving them ; pears to have been t h e work of some you are lying to them , are you over-enthusiastic advocate of Secu not? (P reacher gets m ad and walks larism , who undoubtedly perm itted his zeal to get the better of his ju d g hastily aw ay.) m ent. At this time, especially, The C am pbellites claim th a t the when the U niversity problem is on M ethodists are not C hristians hut hand, and all the forces w’hich Lib creedists. Is n ’t the belief in gods, eralism can rally should be united devils, angels, holy ghosts and th a t in assisting to establish the insti we are going to live after we are tu tio n —at this tim e, leaHt of all, dead the worst kind of a creed? should the S p iritu alists be slapped W hy not work for “ one world a t a in the face in th a t kind of style. All the other wording c o u ll have tim e” ? been used to ju st as good a d v a n t S ecularist—You know there is a age, th e strength of the section God? How do you know it? would not have been weakened by P reacher— I know it by faith. the omission of th a t reference to “ a S.— Is n ’t it true th a t when you future life.” I t would have done know a n y th in g you have to know no harm to the Secular cause to it by knowledge and not by fa ith ? have left th a t out, while it has done W hen you say you know it by faith incalculable harm to the cause of isn’t th a t ju st the sam e as saying Liberalism in Oregon to have th a t you do not really know it? it iuserted. I fail to see wdierein the Secular Union is benefitted in We give the Torch of Reason and In d ia n s—G reat Spirit. the least by tak in g this exclusive the F reethought M agazine for one G reeks—Ju p ite r, N eptune, Mars, stand against th eir fellow-workers, year for the sm all sum of $1.50. etc. while I do see clearly where they Now’ is the tim e to subscribe. E g y p tian s— Nuk pu Nuk (I am have injured them selves and the Who can think Rome Rim pie th at I am ), Isis, etc. establishm ent and support of the thing to patent? wealth. m s. bring _ you . Protect your H en « ; th __ ey may H indoos — B rahm a, C hrishna, U niversity. ÏÜRN A CO.. Patent Attor W rite JOHN WEDDEKBl__________________ sr neys, W ashington. D. C.. for their <1 .800 prise offer B uddah, etc. The S p iritu alists have no educa- and new list of one thousand Inventions wanted. Wanted-Än Idea 5 E. E. T A Y LO R . © © © © © Old Rags G ood B o o k s Wanted-An Idea 'Caveats, and Trade-Marks obtained and all Pat- J 'ent business conducted for M o d er a te Fees. ¡1 O ur O ffic e is O rrositc U. 8 . P a te n t O ffice * and we canserure patent in less t i m e t h a n t h o s e 5 remote from Washir ~ton. J > bend model, drawing or photo., with descrip-i* tion. We advise, if patentable or not, free o f , charge. Our fee not due till patent is secured. A P a m r h l e t , “ H°w to Obtain Patents,” withC cost of same in the U. S. and foreign countries', sent free. Address, j» C .A .S N O W & C O O rr . P a t e n t O f f ic e . W a s h in g t o n . D. C