T H E TORCH OF REASON, S IL V E R T O N , OREGON , T H U R SD A Y , MAY 20, 1897. and preachings are alm ost exclu­ sively along this line. Butting these things together, E ditor Torch of Reason; standing aloof from both sides, and T he late diycugsion between your­ looking at them without prejudice, selves and Mr. H am ish in your is­ it is easy to see why a Secular co n ­ sue of April 29th gives evidences of vention should place restrictions some differences in the ranks of co­ upon the em ploying of lecturers workers. For, th at S piritualists who teach the doctrine of a future and Secularists are c o -w o rk e rs u p life, w ithout malice aforethought or to a given point goes w ithout say­ any intention of “slapping” any ing, and th a t they should continue body, and I am disposed to believe to co-operate up to the ‘‘parting of th a t no slap was intended. the ways” ought to require no argu­ Personally I would have no m ents. objection to em ploying a S p iritu a l­ It is said, “ Blessed are the peace­ ist to lecture on Secularism if he m akers,” and th a t I m ay enjoy would avoid in his lectures all th a t blessing is the hope and incen­ references to a future life. tive of this paper. Here, probably, lies th e difficulty Secularism is defined by G. J. for while the S p iritu alist is entirely Holyoake th u s: “ T h at which seeks com patible with the Secularist u p ­ the developm ent of the physical, on the affairs of this life, and as m oral, and intellectual nature of against orthodoxy, he is extrem ely m an to the highest possible point fond of his own p articu lar ism and as the im m ediate duty of life— which inculcates the practical suf­ can hardly avoid placing th a t first as the upperm ost of all isms. In ficiency of n a tu 'a l m o ral'ty , apart from atheism , theism , or the Bible th is wise he m ay have done the — which selects as its method of secular cause harm as such w ith ­ procedure the prom otion of hum an out in ten d in g to do so; and now im provem ent hy m aterial means finds restrictions placed upon him . It is a question in mv m ind, if and proposes these positive agree­ m ents as the common bond of union the Secular society would not em ­ ploy any good moral tem perate to all who would regulate life hy reason, ami ennoble it by service.” m an or woman who would agree to There is no h in t here of a future conform to the rule in his speeches, life, hut all effort is to be directed while in the service of the society, to the highest developm ent and a t ­ of one world at a time. For certainly no Secularist tainm ents of th is life. Up to this point every progress­ pretends to teach th a t there is no ive S p iritu alist can join hands and future life. He may believe there give help, for they and we all be­ is none, but he is unwise if he lieve th a t he who stands a t the teaches there is none, until he can head of his class when “ school bring the proof. He does not know closes” here, enters “ over there”— th a t this life is all, any more th an provided there be an “over there”— the S p iritu alist knows there is with the sam e high standing and an o th er life, and to be consistent honors, and takes rank accordingly. he m ust teach as tru th only th a t True, the S p iritualist will argue, which he knows to he true. As a Secularist I say to my th a t to stand at the head one m ust have com m union with the other brother S piritualist, prove to me world before he goes over, but it the tru th of your teachings and I m ust be rem em bered th at S ecular­ accept them as a part of Secularism ; ists hold to the doctrine of “one for if my relatives and friends do world at a tim e,” although this doc­ live again and can and do come back trin e does not or should not deny to me here, then, in so far as th eir the possibility of another. It is lives come into mine, and affect me equally absurd to deny or affirm in here, the future life becomes a p art the absence of evidence. But in o fth is life. It is the d u ty of all th e m ind of every Secularist there Secularists to investigate all phe­ is room for the thought, th a t since nom ena and accept as true w h at­ there is alw ays a tomorrow as long ever the phenom ena reveal. The burden of proof in the as this life lasts, his acts should be such today as to cause no blush of m atter of a future life lies w ith the “Soft Words Turneth Away Wrath.” sham e tomorrow; no regrets, no heartaches, no headaches, nothing but beautiful and refreshing mem­ ories. Then, if in the greatness and grandne36 of n a tu re ’s law, there is after our last sleep here a more beautiful and en during tom orrow — the possession of a well-stored m ind, the consciousness of a well- filled and rounded life here, assures him recognition, and a life of use­ fulness and happiness there. S piritualists claim to be able to see across the border land and catch glimpses and hear voices of those who have passed the change we call d» a t h ; atid their teachings S piritualist, but, the Secularist m u s t n o t condem n until lie brings the proof. I f th ere is a future life it is a n a tu ra l fact and as such may be capable of d em o n stratio n , and no doubt everv Seculari*t in the land would greet th e dem onstration with applause and accept the fact as th e most im p o rtan t one man has discovered. C ertainly the most confirmed m aterialist on earth would welcome another life, and receive its dem onstration as the happiest m om ent of this life. Therefore let the S piritualists go on searching after the proofs. Let him if he will have houses and ap ­ pliances made according to “ in­ structions from the spirit w orld” th at will put him in rapport with the spirit world, ami m ake the best possible conditions for com m uni­ cations and if possible bring phe- nomona th a t shall prove beyond question a future existence. But, just now the S ecularists of Oregon are building a U niversity, and its success will b ean aid to all progressive societies of the state, its success will he the beginning of other successes along the same line, and we cannot afford to quarrel over n a tu ra l differences. The “signs of the tim es” all point to the necessity of action; inertia on the p art of progressive thinkers now may be the lasting regret of the future. It should never be forgotten tha» the preachers o f today are hire­ lings, th a t th ey work for pay; th a t th eir positions and th eir pay de­ pend upon th eir abilities to hold the people; perhaps to coerce them into orthodoxy. The word “coerce” is hardly too strong, for when our c it­ izens as em ployees feel th a t their positions as *uch