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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (June 10, 1897)
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, JU N E 10, 1897, Torch of Reason . .. , I hose who believe in these other eoat we have to hear him lecture, says: “ F riends of tru th and progress doctrines are not prohibited b u t a s to the other gentlem en, we lei us effect organizations. Lei have no positive evidence th at they us do this for our own social ~ . from . . organizing and the only “ op- T h e O nly bECTLAR P a p e r P u b l ish e d on ® 1 th e P a c ific C oast . position Ihoy will receive from the exist arid so no apology is neces pleasure, our m ental im provem ent, sary. and io utilize our strength in the Published Weekly by the Oregon State (). S. S. C. is th a t of a rg u m e n t Secular Union. ■ • .1 , • , . . . ° ’ com m unity in which we live. If given io tin* k in d e st sp irit possible, M odus O perandi. we duly respect ourselves, if we step to show' how d e trim e n ta l we believe J. E. HOSMER ................. E ditor — ............— .........— forward and take the position we P. W. GEER . . M anager these dogmas are to the well-being No one m au or set of men know ought to occupy, we shall be re Z A T /kilt» m x - w . k » t L everything and perhaps no one spected by our fellow men. and the of our home here on earth. Entered at the noetofnce at Silverton, W e would he very foolish not to knows this belter than those who rights and opinions which we hold Oregon, as second-class mat I m atter. - 1 have the edueational p art of our dear will he strengthened ami ex p ect som e o p p o sitio n at first hut work in charge, and it is th eir spread over our fair land. Let us s u b s c r ip tio n RATES. we believe th a t all p a rtie s con hope and aim io soon secure help organize. One year, in ad v an ce..........................$1 0C cerned w ill soon see the absurdity enough from the liberals of the It m atters hut little under wh it Six m onths, in ad v an ce.................... 5C world to engage speeiali-ts who hv of trying to do constructive work, T hree m onths, in ad v an ce................ 25 name we effect this organization; In clubs of five or m — ore, »— one year, ■ ........... - ........ —•» while we hug to ourselves the thorough preparation and ex it m ay be “ Liberal Associations,” in ...advance.................................... 7) . . . perienee can do the best work in Liberal Leagues,” “ Free Religi-uis Money should In* sent by registered c re a tu re s of o u r ow n d e s tru c tio n . th eir p articu lar lines. A very good Societies,” “ Free Congregational r r r or 1 m 1 i i oney . i i i > i r < order. . k*. I * . le tte way to find out if these specialists Societies,” “ E thical Societies,” are th e right kind of work« rs i. e , M isrep resen ted “ Progressive Societies,” “ Societies N o tice! if they are interested enough in our of 11 u m a n i ty, ” “ Scien ti fic Societies. n A pencil m ark here denotes th a t your subscription will ex p ire with the next I he principal freelove organ of cause to do good work, is found in “ Mor «1 and Philosophical Societies,’ n num ber. You are earnestly requested their willingness or unw illingness or a n y other cognomen th at suits to renew so th a t you may receive the pa Chicago tried to hit us hard last to help g.-t the work started. Noth best It is not so much the name per w ithout in te rru p tio n . We have de week, hut we are pleased to know ing tests a person better than work. as tin* purpose and sp irit th at cided th a t it is best for all concerned that nothing they said, th at is true, After the novelty has worn off, one th a t we do not send papers longer than should attrac t our atten tio n and th e tim e paid for un ess so o r le r e l. will do us injury. The freelove who is not really interested in the enlist our efforts. Let 11s decide to T his will prev en t any loss on t h e part of principles soon seeks gr> ener unite our stren g th ; let ns resol v e to lady insinuates th a t our president th e U nion ami we will know ju st where we sta n d . We request you to send us cannot subscribe to our ethical pastures and so in tin* start perhaps help each ot er and our fellow- it is as well th a t w e have not a h»-ings. When six or more person* th e nam es of Secularists who m ight be- come subscribers and we will mail sum- basis ,asis without w ith o u t being being a a hvpocrite h y p o c rite larg am ount of money, for then w in «me com m unity feel united in ple copies. copies pi® a n d , as n ear a s we c a n u n d e rs ta n d wouhi he able to pay good salaries th is disposition, let an organization the writing, m akes out th a t he and while vve m ight get as good he effected. THURSDAY, JUNE io, E. M. 297 either drinks, uses tobacco or talent we would not he son- of Un Ib is m ay lie done in a simnle faithfulness of the workers in tim es practices freelove, hut those who ami economical m an n er It is not The Reason. of financial distress. The first necessary to incur much expense. know him best, know that Pearl W. thing was to get our j aper started There is, as there should he, in Geer practices just what he preaches and next is to get our building com Regular m eltin g s should he held once a week, or at- least once a quiry in regard to the exclusion of and th a t he can stand square on p le te d so as to have a perm anent m onth. The first, as a general home and then as the years go I,v thing, is not too often. If the persons of certain belief from lec our platform . help will come, for this is the first tu rin g on our platform . Many of our active m embers use and only school of the kind in the society feels able, a hall or room We will take freelovers for exam tobocco and some we are sorry to worhl and as soon as men who arc m ay he secured for this purpose, <»r ple and show that our union can say drink intoxicating liquors oc able and anxious to help our great the school-house may he used, or if no other wav, m eetings m ay be held not exist and prosper unless vve do casionally but some of these verv cause see th a t the wav to help it at the residences of the members of exclude these contentious elements. workers were the most active in most is to unite in building the society. In an y organization which is adopting the am endm ent to our by educational institutions, there will At these m eetings let our songs be no difficulty for the help will composed of elem ents directly op laws whieh debars teachers and come. Friends of tru th and right and hym ns he snne; ¡et lectures, posed to each other, the tendency lecturers, (not m em bersj from the help us to spread the good tidings. addresses, exhortations, declam a tions and recitations he delivered is to finally adopt the ideas of one or use of these poisons. We hope for by members and others. Tf no the other of these elem ents. U mho- the time when none of our m embers C o n stru c tiv e W o rk . member of the society wishes to stand th at when the elem ents are will use them hut m any who have give an address, let good selections directly opposed i. e., when there made the m istake o f contracting be read from our favorite authors, O ur work here is a 1 to g e th e r a new such as V oltaire, Paine. D’Holhach,’ is no chance of compromise, one set these had habits in youth are not departure. The T orch of R eason of ideas must sooner <>r later p r e yet prepared to quit, and it is a stan d s for constructive work. It is V olney, D arw in, Spencer, H uxley, dom inate and finally completely question in some cases w hether it cheap. It is sm all because it is T yndall, Haeckel, Ingersoll, U nder wood, Davis. Denton, T uttle, overthrow thy other. would he better to q u it or not, hut young, but will grow and the work I roctor, Holvoake, B radlaugb, th at it represents will grow-, for it Now although freeloveism is in the the „ young ___„ ............. ~ w ulJuer who are to come under has been started on the ground and Draper, F roth in g h am and m any m inority am ong people who call fhe institu tio n of our teachers and has alread y a good sta rt in build others th a t m ight be m entioned. themselves liberals,the tendency will lecturers should not be led into the ing its foundation. It is som ewhat From the productions of these men always be toward th a t doctrine 01 sam e m istakes th a t others have laughable to hear the childish ex am pin selections m ay he made th a t will alw ays he instructive and account of the fact th a t freelovers been, and, as one of our foremost cuses of some who ought to help profitable to listen to, after which will willingly associate with those workers, a tobacco user hut a good but who do not realize the im the short speeches and social con portance of the constructive work who are opposed to th eir doctrine m an for all th at, said the 01 her da v. in com parison with the old selfish versations will he jn order.” while those who are opposed will “ When it comes to lecturers and tear-dow n-m ake-m oney -and-bave-a The great disciple of freethought not rem ain in an organization m ade teachers hew right to the lin e ” blow-out process. taught that we should have a spirit D. M B ennett’s plan was th a t of of liberality tow ards the opinions up of such m aterial and will one We do not debar people who have organization, very sim ilar to th at of others, and we should never for by <me, drop out, leaving the work Rood moral character from joining of ours, hut th ere was one thing get this. \\ e should alw’ays re in the hands of feelovers; thus has our ranks and working, even if they th a t he did not understand and in member th a t the orthodox people, m any an organization become de- do use tobacco. fact no one could have understood the sp iritu alists, the freelovers and funct or been changed Iron, it» Neither do we condemn them for it, for it has been developed since others who have in our opinion origina purpose. , W(J condemn no one for their mis he did his great work, and th a t is m ade vital m istake«, which have Now it has become evident that takes; we sim ply will not g ran t the u tter im possibility t»» successful a degenerating effect upon the one or the other elements must con- them a lecturer’s license and if ly organize, into a w orking o r world, have as m uch right to think tr n le t l . A n a a IT : 1 . ----- p license ami if ganization, all th e forces which and express th eir thoughts as we nlfi I 9 -l ?' er '° r “ Robert G Jesus Christ or claim to he liberal W hen this have. to fulfill its mission and carry nn the Holy Ghost should apply for a great leader started his work, We should never condemn them spiritualism was in its infancy and’ .ts great educational work. Iicenw to lect(,r....... ' hut meet them with th eo n lv weapon Do we want our organization to they would all be rejected unless of course was not understood as it w orthy of a civilized being and is at present. The belief in a future rapidly drift into freeloveism or they gave good evidence of complete life was not so obnoxous for it was th a t is reason. O f co u rse it would spiritualism and antagonize the reformation, for Robert, we hear sim ply fhe clinging to one of the not be right for us as individuals or as a society to eater to th eir ideas ideas of orthodoxy and dropping when we believe them to he m ak real secular.,», or do we want to U8es tobacco; Jesus believed define our poauion carefully and spooks and drank wine too free v the rest. But now th a t it has ing a great m istake, just for the build an institution that really and the Holy ( ¡ h o s t was evident v developed into a creed that in some sa k e of getting th eir support for it stands or the npbu,Id,ng of human- a freeiover. Of course we 5 Z respects seems worse than the o r is far more honorable to fa i] than thodox m yths, Mr. Bennett would c/eed? ' ° “ e P”‘ !de“ ° r Pe° pl,'> •’’ I*-''»".'' Mr. I,,. w ithout doubt, be ¡n favor of h av to succeed by sacrificing principle. But failure is im possible to those ing these radicaBv different forces gernoll, ami won Id give the last who fearlessly cham pion what to form separate organizations. He* them is tru th and right. i . t