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