Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (July 8, 1897)
T H E TORCH OF REASON, .SILVERTON, OREGON, TH U R SD A Y , JU L Y 8, 1897. Torch of Reason I brow away that old pip»*! It th a t such things as the heathen against the ty ran n y of priests and costs you more than ten dollars a gods do not exist, an d so it is with their gods and devils. T h e O nly S rcvlar P a per P cbuihhkd on < m u get neariy all of agnostics and atheists who have C ham pions of Freethought, this is h ie P a c ific C o ast . these papers ami Susan W ixon’s been redeemed by common seuse. as much a p art of the great b attle Published Weekly by the Liberal Uni- R ight Living for the young people We are fully satisfied th a t all the for liberty and right as anv event for less than that. gods are m yths. W hat there m ay in the history of the world. Let us J. E. HOSMER ................. E ditor Sacrifice a little; it will make be, beyond the horizon of m an’s gather our m ental forces together P. W. G E E R ......................... M anager y ° ’> happy. Uo without tea and limited m ental vision, no one and do what we can. W hat better coffee if necessary. knows and therefore all men are m onum ent can we build to the E ntered a . th e .««toffiee a t Sdvertnn, p e r |, „ pM l h e r e '¡s e n o u g h „1.1 in ,,, o n egon, as second-class m ad m atter. 1 fe " agnostics, although m any will not heroes who have suffered and died a ro u n d y o u r p lace to p ay for these own it, even to them selves. To for liberty? SUBSCRIPTION RATES. papers. Pick it up; ta k e it to tow n help men and women to become One year, in ad v an ce...................... $1 OC and don’t get on a drunk with the honest with them selves and thus Six m onths in a d v an c e .................... 5( , . . ----- ------ D iseased. Three m onths, in ad v an ce................ 25 tuortey but use it for som ething th a t become honest with others is one l l h?a.K»nL“ ' i O\ ' ,T . \ On‘!. Ve“r.' 75 wil1 h ye after you »re gone. Look of th e g reet objects of Secularism , .Money sent hv hv reeislert registered a r°und you a n d if you h a v e th e a n d th e re is n o th in g b e tte r to ac- i i- . »’ghly o rg an ized „ should he sent will ,o u will probably find the way I com plish th is purpose th an th e I 7 7* 7 ” 7 letter or m oney order Notice! A pencil m ark here denotes th a t your snbscription will e x p ire with the next num ber. You are earnestly requested to renew so th a t you may receive the pa per w ithout in te rru p tio n . We have de cided th ............ a t it is best tor all ,„..german concerned — that, we do not semi papers longer th an to secure some of these papers and an d help the U niversity. These are as critical times in the w orld’s history as ever existed, and if we are not careful, we will he gone be. fore we have left „nr |i „ |e impres- the Union and we will know just where we sta n d . We request you to send us the nam es of Secularists who m ight he- come suhseritiers and we will mailsam- Pie copies. 1 at tb e w eary ¿Ml S hould Sacrifice. w ho are to com« after us may he ene<>ur- „„.,,.1 t,, .,«.«« <»n..r..wrl .u »«*'« to press onw ard and gain the great pr.ze th a t will l,e aw arded to I THURSDAY, JULY 8, E. M. 297 ti a w l e r s U’hil 1 I tf/i i rt iL, .»...-.1,1 _I___ tt has become free from the priests and the ghosts of the gods. H onest men and women who be- ab ility to show people th a t they do , 'T .T P t not know th a t there is such a being X as Jehovah is said to be, and th a t e rn ,"« n ' 8’ » nd « we b e e n ,« a , far as hum an knowledge can T T 7 " 7 „ "V , " 1 il go, it proves th a t all gods are ‘ ,7 7 " 7 7 "***' im aginary. n.ze thts fact an d be ready to com- hat the diseases which are apt to destroy us as other nations have these old relics of th e past, and been destroyed. from the nower th a t these old he ,• r . . u u Secularists are very apt to th in k | liefs give the priest and preacher th ey will cease w asting th e ir af- of the disease o f priestcraft, and surely this is a horrible blight and fections on non-rtsponsive, im agin- 1 , prevents highest ary gods an.l saviors, and devote weakness 7 . "" that . . ’,reW " te ° our " r h,8he8t their time and talents in helping M Y * n t’ b ,,t we mU8t «>'- them selves and each o th er to be I f “ , Prle8tcrttf' 18 not the o nly C om paratively speaking we are *n ^ :’bLy homes here, who happy while here; then, if there I here are m any who are sailing young in the freethought work, but wish to the h° y 8 and girls become should be such a peculiar develop- we hope to m erit the confidence of goof1, m o ,a h useful, happy, citizens, m ent, creation or self-existent, non under the flag of F reeth o u g h t to the older workers by industry, faith- raUHt u " ite ,h< ir s ^ e n g th , for, with progressive, all-wise, om nipotent, day th a t a re mere p irates and do fulness and strict adherence to the 1 care^e8H licentiousness on the one personal yet om nipresent creature more harm to civilization th an the principles we preach and finally > and the fanatical bdief-wor- or creator as Jehovah is said to be, preachers, for they are pointed out gain a hearing. on l *‘e °th e r, the struggle will h o n est m en a n d w om en— m en an d as exam ples and this keeps m any We hold that Secularists can not be lo,,g /" « u g h a t best; but if we women who are not afraid to die, an honest m an and woman in the be loo g o o d . If all will become i Wl,i “ nite ° ’,r forces» ,n a,,y who Mr« or live forever if n ec ssary— will belief th a t freedom of thought is bad and so they allow the preacher just as pure and clean m orally J as n " w ,n tbe i to ’bs of evl* practices gladly meet * him if should i a *** a ; j a and u u »1 i he ic p u u u iu A I I s €1 I ■ ri »*» O n 1» Iirk/A — — ...... I 1 • /a they can m ake them selves, we will a " d n,Hn^ who a r ’* under the in flu-1 prove to be, as m any think, a kind to tie them down. conviction - ever k nock the old blood reined v for sin t n < e o i t be priest will be purified by am i loving fath er all will be well • It has been our ..........— out in the “ tirst round.” ' , the sacred fires of reason and con.- an.l nobody could place them selves 81" Ce we ®"tered the work ‘h»t - m r . n r u j V V U IU p i a c e I II B U lS e ! VC8 We believe th a t m any F reethink- 88l>8« .....1 Join our happy band i„ harm ony with bin. Quicker or .1----- • . the work th . at of workers. - 1 our country from the diseases th at ers . do not - — appreciate more com pletely than an honest, threaten its life, th a t Secularism is being done by ihe Freethought true atheist or agnostic. m ust first be purged and purified, journals of our day. Xo one who is A th eism an d A gnosticism . Let us hear the conclusion of the ’ and now tk o i n, ox , . , . . _ . ani1 now th a t the Oregon State n o t acquainted with the work can whole .n atter then. It is against Secular Union has taken the ini- understand the sacrifice neccessary We believe th at atheism and ag a r7,ch" °- SUI'POSe th7 there tia'OLV step we hope th a t o, her Free- in publishing these papers and m ag nosticism are both right g'!‘ 80Cie,ie” wUI f° lloW- The azines. Every F reethought fam ily If we were asked The question, Jeh o v ah the god of the C hristians, in the U nited States ought to read “do von believ e there is a god?” but, even if we have been created ° I,erat*on niay be a som ewhat pain- them and pass them on to others. we could tru th fu lly answer “ no,” placed here by such a being hut, as the physician is In m any cases one ten th of the and this belief m akes one an we should atten d to our business, som etim es obliged to use the knife, sacrifice which has been necessary atheist. If, however, we were l. e., m ake happy conditions u in j uruer order io to save a natient p a tie n t’s s life, . „ . . . . , 4| , , ’ -..vz.s-x, ""u u .' if« « so <-» t staolish these papers would put asked the question, “do you know here, and not atten d to the business w -ver Hi 1 t ♦ \ them ,n th e hom e,, and a little there ¡» no g„d?” we would answer, <>™.« god, u n til we know th a t they 7 ' aWay ‘ thougth and system etic work will “ no, we do not positively know;” pxist and need our help. * lsease I>arti' ‘n °rd er to have the convert m any of your neighbors to and this lack <>f absolute knowledge ____________ — - healthy growth necessary to do the SecuUnHin. O rganization, will f„l- m akes one an agnoatic. " Don’t W a n t M oney. "” ’rk for which we were organized. low an.l we will have aecompliehed T in , lack of absolute knowledge And now as we gain strength after more in one year, ,h an , battling of o u r, m ust be of verv little con what ^ we w ant; w hat operation, let every one who ahm e,w eco,.Id have done in twenty- solation to .he W iev er, for he w Money e T is o not " ™ un d erstan d s th e case, and who “ But how can we afford to tak e 7 m e 'i f ques-'i'med 7 . „ 'T T e x i T h T ; 1’'*''"1’ N° W if loves the great principles for which iX r r ^ u- ,e,,re " f a "-v " f thi' our organization stands help in support and a sm', 11 income ""\V II’ I ’ ’ "T '"h " " 1'1 ,aSk “ ( h r ' 8d»'> >< th in g , a , they are needed In build- every wav to .......... ncanny insure a healthy, t .ereare no doubt m any c r-e , where l u p i t e r ''\ I a r s o T t ? " h g,M' ’ 7 inS «“ r »chool, of course we will be 8tead.v F ™ t h an d we will « o n be- it i, im possible, fo rm a n y families w oL d .If eou™e say “ n o " ' ^ 7 *la '1 to do 8»= hut, i ^ e a m ighty power not only In haven’t enough bread for th eir bod- we should ask h i n / i f I .................................... - ..................................... . ‘ i " . x , ™ T ’ ; ; . : , ; . . ; ",.V‘,U ean 8end U8 Ini” eri»l. >t «¡B freeinP our land from the curse of • a '“ - “ » ■ — » '" t *