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(
,
.
.
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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
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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
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