T H E TORCH
Torch of Reason
The O nly Paper of Its Kind.
REASON, SILV ER TO N , OREGON, T H U R SD A Y , S E P T E M B E R 2, 1SI7.
of
som ething be it ever so sm all. We
ex[M*ct soon to go down the Coluiii-
bia ami make our friemls in th at
Publis. d Weekly by th e Liberal I'n i- locality a visit ami tell them about
ven-itx Com pany, in th e Interest« of
our work.
Con truetive, Moral Secularism .
__
In e ve ry lo c a lity th e re are a few
T h e P e a r , o f G r e a t e s t P r ic e .
sleeping child. Suppose she knew’
it and ha<l no power to prevent it.
“ I ’ve fouml th e Pearl of g reatest price!
My h e a rt «loth sing for joy;
W ould more proof th a t Jesus is the
Ami sing I m ust, for C h rist is m ine! Son o f a gOJ make her perfectly
Christ «hall .„y song em ploy."
N o , , , |e o n | y , hillg
This is sung over and over »gain by C(iU,d make (he lnotlier
th a t
happy
those who no doubt th in k th at they
J. E. I o sm e r.........................E ditor leading liberals ami we sincerely jlave fouil(i the gem of life, the pearl would he the rem oval of th e h o rri­
P . W. G e e r,....................... M anager
that they will consider them- ()f greatest price, but when they ble reptile; and now my friends
t h a t is what we S ecularists m ust
at tb,.
t o n ic at -J v . rron, selves a p p o in te d to ta k e sul.scrip- th in k th e y h a v e the pearl all secure
do. O thers are trying to prove a
Oregon, as he«'oii<l*class mail m atter.
tions for the T orch and help in ami guarding it dilligent ly is when problem that is im possible to prove
,,
,, „
a .„u.d they are guarding a worthless pebble
any olher way they can.
g
J a ,|0^ illg ,he rea) peari to 9iip while we are just beginning to try
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
One year, in ad v an ce.......................... G 00 plan is to ta k e a s h e e t of paper and from their grasp. Yes, we believe 1° HdVe the babes.
These problem s of religion have
T hree m onths, in a d v an c e ................
25 go around, get the nam es of those th a t m any are m aking a fatal m is­
In c lu l» ..f live or m ore, one year,
U n i.
take: th a t they have not found th at cost us very much. Can we realize
in a d v a n c e .........................................
1
Money should l>e sent by registered v e rs ity a n d th e a m o u n t t h e y will which is most precious to hum an bow much? Not one of them has
le tte r or m oney order.
_ subscribe. If some one in each beings—th a t they have not found vet been solved and are no nearer
locality will do this, see what a what all men are dilligently search­ a solution than they were when
Notice!
m ighty help it will he to us.
ing for. When we meet people on the first propounded, and m en— honest
A pencil m ark here denotes th a t your
street hurrying to and fro, some going i men— men who have the happiness
su b scription will ex p ire w ith th e next
n u m b er. You are earnestly requested
O rp h a n ’s H o m e .
to their place of business to earn of tbe wnr,d at b eart be&in to tb in k
to renew so th a t you ii.ay receive the pa­
money, some on errands of mercy, it is best to turn our attention to
per w ithout in te rru p tio n . We have de­
As soon as we get our school on
cided th
a t iv
it is
concerned
ciueu
niiiv
in best
i/v-ov for all ...............-
.
.
ii«
patriotism , devotion or revenge, we work of more im portance, and to
th a t we do not send papers longer th a n a firm basis we hope to be able to
although m any are enquire if these problem s of the
th e tim e paid for unless so onlered. h a v e jn connection witb it, not only
*
.
T his will prevent any loss and we will
. , . . , ,
ignorant of bow to gain it, they are priests are so very im p o rtan t after
a sanitarium and an industrial de- ®
.
.
c
know ju st when- we stand.
all working, striving, fighting for all. We believe th at they are not
We re«juest you to semi us the nam es p a r t u i e i l t, h u t also a il o r p h a n ’s
they can
of Secularists who m ight become sub- »
.
the same great gem of life, the im p o rtan t, and, as
scrihers am i wt* will mail sam ple copies, home. Of course a ll th« st things
same pearl of greatest price, the never be solved, we should search
will cost money hut the Liberals
for the pearl of greatest price else-
THURSDAY. S E P T . a. E. M. W tbr)(Ughoot tfae U nited States have alpha and om ega of hum an exist­
ence. W hat is it? W hat is the I wbere* Suppose life is everlasting
no nunneries to support nor <lo they
pearl of greatest price, the one and th a t there is a God and th a t
W e M u s t K e e p M o v in g .
pay large sum s to he kept out ol
thing we all w ant most, the one Jesus is his son and is now begging
Surrounded as we are by a host of hell, so we can easily make one j
thing all arestriv in g fo r, th a t is free his father to allow poor m ankind
people whose belief in gods and school a grand success when all uu- to all, but in the struggle, overlooked a seat in his great city with pearly
devils makes then, strongly desire derstand its im portance to our cause. and tram pled under foot? It is gates, w hat in the nam e of common
The boys and girls who have no
sense do you suppose he would care
our defeat and by those who are h o m e a d w
rig ,„ n)anage. sim ply a pure unallowed condition
of happiness. Now there are m any w hether we believed it all or not if
co operating with then, e.th er
# home
wl|er#
we knew how to behave ourselves
through opposition to the moral
)y tdll(,ated and a l. agents or factors which are essen­
stand th a t the O. 8. 8. U. has taken
.. ' v - —
_ _ tial in securing this most precious when we got there; and then it is
most if not quite pay their way
of all pearls. And here we may sit so absurd and so u tterly im possible
or their inability to see th a t we
after we get the work properly a r­
at the feet of M other N ature and to prove, why not turn our a tte n ­
were obliged to go ahead with the
ranged for them , and m any th at
learn some precious tru th s. We tion to try in g to solve the great
work as we have, or have it entirely
are now sent to reform schools and
«rushed out, we som etimes wonder ,
, , .. ....
. . ,
m ay learn to know the tru e pearl of problem of th e happiness of m an ­
b ra n d e d for life as c rim in a ls could
.
,
,
.
a t our past successes and look for-
greatest price and we may learn how kind here on earth?
, r
.
. ,
... be saved not only from the disgrace
Here is the problem then th a t is
ward to our future labors with
.
?
and where to search. Does she
...
but from its horrible effects. Friends
of our best th o u g h t:
anxious questionings. We never
.
,
tell us th a t we can find it in any worthy
. , , . 7 ,
.
of hum anity we are undertaking a
doubt th a t there are F reethinkers
’
b
religious belief? ('an we be happy Given, a world of beauty and pro­
,
.
....
. - , i
great work. How much can you
enough v\ho are willing to help lay p
J
if we believe th a t m any are to suffer ductiveness— a w onderland filled
the pipes for this grand fountain of ' '
_______________
untold agony after this life?
Is with beautiful light, with flowers
tru th however, and th e o n ly ques­
this artificial frenzy of trying to keep and birds and beautiful rivers, w ith
T h e D is e a s e o f N a tio n s ,
tion with us is one of time. We
people from a fiery lake or direct forests ami plains and lovely
said in our issue of Aug. 19th th a t
C hristianity like all supernatural them to a happy condition way off valleys, and above all, com panions
we needed $1000 right away but religons is like a contagious disease, somewhere a ftur they are dead, who, under proper environm ents,
th is is not all we need. The $1000 and while the people of civilized happiness? Is the belief th a t we are far better com pany for us th an
th a t we w ant now is only for imine countries are getting over its tvil possess an interest in a Jew who angels or gods. Given all this, and
d iate expenses and what we really effects the heathen people are just j lived 1900 hundred years ago and the problem is to m ake the best use
ought to have is not less than $40, ‘‘coining dow n” with it. To he sure I who was executed for his infidelity o f these things and secure the pearl
000. T his am ount we are confident th.-re are m any in civilized countries and whose body has long ago of greatest price, the happiness
which is due every hum an being
will come in time. W hat we who who can ’t get rid of the disease yet, returned to the elem ents—does be-
are interested want to do is to keep but the pure, fresh air of a free lief in him w ithout other
very who enters the world w hether he
the work on the move. We m ust country is working wonders, and in I essential conditions bring
hap- believes an y th in g w ithout proof
or not.
get more subscibers to the 'P orch , a few years the only victims will be piness?
After we shuffle off this m ortal
g e t evei'y one we can interested in fouml in heathen lauds and they in
W hen men secure th at for which
our work and he sure to do all we tu rn will be cured by coming in they have lx?en struggling, w hether c°d , unless we can be in com p an y
can ourselves. We will do this and contact with the higher civilization, it be some religious belief, some witb tbe angels of earth , ju st as they
the work will grow lighter and
We sometimes think it would lx office, honor, or w ealth, it is a great are here, we beg to be excused,
more extensive as the many workers nice to live a thousand years to source of satisfaction for a tim e but j e b cab b “q u its.’ And so we are
come to our aid.
witness the great change th a t will none of these things alone can se- anxious to do our work here—right
We m ust remember th at a very surely come, hut when we realize cure for us the great treasure of bere—b>r there is no proof th a t
little from each Fr<»ethinker will th a t this is not best and not pos- happiness. Men with honor, with wc’ll ever get another chance,
build a wonderful institution of sible we conclude th a t the wisest w ealth, with health, with a firm Everyone ought t<> im prove his op­
learning and we who are pioneers thing we can do is to preserve our belief in Jesus Christ ami his pow- p °rtu n itie s and help secure for the
m ust do the most of the work now own health as best we can, do er to save to the utterm ost may be world fhe real pearl of greatest price;
in order to get it started, then all in our power to cure hum anity very unhappy. Don’t you believe (hen all will enjoy life, and think-
others will help. We must not neg- of this dreadful m ental fever, see as it? Ju s t think for a moment! The ing, conscientious men and Women
lect to do what we can even if it is much good come to the world as is most devout C hristian m other " ’ill no^ suffer as they m ust now,
hut little, for the “ many littles possible, and know th at we have could not be happy if she knew th a t when they th in k of the m isery in the
make the
mickle.” Now friends done som ething tow ard the healing a poisonous serpent was slowly w’orld caused by ignorance, super-
lets keep the work moving.
I)o of the nations.
creeping tow ard the cradle of her stition and fear.
J