THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1S!>7. FIELD NOTES. Sunday I again took up the ban ner of Secularism and the I or « h , • nd started on my trip south. I spent a very pleasant day with a I'ricml in the Wald«» Hills, and in ■}i ;j f i r r .<>.>n w»*nt on to Salem, where we arrived just in time to witness a baloon ascension. I was w eI<■*<n.ed to the pleasant lionic of 1.1 old school friend, when- I spent the night. In the evening we a t tended th«- Congr«*gational church, ,4 'which Rev. Mr. K ant nor is pas tor. He took for his subject, “ I lie Survival of the Fitt«*st, ’ and he tried to sh >w that modern ( hris- tiau ity , as he termed it, contains all th a t is good of I he «»Id religions and that it is in ever) sense“ th esu rv iv al of the fittest.” He acknowledged that the golden rule was u tb -n d by Confucius several hundred years before C hrist, “ but,” he said, “ was not Cod in the beginning, and did he not reveal this to Confucius?” thereby virtually acknowledging th at the religion of Confucius was a revealed religion. Blit 1 m ust say that the sermon was a very liberal one, and showed plainly the ad vance in the C hristian religion. Monday brings rain, hut by eleven o’clock I am in 1 tim er, at the home of Mr. Matteson, that, old pioneer of Freethought who has sent us so many valuable specimens for our museum. Mr. and Mrs. Matteson are about the only out spoken Liberals in the place. I spent a very pleasant afternoon conversing with them , and about eight o’clock we went to the hall. The night was quite storm y and we did not have a very large audience, but Mr. Matteson said it exceeded liis expectations. Miss Kate M atte son, a prem ising young F reethinker, kindly lent a hand and presided at the organ. After the lecture we announce«! that the subject was open t«»r discussion and called upon M r . E arh eart, pastor of the P resby terian chuieh, to m ake a few re m arks. He did so, and m ade the statem ent that ‘‘in saying we do not know regarding the future life we put a limit to kn«»wle«lge; th a t I talked a great deal about uplifting h u m an ity , but when I tried to de stroy faith in the bible I denounced liU" units ; and th at the church has ck »ate«l wom an.” I answered th a t as far as lim bing knowledge is con cerned, 1 put no limit to knowledge; th a t I was open to conviction ami would accept whenever proof was placed before me, hut I thought he was the one who limit«-d knowledge when he declared lie did know. As far as religious power is concerned, is there any intelligent person today who will sav that the church has as much power as formerly? The very fact that I am lecturing on this subject wouhl show the decline of religious power Then as to de nouncing hum anity when I «1«*- stroy faith in J« sus C hrist, I aske«l word God in this inspired acknow N E W S AND NOTES him if he thought I denounced a ledgem ent? Science needs no lies. little child when I destroyed its W e need a few more team s right If God loved the world why did faith in Santa Claus? M any ch il now. Can we get them ? he “ put a lying spirit in the m outh dren firmly believe th a t S an ta A fine specimen of a goat’s skull of a |j these tliv p ro phets?” Claus exists, hut that does not m ake i i,as been added to our collection, I Kings x x ii :23.) it true. He replied that it was not The doner is Chas. Page. W hile C hristians are praying and There have been about fifty vain- repeating psalm s, Secularists are a parallel case, hut I t«»ld him th a t able hooks added to the lihrarv this studying science and arousing the to me »t was; that we had no proof week. Keep them com ing people to depend on th eir own of the existence of C hrist, or of his Another unabridged dictionary strength. The fittest will survive, divinity, and that because some had Pne bible savs th at after we are faith it di«l n<»t make it so. He and a tine dictionary stan<l has dead our Tove ami hate and euvv never offered to give me any proof. been added to our school out fit. Then I quoted for him a few passag 1 Many interesting and instructive all peri-li and that the dead do n«»t C hristians do you es from the bible relating to women, exp rim ents can he performed with know an y th in g and what the go»»d old sain ts Aug our new m agneto-electric machine. believe the hibl e : ( Read Eccles. ustine, Jerom e and Gregory had to Miss D ePeatt started on her IX.) say about women. Tin* gentlem an Southern Oregon lecture tour last “ Verily I say unto y u , this gen d« d in e d any further discussion, and Sunday, delivering her first lecture eration shall not p iss away, till after Mr. Malt« son m ade some tell at Turner. fearful sights and great signs from ing points the meeting adjourned. One o f t h e um st h ig h ly prized heaven” (See Luke x x i) will he 1 will say th a t th “ gentlem an was artic les ad d ed to o u r schoolroom considered by civilized people as very courteous, and treated me outfit this week is a very n ic e ly ! old heathenish superetions. with the utm ost fairness ami re articulated skeleton. ’ An A labam a m urderer addressed spect. I explained ouc work t o II. C. Page an d fam ily m o v d the following note to the governor: him, as he is from t I k * ea-t ami un “ I wish you would grant me a acquainted with -ur plan of work. to Silverton this week. Miss Ada th irty -d ay respite. I am short on I m ust say, however, th a t there will act as assistant in the kinder- garten departm ent <>f the U ni-f religion. Intended to get it last was some of tin* audience whose versify. week, hut was too busy.” conduct was not very adm irable, Eliza Mowry Bliven is enrolling A Secularist was talk in g with a for their sneers ami talk became pretty loud, thereby showing th eir 1 tract distributors in m any states, j C hristianized Indian and asked conception of the refining touches The last person to enroll is in Mass- him a question that he co u ld n ’t of C hristianity. Mr. Eat heart, in achusetts, and lie will lake $2 j answer. The In d ian was puzzled , w hat to say for a m om ent, hut fi- the debate on the woman question, worth of the tracts. F ranklin S teiner gave us an o th er I nally thought of his C hristian rem arked that lie was very sorry to see one of my sex denounce the lib very interesting Freel hough t lecture medicine-man, and excitedly ex erator and savior of women. I last Sunday evening. He m ay he claim ed, “ Ask preacher, he know!” would advise him to read “ The with us again one week from next The C hristians who selected and W om an’s Bible.” I sincerely hope Sunday. W atch for th e announce compiled the hooks now known as th a t he will make a stuily of the ment. the new testam ent were very iguor- principles and workings of Sec We are assured th a t another a nt and superstitious men. They ularism , see th«* true way and come Liberal fam ily will soon move to believed th a t dem ons were the off to the light. Silverton on account of the U niver spring of angels who loved the This m orning I will go on to sity. The children were here on a daughters of men; th a t the hyena Albany, wh«*ie I lecture W ednesday visit last w inter ami went to our changed its sex every year; th a t the evening. K ate D e P eatt . school a short time. The more hare had as m any young as it was Secularists th at come the better it years old, etc., etc., etc. Were such C om ing to T he Fore. will suit us, and vv« will do all men com petent to select w hat is in onr power to m ake their coming a n R w hat is not the word of a god? E ditor T orch of R eason : both pleasant and profitable us G ath e r. Fnclosed find $1.50 in paym ent r >ne y ear’s subscription to the LITTLE POINTS. E ditor T orch of R eason : T orch of R eason and the Free- Enclosed you will find money thought Magazine. My subscrip Honest doubt is a strong wall of tion to the T orch ran out wi’h the defense; blind faith is a cesspool of i order for $6. five of which is for the college fund, donated by the Rock issue of Septem ber 2 Please h*t it ignorance. 6 begin with the next issue of the People would have much more s Pri"Ks Im provem ent S<- 9th. . I knowledge now, ¡ f i t had not been ciety, and the other one to pay for I am glad to set the progress ° , . . . . , i i of interest to the priests to keep a y ear’s subscription to the T orch th a t is being m ad“ tow ards build- , . . ing the Liberal lln iv e rd y, and the them '* nori,',ce- _ of R eason . Both Mr. Davis and I success of Oregon Freethought in God controls the universe. Yes? coiuiug to t h f<»r<* under vour in- I wonder why he don’t coll intelli , gent men like Chae. Darwin and fluence. Yours for tru th , Oregon. C. W. S aunders . | Col. Ingersoll to preach Chris- tian ity ? H iss D e P e a tt’s L ecture D ates. “ Out of the m outh «>f babes and sucklings” is a very appropriai»- SOUTHERN OREGON. T urner ................... A1 ba n v ..................... H arrisburg Ju n ctio n UitA Eugene ................... < ’«»burg..................... R oseburg................... (»rant’s P a s s ............. C entral Point Medford T a l e n t ....................... 13 15 t< IS <» 19 (( 20 si 22 (( 24 M 26 si 27 (( 28 « 30 are glad to hear th a t steady pro- gress is being made tow ard the eslab|is h „,H„ t of , he L ib era| Uni- vg We would like very much to be in Silverton and to he able to help th is cause more. It will only |)e a nJa tte r of time, however, for e old dogmas. your school. At present we m ust If a Secularist should w rite th “ be sati**fie«l t«> let well enough alone. Bowing, what would the Chris- Mr. Davis is doing quite well this Mr. Davis joins me in well wishes