OF
VOL
1.
S IL V E R T O N , O lîE G O N , TH U R SD A Y , S E P T E M B E R 23, 1897.
Creeds.
Alonso eora Rice
th at virtue and vice exist solely
with reference to the n atu re of hu-
•There lives m ore faith in honest d o u b t, n ia n b e in g s
Believe me, than in half the creeds.”
—Tennyson.
I often wonder if the strange,
Diverse opinions in the creeds
And views of men, will ever change
.
The great Creator’s plans and deeds.
One inn of life along the road,
Across the sill one Iteacon burns,
This leads to only one abode,
From whence no traveler returns.
Alike the purpose and intent,
As arrows to the self-same spot,
Flee from the bow, by one arm bent,
Some fail and others wander not.
Some little breeze, the feathered dart.
May strike along the troubled course,
And cause it from its way to part,
tJr still the virtue of its force.
Intent and doubt are still in right,
Bereft of superstition’s rav;
And through the battlements of night,
Will lead triumphant on to day.
th e n we m ay e x p e c t
NO. 47.
Egotism and P ity.
Hict upon others, in c o n s e q u e n t of
the process of thought h I m . v © de
By hr. I.. Boehner.
scribed, as if ¡t were inflicted, or to
One of the principle sources of
1* infl icte«l upon ourselves, and a b
good actions, especially as regards
stain from the action in or«h r to
our Itehavior tow ards our fellow- escape from this disagreeable feeling.
men. is pity. But a t the bottom
H ere an d T here,
even this highest of all noble 6enti
to see tru th and reason prevail in
the world. Those rules of conduct
only can rightly be called laws,
which regulate hum an actions alike
on one day as on another dav; and
in a nation calling itself a republic
t> R.
lngeri-oll.
n e n ts is nothing but the efflux of a
the laws of Moses should have no
The clergy balance th e i x l itT*
validity in courts " f law to a u th o r refined egotism. For when we see a
ize persecutions for th e breach of fellow m an stiff« ring we ¡m na diately of this life w ith the expected joys
superstitious customs. Our highest put ourselv« a in im agination in the of the next. We are assured th a t
object and the end of our endeav place of the sufferer and ask our all is perfection in heaven; there
ors should l«e to free our com try selves whai would he our own feel the skies are cloudless, there all is
from the exercise of all religious
Here em pires
ings if w e should be assisted or neg serenity and peace.
tests in all judicial proce« dings,
may be overthrow n; dyn asties m ay
ami from Sunday penalties which lected by others. The ‘disagree.i ble
violate the simple and im pre sentim ent of the im agined helpless be extinguished in blood; m illions
scriptible rights of m an.
The ty ness in ourselvea becomes im m edi of slaves m ay toil ’neath the fierce
ranny of priests is as odious and ately converted into the agreeable rays of the sun, and thecruelslr<»kc
V irtu e and Vice.
insufferable as th a t of kings.
The one of aid conferred and liberation ■ >f the lash; yet all is happiness in
By Horace Bearer
attem pt to ju stify the violation of
heaven
Pestilence m ay strew tl e
M orality, sim ply considered as n atu ral liberty Irecause the m a from a depressed position as soon
earth with corpses of the loved; the
the bond of society, has no m ore to jority adhere to those Mosa cal pre as we have actually given our assist
survivors may bend above them in
do with a future life, than it had scriptions which occasion it, only ance to the sufferer. Of course this
presupposes a certain development agony, yet the placid bosom of
with a p ast one; men seldom act in enhances the injustice.
When the priests and their sup of the ¡towers of sentim ent and heaven is u nruffbd. C hildren m ay
the common concerns of the world,
porters say, th a t ‘‘The dogm a of im agination, in which rude nations expire, vainly asking for bread;
from the hope of a d ista n t and un future rexvards and punishm ents is or individuals are m«»re or less de
babies m ay be devoured by serpents
certain rew ard— they feel im pelled I the bond of society," and th a t to ficient; this want of sentim ent and
while the gods sit sm iling in the
by som ething more im m ediate and overthrow this dogm a of the Evan- ;»-ty renders them cruel and spite
forcible. 1 he laws which m ust ever gelieal economy would release three ful toward their fellowrnan, whilst clouds. The innocent m ay languish
govern hum an n ature, exist in th at q u arters of the C hristian world ’^ e °PIMM*He ch aracter is produced unto death in the obscurity of
n a tu re itself. Man being w hat he from all re stra in t,” they m ight with *>y higher cultivation of the m ind dungeons; brave men and heroic
is, his n atu re determ ines his m oral- tru th ra th e r say, th at th eir impo- and heart. Moreover, we act well, women may be changed to ashes a t
ity, inasm uch as it determ ines the sition would lie overthrow n, and 4,8 regards our behavior tow ards the bigot’s s’ake, while heaven is
effect which every external or in- th a t the tyrannical institutions and m anki,,d *n 8ei,eral, out of consid-
filled with song and joy.
Out on
ternal influence shall produce for exercise of priestly power WOuld i e r a ,*on for our own weal <>r advan-
good or for evil; if for good, th a t in-
im m ediately set aside. Men for ta 8e’ f” '' our S00*1 faInr’ our 8ocial the wide sea, in darkness and in
ttueuce is virtuous; if for evil, it is their own safety are interested in position, etc., a« well as out of re- storm , the shipwrecked struggle
vicious. H aving discovered w hat the observance of the obligations 8pect ^or ^ e laws and fear of pun- with the cruel waves while the
im pres-ions afford him true and of eivil order, and ind-ed, its in- la m e n t, w hilst all these motives angels plav upon th eir golden harps
perm anent enjoym ent, and w hat fringem ent leads to strengthened would fail away as soon as, being The streets of the world are fill, d
influences occasion him painful in-asures for enforcing it» pro- ,Ilerely lim ited to ourselv«,, we with the diseased, the ¿«‘formed and
sensations, we deduce thence his visions, and to their increased ef- could fo,loW our ow " egotistical the helpless; the cham b is of pain
rules of conduct. T his appears to feet by the experience of th eir in- *,,lP,dses, ju s t as the anim als do. are crowded with th»- pale forms of
be the only reasonable m ethod, for dispensibility.
He m ust be ms
’8 only his social relations, cou- the suffering, while the ang Is float
all the philosophy and all the re- great a sim pleton who believes th a t « d eratio n
common weal and and fly in the happy realm s of day.
ligion in the world, will never be there could possibly be a necessity
conviction th a t it is his duty to In heaven they are too happy to
able to carry us beyond the usual for a general flood over the earth a ct foi hum anity to which the indi have sym pathy; too busy singing to
course of experience, or give us to execute vengeance on the offend- vidual is indebted fo.’ everything aid the im ploring and distressed.
measure« of conduct and behavior ers against n atu ral m orals, as he th a t makes m an a man , and renders Their eyes are blinded; th eir ears
different from those which are fur- who gives credit to its physical |«os-
^ ,at ,Moral being which the are stop|>ed, and their hearts are
nished by reflections on common sibility.
m oralists and theologians im agine turned to stone by the infinite self
life. No new fact can be inferred
Experience teaches us th a t the ^*ln 1,1 have been created a t the ishness of joy. T he saved m ariner
from th e religious hypothesis; no calam ities of m ankind have sprung •beginning. Even the wickedness is too happy when lie touches the
event-foreseen or foretold; no re- frOm their superstitious opinions, which i« the source of all bad ac- shore, to give a m om ent’s th o u g h t
ward or punishm ent expected or The ignorance of n atu ra l cause» c r~ «ion» U.wardu our fellowmen, ju st to his drow ning brothers.
W ith
dreaded beyond w hat is already aledgod», and im posture made them ♦*•!*««■> i» 'h e source of at] good the indifference of happiness, with
known by practice and observation, terrible. M ankind lived unhappy one8> «Impends ultim ately upon a j the contem pt of bliss, heaven bare-
M oral conduct springs from the liecause they were tau g h t from their w ant of recognition ol this relation, ly glances at the miseries of ea rth .
m utual want« and interests of m an- infancy to think th a t G d had c*»n- and
therefore finally, like every- Cities are devoured by th e rushing
kind. I t is each m an ’s interest denined them to m isery.
Th«v thing evil, a p n alu ct of w ant of cul- lava; th “ earth opens, and thous
Even ands j-erish; women raise th eir
th a t his neighbor should be virtu never entertained a wish to hr- ak ti vat ion and ignorance.
ous; hence each m an knows th a t their chains, becaute they were m oral indiff« reuee, or the mere ab clasped hands toward heaven, but
public opinion will approve his tau g h t th a t devotion, the renounc- staining from bad actions towards the gods are too happy to aid their
conduct, if virtuous,— reprobate it ¡ng of reason, m ental debility, and our felluw m tn, depend» ultim ately children. The sm iles of the deities
yg»''»'» refined l»j culture, are unacquainted with the tears of
if vicious. And whenever m ankind epiritual debasem ent were the oi.ly I u P °n
at large perceive, and wrhenever m eans of obtaining salvation-— inasm uch ae we partially feel tbe men. The shouts of heaven drown
¡evil th a t we inflict, or think t" i»<- the sobs of earth.
legislators act upon the perception, “Occasional Thoughts.”