Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1897)
I HE To'CCII OF REASON, SILVER ION, OREGON, T ill RSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1897. religion belore they became free. a brief pause the pupil exclaim s More science and less bible, will with em phasis, “ One country! one teach them their error in believing language! one Hag!” at the last it an unpardonable sin to fiddle and dance, but everlasting h ap p i word extending the arm so as to ness depends on their joining the point directly at th e flag; after church, singing hym s and praying. which the pupil resum es his seat. C hristians who are so very par- This salute is m ade obligatory upon ticu lar th at nothing be done on the all the pupils. Those who refuse Sabbath, would be more consistent to give it are suspended from the if they were equally p articu lar to school; and this action has already fulfill the other part of the com been taken in a num ber of in m andm ent, “ Six days sh a lt thou stances. labor,” for the most pious are very A noticeable feature of the situ a apt to neglect work, and rest all tion which has arisen in connection the week to pray and sing and with the enforcem ent of t h e “ patri- preach. M any church people who otic salu te” is the refusal of some frown when they hear an oath, do of the children to participate in the not hesitate to u tte r an u n tru th exercise because contrary to the themselves. There is no denying dictates of conscience. At least five the fact th at swearing is an ugly children have been suspended from Keep th e Torch of Reason B u rn in g . habit; hut will a thousand oaths the Boulder schools as a result o' do the am ount of harm th a t one this effort to inculcate “ p atrio tism .” deliberate falsehood does? An old In two instances, we a rt1 inform ed, lady was trying to drive a nail and conscience asserted itselfin the te n m ashed her linger, whereupon she der m inds of the children in oppo exclaim ed, “ bless the ham m er!” sition to the com m ands of both She did not mean th at, so it was a teachers ami parents. The innate lie, and the feeling th a t prom pted iniquity <ff the th in g is apparent Price, Ten c e n ts. it was the same as would prom pt a even to the conscience of childhood. man to curse the ham m er. The In one case, upon refusal to p a r t i c feeling one displays in the use of ipate in the salute, the teacher ex profane language is the harm ful claim ed, sharply, “ W hy do you not part, hut C hristians lay no stress salute the flag? are you a traito r?” on th a t; their objection to profan To which the youth’ replied, “ No; I The above shows the exact size of the little song book we ity • is based wholly on their super- am not a traitor, but I understand A have just com pleted. It contains th irty -tw o pages. The songs stitions fear of God, because one the flag is an emblem of liberty. are set to fam iliar tunes and should be in every F reeth o u g h t com andm ent had been broken. Now if you use it to compel a per home and S unday school. Send us an order. Price, 10 cts. son to do a thing he does not con E. M. B. sider to be rig h t, it is no longer an > Q O O O z<>0-c><>00-<><x><><> y J V < K X > < X X X X X > < X X X K K '< X > < X X X ; < X K X K K > C om pelling th e Y outhful Con- emblem of liberty.” A nother, in reply to a like question from his science. E. M., 297. teacher, said, “ I am willing to sa There has been introduced into lu te the flag tw enty tim es a day; the school exercises of the public hut as to r e p e a t i n g the words of schools of Boulder, Col., by the that salute, there is no power on school board, a feature which is earth th a t has any right to compel SILVERTON, OREGON very significant when considered in me to take th at oath .” These were its relation to the fundam ental good answers, and their force could principles of American govern not hut he felt. E nclosed f in d .................................... D ollars to a s s is t in th e A clipping from the “ Daily Cam ment. It is called th e “ Am erican Patriotic S alu te” . The words of e ra ” (B oulder) of November 9,gives C o n stru c tio n of th e L iberal U n iv ersity a t S ilv e rto n , O regon. the views of an apologist for this th salute are, “ We give our heads, Yours for P rogress, and our hearts, to G« d, and out new feature of the school exercises, country! One country! one lan am i am ong them we note the fol lo w in g : guage! one flag!” “ N o ; a pagan or an Infidel in This salute is given by the pupils C u t th is o u t, o r copy It; enclose this enlightened age, and in this w h a t you can, and fo rw a rd to in a body, standing, and with a p J. E HOSMER, P re sid e n t, propriate gestures. It is delivered country, should not and does not facing an American flag, which is get the same consideration as a S ilv e rto n , Oregon held before the school during the C h ristia n .” This is certainly a frank expres- giving of the salute by some one >0<>-0-0-0-0 0-0000-0 0000000000000-0-0-0-000000-0000-0000000000< chosen as stan d ard bearer. At giv •ion, but it is not the sentim ent en signals the pupils rise in their which has been supposed to per seats, extend the ri ht arm toward vade the A m erican system of gov Such expressions may the flag, then heod it hack so as to ernm ent. How to M a k e ---- touch the forehead w ith the tips of he only straw s, hut they show the fingers, and at this point ex which way the wind is beginning claim . “ We give our he; d s ”; then to blow.— [Ex. The Government nationalized the Postal System, why not also as the hand is carried to the breast the Money System? A plan is told by C. ELTON BLANCHARD and laid over the h eart, come the We will send the 'J oru n of R fas in his book entitled............................ words, ‘ and our h e a rts”. N ext the ox one year to five new subscribers head is thrown slightly hack and for $3.75, and the party getting up tiie arm outstretched, pointing up- the club will receive fifty v isi'ii ,g ©ijch of R e a so n Song Book n© i. • ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ -T ” ' V ▼ ▼ ' *■ ’V * ▼ ▼ -V Liberal U niversity C om pany, A Good T im es for all Tim e ward; and with the countenance assuming an expression of rever- ence, the words are uttered slowly and in reverential tones, “to God and our country 1” The arm is then dropped to the side, and after U N C LE S A M ’S H O M IL IE S ON F IN A N C E cards for his trouble. These car L ------- P o stp aid for 25 C ents. use, as they have an engraving of All profits on this l,ook will be given to the Lilieral University the famous Wettstein badge beauti- It should be in the hands of every thinking person. Address all orders to fully lithographed at the left of I he PORCH OP REASON, S ilv e rto n , O regon your name. This offer holds good until Jan. 1st. 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