Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903, December 02, 1897, Image 3

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    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
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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.
Try the Torch for Job work.