T H E TORCH OF REASON, SIL V E R T O N , OREGON, T H U R SD A Y , D EC EM B ER 9, 1897. 4 Torch of Reason I he O n ly P a p e r of Its K in d . P ublished W eekly by th e Liberal U m - verrity Company, in tne Interests oi C onstructive, Moral Secularism . J. E. H osm er,......................Editor P. W. G e e r,....................... M anager E n tered a t th e postoffice at Silverton, Oregon, as second-class m ail m atter. SUBSCkIPTIO.N KATES. ........................................ „ One year, in a d v a n c e .. .................. $1 00 Six months in advance................. 60 Three m onths, in a<lv anee----- ^h fid ^an ce.^ 75 Money should be sent by registered letter or money order. N otice! of the greatest philosophers of our most expensive and dam aging en- 3. T h a t if others be nom inated time are closed books to thousands terprise th at the world has ever C hristian citizens should not vote <| engaged in, and it must be c le a r to for them ; and who would be made happy b) rea<* every m ind ind th th a a t t to to save save 4. If If none none but wicked men be every th th in in k k in in g g m 4. __ ___ ___ ing them . C hristianity has pollut- the worj(] from ignorance, super- nom inated, C hristians should not beautiful stream of music, stition and fear, the causes or our go to the polls. I bis would be . . » j by throw ing into its erys tai foun- unhappiness, we m ust drop our ac- their testim ony against the nomi- t a i n v ile m eaningless and absurd counts with gods, devils, angels, nation of unw orthy candidates. , , i.i i heaven, hell and m ythical saviors, To obey God is better th an to please ...... ... . __ . ..... _ doctrines, an d u tilized th e m u sical and , enter more largely into u the men .... win» . are only politicians. genius th a t might have been used })Usjness of atten d in g to things we And every noble and honorable for better things. C hristianity has are more fit for. Let us en ter an m an should have too much self-re- had its regulai meetings, a n d while account with H u m an ity , w ith Sci- spect to give his ballot for a low- m any have been made happy for a «»f*. with Progress, with every- down politician m erely because he , . .i i • t thing pertaining to this life, and is the nominee of *‘our p a rty ” season, „ h a s been the happm ess of Su„ n8 world will he rich •- - - only • good • men ’ were in Moreover, if those,whom the holy hook says,say prosperity and happiness. nom inated and elected to office, we in th eir hearts there is no g<»d, and would have better laws, better ad while a few have e n jo ye d th e ideas Q u a lific a tio n o f C iv il O ffic e rs m inistrations, less crim e, a greatly improved condition of society, and taught, m any have learned to pre We are now free from the ex more real prosperity in the State. tend, and the vast m ajority have citem ent th at o rd in arily ac- Besides, as C hristians and all who been m ade sad. C h ristian ity has com panies a political cam paign, believe th a t the divine law should ouhlished much historv. but it has 1 hi* freedom is restful. \\ e m ay be our rule in civil action, are in th a t we do no t send papers longer th a n I r a t j)er t h a n a help to the value of th e tim e paid for unless so o rd e re d .. . . T his will p revent any loss and we will | honest history. Chi istianity has know ju st w here we sta n d . delved deep into the earth and dis- We request you to semi us the nam es T. • -x v. of S ecularists who m ight become sub- covered objects of an tiq u ity , but scribers and we will m ail sam ple copies. o n Jy to p u t its own label thereon nated and elected. In the discus very weli th a t C hristians and men sion we assum e th a t ours is a of well known C hristian m orality C hristian nation, i. e . , founded by make the best and most reliable C hristian men upon C »ris'ian officers in every d ep artm en t; there principles, men who intended to fore, politicians would show their lay th e f o u n d a tio n d e e p upon th e patriotism ^perhaps they have and to fill its devotees with super- ^aw L»od ^ ‘e PUPrern* J a nation some) by seeking the election of THURSDAY, DEC. 9, E. M. 297 .... , . . , . .¡com posed largely of C hristian good men. well known men of uii - stition and fear, in order to prevent *, . 1 ,• .u ♦ ,1 m . ’ people who believe th a t the C hrist- doubted C hristian character who them from exercising freedom of lull reijgiun is the onlv true religion, , , , ... , • , - T h c W o r ld ’s A c c o u n t w ith thought. C h ristia n ity has estab, ¡and th a t the divine law should he j ficrts , han tfc(, g0^ , (if th i C(imm()n. C h r is tia n ity . llshed schools, not to educate or to the rule by which all govern- we»lth Mnd the interests of the We believe in giving credit for cultivate the faculties, hut to m ake m ental aWM s n»ul< be enacted and c ity ; for as a fundam ental proposi . e n fo rc e d . As each s t a t e is a part everything th a t is honestly deserv- C hristians, and no greater tion it m ay be safely said th a t no en my 1 | o f t||H ll!ltinn:1, anvprnniftnt the national governm ent lhe man can be depended upon in office ed, and this short editorial will be our p Ublic schools and the sci- principle applies to every s ttte as an endeavor to show how the ences there taught can he found well as the Federal governm ent. who is devoid of a religious con science; nor have m unicipal leagues w o rld ’s acco u n t with C hristianity than the theological nonsense dish- From the above assum ption it fol or reform ers of w hatever kind any stands; and if we are obliged, in ed us to the poor victim s of Chris- lows ih a t onlv such men as are right to expect reform ation so long justice, to credit it with some very Gan schools. C h ristian ity h a s ' possessed of the proper qualifica as the law of the “ R uler over the , .. 1 -i \ established hospitals, but instead tions should he in civil office. This nations” is disregarded and nn- , , of devoting the undivided thought tru th is expressly declared by the ,, .. . , .. , m ust he liberal with us and over- x . , 1 ■ t . ,1 1 g o d ly men continue to be eligible m u. t n u i M i wiui anu restoring the p atien t to health, A uthor of governm ent th u s: He 7 _ r y , ~ look w hat to them m ay seem erro- be has been tortured by talk s about that ruleth over men must he just, 0 ° Le* *- e CC1_ en neous. the great m ysteries of gods and ruling in the fear of G o d a n d in The above only echoes th e senti- “ Pro- m ents of m any people, and if they We will place to its credit the devils, and the healing halm of sal- the fuller description thus for his im m ortal soul, vide (choose) out of all the people . ., . A , following items: I t has given m any vation W hat is thought of a m an who able m en, such as fear God, men of . ie power, as ey cei a in ly a r e children exercise in reading. keeps a hotel in order to rob trav- tr u th , hating covetousness.” These try in g to do, no one but C hristians has been the means of bringing out e]ers? hut purely C hristian hospit- declarations are indices of the m ind will be allowed to vote. Some of much beautiful music. It has had als are established to gain follow- of the divine law giver as revealed these people honestly think th a t meetings regularly, which have and support for th e priesthood, all through his w ritten law. A one c a lft be a d m a * or woman given m any people much enj oy. , not for the love^of m ankind. Then curaorv a n a ly s e will snow th a t the . , being a C hristian We T ,* . we m ust place here on th e debtor only kind of men th a t should be v v e ® v n ri. tian. ment. It has published much use side th e m illions who were m urder- ! put into office are; m ust correct this false idea before it ful history and m ade known to the ed by the church in the great in- ! 1.Citizens, not foreigners or is too late, or we Secularists and all world many things th at m ight now quisition, the old grandm as who aliens, “ from am ong all the people.” who do not w orship a t the shrine 2. “ Able m en”— men of ab ility , \ r Q1.„>D r m;n ~ • be hidden beneath the debris of died because the holv book savs thou sb a lt not suffer a witch to ¡well qualified in tellectu ally an d , . ages. It has established m any “ live,” those who were lost in the , hy ed u ctio n . ed ot every Pollt,cal and religious schools th a t have been far better crusades, those who have sacrificed 3. Religious men, not atheists, or fight- It seems to us th a t no sane th a n none. It has established hos- their lives in the m any C hristian infidels, freethinkers, or agnostics person could disagree with the writ- pitals where m any have been saved wars, those who have worse than or foes of C h ristian ity but “ such as er as to our officers being citizens, from sickness, pain and death, lost their liv es-th e» re lig io n s luna- fear God.” This is w hat he re- ab ,e men> intellectual nieu, rnen of W hy, the very falsity of C hristian- t,c8’ th e nnestim ated evil it has quires; and in the bible everyw here ’ :*v has aroused thought and snur- Pro<1Vce<1 b-v . worr-v ,n e certain types the “ fear of God” or the “ fear of tru th , men whose word is as good , , P , of mind until the victims were unfit the L ord” is tak en for religion or as anybody s o ath , men upon whom we can depend, men who hate cov- and undeveloped state and kept it vast num bers of hypocrites it has C hristian m orality etousness and hypocrisy, and men continually on the move so th a t it produced, the m any lives lost to the 4. “ Men of tru th ,” i. e. , men who do not seek office, b u t accept it has not been entirely dcstpovpd w°rld bv confinement in nunner- who love the tru th and “ whose! or become stagnant. This also, we ¡es, monisteries etc., the vast sums word Is as good as their oath”- - aud perform its duties, not for the . . . . ’ . of money wasted in teaohing the men upon whom we can depend in salary, but for the highest good of suppose, should he placed to its heathen th e w onders and m vster- all circum stances. allth e people. But to debar Atheists, credit if we believe with Pope th a t ies, the contention and hate of the 5. “ H ating covetousness;” 1. e . , Infidels, F reethinkers and Agnos- “ w hatever is, is right.” Perhaps brothers and sisters of the most in- C hristian men who do not seek the . . others who love the “ meek and tellectual race, the weaklings horn office but accept it and perform its W° , x, le s€^ vices 0 lowly one” better than wc do could I of fanaticai Parent8, the opposition duties not for th e salary or ¡t8 1 some of the best officers th a t ever to science, and, finally, the alm ost profits in any way, but for the served the people, find other things to place on th e compiere nioeKing ot w heels oi ig n e si gooa n tne F reeth in k in g citizer com plete blocking of tn the e wheels of n highest good or of a all the people. citizens of this credit side of the account, but we progress and civilization, which Now, if we have stated the tru th gre a t republic we must nn be awake j , . . t ’ will now proceed to post the debtor leave? the men an J women of this properly it follows: and fair generation thousands of years he- 1. T hat only good men or those or ns orJ ** repeat itself 11 side. possessed of proper qualifications L iberty will only be rescued by a C hristianity for years prevented hind w hat they should he in phys should be eligible to office. struggle th a t will cause the earth ical, m ental and r..oral strength. people from reading, and today the B alance th e account and you will 2. That only such should be to tremble and the veil in the tem- very best aud most scientific works find th a t C h ristian ity has been the nominated to office. pie to be rent asunder.