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.
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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
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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
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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
,
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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 ....
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.¡com posed
largely of C hristian good men. well known men of uii -
stition and fear, in order to prevent
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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,
, , ,
...
, • ,
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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
,
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\ 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
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m
ust
he
liberal
with
us
and
over-
x
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,
1
■
t
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,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
. .,
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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
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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
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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
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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.