THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, JA M ARY 13, IS 98. Is T here a S a n ta C laus? T he fo llo w in g p u r p o r t s to Ite r w r itte n to of th e i n n o c e n t w ith r e lig io u s ig ­ LIBERAL n o r a n c e . s u p e r s t i ti o n , p r e ju d ic e , b e a d o g m a a n d m y th t h a t h a s a l r e a d y e d it o r o f th e e o st b illio n s of d o l l a r s a n d th e p r e ­ c io u s liv e s of m illio n s of p e o p le , \> w Y o rk S u n : b e s id e s u n to ld s o rro w s , m is e r ie s D e a r E d i t o r : — I a m e ig h t y e a r s a n d c r im e s — a ll in th e n a m e of ,1. S om e o f m y l i t t l e f r ie n d s s a y C h r i s t ia n i ty . , re is n o S a n t a C la u s . Papa “ Her«* a little g irl of e ig h t a s k e d V-. ‘if y o u it in t h e S u n i t ’s fo r th e t r u t h , a m i w a s g iv e n a c o n ­ , ' P le a s e te ll m e th e t r u t h ; is t e m p t ib l e lie in its s te a d . O h, t:,. re a S a n t a C l a u s ? — V ir g in ia i r u t h ! hi 11 io n s o f lie s a re to h l in t h y O 'H a n lo n , 115 W e s t 9 5 th S t r e e t .” n a m e for th e b e n e fit of C h r i s t i a n ­ T h e e d ito r r e p lie s a s fo llo w s: ity . •‘V ir g in ia , v o u r l it t le f r ie n d s a re “ \\ ho b u t a fool n o w a d a y s b e ­ 7 3 tin U N IV E R S ITY V \ w ro ng. T h e y h a v e b e en a ffe c t­ lie v e s in g h o s ts , fa ir ie s , a m i th e 'd >y th e s k e p tic is m of a s k e p tic r 1 lik e? Y e t t h e s e ly in g e d ito r s try a Lre, a n d d o no t b e lie v e e x c e p t th e y to m a k e c h il d r e n b e lie v e in th e m , see, a n d th in k t h a t n o t h in g c a n be j “ Y es, we a g re e in o n e t h in g , t h a t w hich is n o t c o m p r e h e n s ib le by th is i n f e r n a l d e c e p tio n w ill c o n - ' th e ir little m in d s . “ 5 e s , \ i r g in i a , t h e r e is t in u e a g e s, e s p e c ia lly if s u c h fo o ls j a S a n t a o r d e c e iv e rs r e m a in in th e n e w sp a - H e e x is ts a s c e r t a i n l y a s p e r field . N o s a n e e d i t o r w o u ld j love, g e n e r o s ity a n d d e v o tio n e x is ts , a t t e m p t to m is le a d h is r e a d e r s i n l ­ tla iis . a n d y o u k n o w th ey a b o u n d a n d less h«* sees a v a s t c o m p e n s a tio n in give to y o u r life its b e a u ty a n d jo y it fo r d o in g so, a n d in su c h e a se h e A la s ’ how d r e a r y w o u ld he th e w o u ld he d is h o n e s t. w orld if t h e r e w e re n o S a n t a C la u s , j “ G e n tle m e n , let t r u t h he v o u r It w o u ld he a s d r e a r y ......... a s if • th '----- e r e ' m o tto a n d s u c h ig n o r a n c e w ill find w ere no V ir g in ia s . V e w o u ld its w a y i n to o b liv io n , w h e n h a v e no c h i l d - l i k e f a ith th e n , n o i s h o u ld h a v e b een a g e s a ^ o ” S' p o e try a n d r o m a n c e to m a k e to le r - e n t th is e x is te n c e . We s h o u ld h a v e no e n jo y m e n t e x c e p t in se n se B u i l d i n g in C o u rs e o f C o n s t r u c t i o n . It T H E O N LY S C H O O L OF T H E K IN D S' ________ Opening the Pearly Gates. 3»**- T h e p r ie s ts , r a b b is , p r e a c h e r s , a n d s ig h t. E te rn a l lig h t w ith w h ich c h ild h o o d f i l l s w o u ld b< e x . b is h o p s a n d s c r ih r s a r o u n d N«*w Y o rk c ity a r e in a s t a t e of u p h e a v - tin g u is h e d . o v e r R e v - P t . L y m a n A b b o tt’s ‘ N o t b e lie v e in S a n f a C l a u s ’ j You m ig h t a s w ell n o t b e lie v e in « « h e m e to let. A g n o s tic s , M o h a iu m e - fairies. Y o u m ig h t g et v o u r p a p a d a n s a n d B u d d h i s t s in to p a r a d is e , F ree from S uperstition S trictly N on-Sectarian Pupils are Given Every O p p o rtu n ity to Learn W ithout Being H am pered by S uperstitions and Dogmas. to b ite m e n to w a tc h a ll th e c h illi- ¡ A few S u n d a y s a g o , in r e s p o n s e to n e y s o n C h r i s t m a s ev e to c a tc h a «question, I)r. A b b o tt p la in ly s t a t- S a n ta C la u s , b u t e v e n if th e y d id ed t h a t h e saw n«» re a s o n w h v h o n - L o c a tio n H e a lth fu l s S o c i e t y ( io o d . E x p e n s e s M o d e ra te . n o t see h im c o in in g d o w n , w h a t m e n of th e s e c la s s if ic a tio n s w ould it p r o v e ? N o b o d y se e s S a n - 'c o u ld n o t go to h e a v e n A s D r. ta C la u s , b u t t h a t is n o s ig n t h a t th e re is no S a n t a C la u s . T h e m o st -♦ »f - A b b o tt is a s u c c e s s o r of H e n r y W a r d B e e c h e r in t h e b ig P ly m o u th real t h in g s in th e w o rld a r e th o s e c h u r c h , h is w o rd s b e a r w e ig h t w h ich n o o n e c a n see. O n ly f a i 'h . a m o n g tin* b r e t h r e n . T h e n e w s p a ­ fan c y , p o e tr y , lo v e, r o m a n c e , c a n p e rs h a v e t a k e n th e m a t t e r u p a m i in te r v ie w i n g le a d in g p u sh a s id e th e c u r t a i n a n d view h a v e been th e s u p e r n a t u r a l b e a u ty a n d g lo rv p r e a c h e is o n tile s u b je c t. Of e n u rs e b eyond. I s it a ll re a l? A h , V i r ­ tb<* a v e r a g e p r e a c h e r g« ts u p o n h is g in ia , in a ll t h i s w o r ld th e r e is n o ­ h in d feet a n d lo u d ly « le m a n d s t h a t A Splendid Corps of Teachers ami (iood Facilities Teaching. Eor inform ation, address for J. E. HOSMER, Ph.D., B.S.D , President, SILVERTON. OREGON. a ll h o n e st m«*n be s e n t to l u l l , u n ­ • QO'><><>ofXK><>x><><><>oooö ! “ No S a n t a C la u s ! T h a n k G o d , less th e y c o n s e n t to b e lie v e h is t h e ­ he liv es, a n d h e liv e s f o r e v e r A o lo g ic a l tom m y»«»1; h u t it is a p E. M., 297. h e a l t h y s ig n of th e tim e s t h a t a ► < th " u a n d y« a i s fro m n o w , V ir g in ia , th in g else r e a l a n d a b id in g . n ay , te n t h o u s a n d t im e s te n t h o u s ­ la rg e i i u i i i I h t of th e m o st p r o in i- a n d y e a r s fro m n o w , h e w ill c o n ­ n e n t <>f G o th a m c le r g y m e n a g re e tin u e ,o lim k e g la d th e h e a r t of w ith D r. A b b o t t ’s p r o p o s itio n . I t is, in d e e d , a n e n c o u r a g i n g s y m p - chi Id h o o d .” 1 he a b o v e w as c o p ie d w ith e v i- < k " t h |>|, io v h I b y t h e K a n s a s C ity p Liberal U niversity Company, p ► « SILVERTON, OREGON. t< in of i n te l le c t u a l e m a n c ip a tio n p t h a t t h e le a d in g p r e a c h e r s in New ’ Y o r k d a r e in s t a n d u p a n d te ll th e , a n d th e F r e e t b o u g h t I d e a l re- w o rld t h a t h o n e s t u n b e lie v e r s c a n «i i-i . t-. g«> to h e a v e n . O n e b y o n e th e old n u k es th e s e d is l o n e s t e d it o r s an 8 , , . • , , c r e e d s a n d m v t h s a r e b e in g s h a t- “uows: ► < ► . f ’ Enclosed fin d .................................. Dollars to assist in the Construction of the Liberal University at Silverton, Oregon. tered by the idol-sin a shera of the ► Yours for Progress, “ N o w o n d e r the C h r i s t ia n p e o p le tim e s , a n d now we h e a r trie d e a th - in ot. i- r a t t l e in th e t h r o a t of t h a t h a t b a r- ► . - tP j.n superstition and ignorance o|iR o| Silverton, Oregon. b o th th e e d i t o r o f t h e N ew Y o rk c a r d s fo r h is tr o u b le . T h e s e c a r d s * Mln Hnfj f tl * K t ««j, i*re j u s t th e t h i n g fo r S e c u la r is ts to <• ne k ansa« city ».tar an t h e y h a v e a n e n g r a v in g of ..< > ^ o < x ><><> oc ><>< x > o c o < k ><><><><> o < k x x >< x x x x ><)< x x x x ><><>< k x x x x x > o o <> o Oj •‘n c o n te m p tib le f r a u d s to p r i n t th e fa m o u s W e t t d e i n ba«lge b e a u t i - --------------.............................................. ~ ~ ~ ~ ‘li stuff o w th « y f«»r t r u t h . 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