THE TORCH of REASON, SILVER'ION, OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1898. 4 canned of late, especially by the in- terested clergym en. Some assign as the chief reason 1 he alleged laps«- T h e O n ly P a p e r o f Its K in d . I of the churches from the old ortho- P ublished W eekly by th e Liberal U ni d<«x doctrines into easier and fair- versity C om pany, in th e I n te r e s ts of er channels of liberality arid free C onstructive, Moral Secularism . thought, and dangerous approaches J. E . H o s m e r, ................. E d ito r in many instances to the sans souci P. W . G e e r ,.........................M a n a g e r realm of agnosticism. Others, on the conirary, claim that the pulpit E ntered at th e postofliee at Silverton, is generally behind the times, and Oregon, as second-class mail m atter. does not recognize and acknowledge SUBSCRIPTION RATES. with sufficient readiness and candor One year, in a d v an c e .......................... .$1 . 00 -- , ... Torch of Reason Six m onths in advance.................. Three m onths, in a d v an c e ................ In clubs of five or m ore, one year, in advance...... .............................. oC th e alleged fact th a t th e old religi- 25 oug fo r i re sses a n d b u lw a rk s are in 75 a s ta te of Money should he sent by registered (j ue h" " d e m o litio n tQ scientific, an d d ecay , historical, and archaelogical investigation; t h a t , in Notice! short, the p ulpit is cither too ignor- a n t o r .o o inaincere to a ttra c t and \ nencil m ark here denotes th a t your . n , •. .u b a m p tf o " Will ex p ire with , he n ex t influence humanity, n u m b er. You are earnestly requested “ There is some tro th ill both to renew so that you inay receive th e pa- ege t jieorjeg. goIne people, though “ !t WoU,d indeed be better if more people attend* d o u r churches, They would be benefited thereby, even if the-v could not subscribe to all they heard. Dogma and hard- doctrine aside, true, sincere, reverent, religious feeling, the con- tem platioii things which the hu- ,,1H“ ROU1 »»«’«rally considers as Racred and divine, is purifying, ele- vating, ennobling and thus becomes one of th e best, highest, and most efficiently helpful forces am ong those which are, we hope, moving h u m an ity slowly but surely up into a purer air and a broader, fairer plane of life — nearer, in short, to heaven and to God.” Of course we take no stock in our , edjt<)i.)g l<n jn gh our progeny for ages and ages yet to come, as a brave, noble act. But ¡„ order to have and to hold politi- Cal liberty, a people m ust have m ental liberty. And while it is true t h at the great father of his country and his co-workers catk ed, for the time, a wonderful wave of m ental liberty to sweep over our then little country, and thus estab- fished more political freedom, vet today, with our seventy m illions of people, largely m ade up of imtni- g ran ts from superstitious, priest- ridden countries, and the offspring of such im m igrants, we are, as far ag m ental liberty is concerned, in a dangerous position, and if this na- tion is n,,t careful il wil1 laP8e int° deplorable m ental and political slavery. \\ e who dare, in the face to h©«ven and to <J° d ideas, but we | official and cow ardly popular think he doesn’t really mean any- sanction of • m ental bondage, come cided th a t it is bent for all concerned a decreasing num ber, will he satis- thing had when he uses those bad out ami declare ourselves free and * ,n K t e t . ' W with t h a n t h e terms. P erhaps be ju st m eans independent, are certainly doing T his will prev en t any loss and we will pure, strict, rigorous, old-fashioned nearer lo the heaven th a t can he th a t of which we should he proud. And in what way can we better de knw : q u e ^ a ^ Y a e n d a . th e n am e. I orthodoxy; while an increasing made here ami to what is good. It clare this declaration, than by of Secularists who ought become sub- n u m b e r would cast aside the old scriber. and we will mail .am ple copies. | theorfeB( d(|(.„.h|(;g a |, j doglna8 would indeed he better if the building a school th a t will tu rn o u t M . 2 9 8 entirely, and give the freest pos- churches were more fit for the peo- stu d en ts who will he continual ad T H U R S D A Y , J A N . 27, E. sible rein to investigation and pie to attend, hut the num ber at- vocates of our glorious cause, long speculation. Between the two 1 tending w jfi g ro w less and less afier the original signers have been T h e S ix th P s a lm . classes the m odern preacher is some until the churches „re purged of laid beside ,be b,avc m ™ of 177li? T o t he Freethinker» called Secularist». In order to m ake th is plan of de times placed in an em barrassing their blighting, narrow ing super 0 Lord, w hat a fuss old David m ade position. stitions. If the churches would claring our principles to the world W hen he thought bin god was m ad; But secular gods d o n ’t m u rd er folks, “ Yet while the light of science “cut loose” from their belief in g o d s,, e^ ee’»ve> vve should do as Mr. Mos- E ’en when th ey ’re very bad. and the softening, refining influence devils, snake and angel stories, and ’er •"a5 8J niake it go with a hi sii . And so, not being a heathen king, of toleration and religious liberty go to work on a tru th fu l, scientific W lth only one subscriber each And having one wife only; And know ing naught of D avid’s fears, have changed som ewhat the scope basis, they would move h um anity week, it will take nearly two years. Alone, we’d not he lonely. e are ad growing old, and if we and purpose of the churches, and rapidly “ up into a purer air and a B ut we are vexed because of wrong. modified the thought and tone of broader, fairer plane of life.” But d ° ver7 much we should do il now’ How long, oil, friends, how long e should have the five thousand W ill m y th s, and fears, ami creeds con the pulpit, it would be a m istake to these churches cannot “cut loose” . trol ? will die as civilization d°Ha,’s raised inside of three ju m p to the conclusion th a t church- They L et’s change th e tears to song! es are needless, or the pulpit power- advances and better in stitu tio n s ¡m onths. C an’t we do it? Every To us th ere is no heaven beyond ; less for good. T hough the direct, ! are organized to furnish the people one who adds his or her name will In th e grave no one can b e ar; So let us work for others now — positive, com pelling power of the with scientific, ethical teachings. help some one else to do the same. Good works m ake heaven here. church within certain lim its may We are very glad indeed th at the If you can , will you be one of the T he cause of tru th still g ro an san d weeps, not be so strong or m anifest as in T orch o f R eason is free, and th at one hundred who dare sign this As David did of old ; form er times, though its influence we do not have to cat* r to the pop declaration of independence and I t ’s hound by ancient fetters, m ade By priests and gods of gold. with a sacrifice of fifty d"l- may he m ilder and less noticeable ular superstitions of the tim es . We se;d But th in k in g people h e ar its cry ; in its im m ediate results, it is still like the Tribune, however, and we ’ars to bear the expense of the lii-t The w eeping voice shall cease: la m ighty force in the world, m ain believe it will become a great pa- C ontinental Congress of young The popes and priest® of erro r fly Before th e hosts of peace. ly for good, for the uplifting and per, and we hope when the “ torna-1 Am erican F reethinkers? betterm ent of hum anity. Its in do or lightning shock” of ortho Let our cry he, “ Dowu with ig We do not pray to h eath en gods, W hite blackbirds perched on high, fluence is more refined diversified, doxy, which is now reduced to a norance, superstition and hypoc B ut saviors who will tight tin* foe and expansive; yet in m u ltitu d in “ still, sm all voice,’’ will have pass risy!” And sm ite th em hip and th ig h . ous avenues it serves ‘for correction, ed over to heathen lands, never to for reproof, and for judgm ent.’ It return to our land of progress, the A H a p p y T im e . O p in io n s a n d C o m m e n t . is no longer the tornado or the T orches and the Tribunes will vie This week our business m anager, bghtning shock, hut t h e ’still sm all with one another in carrying tru th , Perhaps those who have never while in P ortland, m ade the Morn- vo»ce,’ w hispering in all the ways unm ixed with m eaningless words been at Silverton would like to ing Tribune, the new, newsy daily a ” ‘J .» alk8 ,,f civililed cultivat-| 8nd phrases; and th at ■ he minis- m ake us a visit in spirit. If you ters of th e Gospel of H u m an ity will would, kind reader, unchain that of th at city, a call. He was very P»m aps the main reason why speak to crowded Secular Churches p a rt of your anatom y and come courteously recened, and alter ex- (.f,,,,.,.}, attendance is com parative- j of free, eager, happy listeners. with 11s and we will show’ you a am ining our T orch of R eason , the ly less th an formerly is because ------------ ----- ---- scene that interests us verv much. m anager of the T ribune placed us there are so m any other things to N e w D e c l a r a t i o n o f I n d e p e n d - y ° u see two 8tory brick on the exchange list a t ouce. On a ttra c t, en terta in , and instruct the ence. building with “ Universal Mental turning to the editorial page of the People- The churches have really —----- Liberty” painted in large letters . grown, hut a m ultitude of other at- The com munication of Mr. P. C. across the front? The upper story rsl copy 1a we receive, we n< t ractjong have sprung up to interest Mosier, which may be found on an- of th a t building is Liberal Hall, th a t the editor is interested in the yearning m inds of ephem eral other page of this issue, certain ly and the Y. P. S. S. C. it holding question of orthodoxy, and we are m ortals—societies w ithout num ber, contains a great tru th . its F riday evening meeting- very much pleased with some of libraries, easy traveling facilities, W hen the little colonies of Amer- Let’s go up. . . . W ell, now his excellent sayings which follow c^eaP magazines and great news- ica rebelled against the great, pow- we’re up, what do you th in k of it? under th e heading- papers, and numb« rless places and erful British lion, it was indeed a Q uite a hand of young Freethink- ways of am usem ent or inform ation. great step toward political liberty, ers? I think so, and isn’t it a < HiRi 11 attendance . All ifiege are to some extent rivals and the men who dared to sign the sham e th a t some people think that “ ‘\\ by more people do not at- of the churches, yet the churches Declaration of Independence did these bright, intelligent young men tend church, is a subject much dis- grow and reasonably thrive. that which will he remembered b y , and women are children of the ,