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
,