I
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1898.
\\ hen killed all fear, ex cep t of wrong,
Man takes to rig h t m ore kindly',
T hen men are m en and not a th ro n g ;
Rut whe i afraid th ey grope along,
And follow p h a n to m s blindly.
in g ruled the people. They have our government could not stand
been opposed, bitterly opposed, by “A kingdom,” said he “is rn«.re
The O n ly Paper of Its R ind .
the most intelligent men, by Here- stable.” This is only one mistake
tics, Skeptics, Freethinkers, Seen- of many.
We say the peopi f
P ublished W eekly by th e Liberal U n i- 1
larists, Scientists and Philosophers, should rule and some day they
ver.-ity C om pany, in the In te re sts of
T
h
e
o
r
ie
s
,
O
ld
an
d
N
e
w
.
C onstructive, Moral Secularism .
but people have not known how to • will rule. We who oppose the
.1. E. H o s w i t r E d i t o r
>’ wou!il !)C impossible <or ns in answer the last two and kindred priests, say that the matter of
P. W. Geer,.....................Manager one short editorial to mention all questions, i. e., where did we come which the uni verse is composed, as
r _ .
. _
the theories that have been advanc­ from, and where are we going, and far as we know, is eternal and no
E ntered at the jM»stoffice at Silverton, e d in reference to the great ques- the priests have declared up and creator is known. They say, that
O regon, as second-class mail m atter.
tioi s that affect us and which when down through the world that they the elements of which all things
solved lead us up to a higher and know. 1 here are those today who are composed was made, but they
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
One y ear, in a d v a n c e .......................... |1 (XI nobler civilization.
There have have been taught by the priests un- neglect to tell us who made the
Six m onths in a d v a n c e ....................
50 been, however, a few great, leading
parrots, they declare that maker. Some claim that he al-
T hree m o n th s, in a d v a n c e ................
25
questions which we can mention
know there is a god, ami, like ways was, hut this is a statement
In d u b s of five or m oie, one year,
in advance................................ 75 that have affected us — which are parrots, they do r.ot realize what without the least foundation, and
Money should Ixr sen t by registered
I does not appeal to any reasonable
affecting us and which will affect lies they are telling.
le tte r or m oney order.
If it had not been for the priests, mind but must he believed without
us throughout a long future.
Notice!
Among these few great, leading the king’s power would have been reason. Dear reader, we should
wiped out long ago; but the priests not cling, nor by our silence permit
A jieneil m ark here den o tes th a t your questions are the questions, who
subscription will ex p ire w ith th e nex t has the right to govern th e people and medicine
of al1 tribes and to live, the old ideas that we might
nu m b er. You are e arn estly requested
where did na,lons ,iave told such beastly to he governed instead of govern-
to renew so th a t you m ay receive th e pa­ in temporal things,
per w ithout in te rru p tio n . We have de­ the earth and its inhabitants come i
k a,ld gho.-t stories that they ing ourselves, that we were created
cided th a t it is best for all concerned from, and what is our destiny?
| have kel’1 U)fc Poor’ ’gnorant world ! and have degenerated, and that as
th a t we do not send p ap eis longer th a n
th e tim e paid for unless so ordered.
It might appear that in selecting ’n suhjection.
have hardly individuals, a few of our race are to
T his will prev en t any loss ami we will
these questions we did so without !dan d
Peek out from under the enjoy a tinsel heaven,instead of the
know ju st w here we sta n d .
We request you to send us the nam es reference to any analogy or relation ke<l< lothea of the church for fear of grand idea of the upward march of
of Secularists who m ight become su b ­
the human race toward a state of
s c r ib e s and we will m ail sam ple copies. which they bear to one another,hut se’ *l|g s o m e sp o o k .
for the very reason that they, in
It is amusing and instructive to j high perfectahility and happiness.
their relations, have been the three read the different answers that
T H U R S D A Y , F E B . 17, E . M . 298
great strings by which the world priests have given to their people.
A t T he H ouse o f G od.
has, for centuries, been held, is our Glooskap is the divine being of the
T h e N in t h P s a lm ,
reason for choosing them. Please legends of the Northeastern Indian
There being no lecture in Liberal
tribes.
A
Penobscot
woman
said:
1
u
n Sunday
j
•
,
do not forget win t they are—Who .
1 Hall,
evening,
we made
To th e F re eth in k ers c a ’led S ecu larists.
has the right to govern us in tem­ Glooskap gave names to every- | God ano(her vjsit hjB Methodigt
W e’ll praise th e good in hu m an k in d ;
poral affairs; where did the earth thing. He made men and gave home in this city. His self-chosen
Let heathen praise th e ir god :
W e’ll show forth works of hand and and its inhabitants come from, and them life, and made the winds to
representative was more Secular
m in d .
make
the
waters
move.
The
turtle
what is our destiny?
than the average, and with hut few
For m a n ’s th e highest th a t we find
Above th e beast and clod.
The question, who has a right was his uncle, the mink his adopt­ exceptions our thoughts, as our
to govern us, was answered at first ed son, and the woodchuck his brother talked, were pleasant ones.
The th o u g h tless enem ies of o u r race
Are p r a ’sing, frantic fashion.
by force— by the idea that might grandmother. The heaver built a Although the audience was not very
T hree spooks, each serving in his place
makes right, and powerful chiefs great dam and Glooskap turned it large, and a good share of it in­
A heathon m y th , show n on its face,
No “ body, p arts nor p assio n ” .
arose and people obeyed them. T he away and killed the beaver. At fidel, still cries and groans of
question, where did the earth and Moose-tchick he killed a moose; amen from the sanctified were not
Tbe^e ‘oes who cling to dving past
W i’l lose th e ir whole life’s work :
its inhabitants come from, was an­ the hones may he seen at Bar Har­ lacking whenever anything mys­
Tl e ir falue m em orials will not la s t;
swered by priests under the names bor. He threw the entrails of the terious was mentioned in the
honest, m inds, evolving fast,
W ill not th e ir d u ty sh irk .
of medicine men, seers, prophets, moose across the bay to his dogs, preacher’s prayer. The music was
etc., who claimed that gods, beings ami they too may he seen there to very good, there being in addition
As long as m an can be called m an,
His m ind will lx* e n d u rin g ;
like we are, only very much strong­ this dav, as I myself have seen to the singers and organ, a “fiddle.”
And F reethonght science, in th e van.
er, made all things, and the ques­ them; and there too in the rock is We could not help thinking how
W ill torch of reason e v er fan ;
Give judgm ents m ost assu rin g .
tion, what is our destiny, was the prints of his bowand arrow.”
rapidly even the Methodist church
Isn’t it sad that these poor peo­ has evolved to make use of an in­
I answered hv these priests, and, up­
O ur refuge, th e n , in h ealth or pain,
O ur stay in s in ’s oppression ;
held by the chiefs,!hey forced,coax­ ple believe such lies, instead of strument that was thought to have
W hen tro u b le everv hope has slain .
E ’en w hen cold d eath has proved its ed and frightened people into be­ learning the beautiful and bene­ the Devil in it only a short time
claim ,
lieving that there is a place beyond ficial lessons of science? There is ago. The minister seemed to he in
Is love of m a n ’s progression.
the stars where those who did as much work for us all to do. “Let earnest, and his well prepared ser­
We tru s t in good and not in gods,
this precious pair, the chief and us then he up and doing.”
mon was not one calculated to drive
The good we’ll not fo rsak e:
the priest, told them to, would go
No m a tte r w hat th e p resen t odds,
Yes, there is much for us all to away the skeptical or to offend the
O ur work will bud like \:ir<»n’s roti
ami he oh, so happy.
do and we need not hunt up most devout. In the bible reading,
And bloom for o th e rs’ sake.
Finally, after humanity had de­ an Indian village.
There is the story of Christ’s attempt to get
W hile o th ers praise a m vstie king,
veloped a little more, the mighty plenty in our own homes. But followers occured, and the passage
T he cause of m a n ’s priv atio n .
W hile, m outh agape, th ey pray and s i n g ,; c>h ie f could not hold his position hj our work must he broader. We which represents Christ telling a
T he obi, im aginary th in g
his own strength alone. Others, (‘an reach a wider field with the young man who wanted to hurv
P oes nought for m a n ’s salvation.
somewhat weaker, would combine printing press, Secular Sunday his father to “let the dead bury
But h eath en th o u g h ts are sin k in g fast
against him, but the power of the schools, churches, and Liberal their dead” made us think of a
Before en lig h ten ed people.
priest was so great that his help Universities. We must send the similar saying from a man in the
And those w ho’ve »lug th e pit, at last
Will sink into th e h eath en past,
was called for and first, as last, it glad tidings all over the world for state of Washington. A young
And brazen ladls in steeple,
was not refused. T hus the divine all priests in all countries have had man who recently committed mur­
Will all give way to electric bells,
right of kings as well as the divine similar stories to tell, and have der was hanged according to the
In schools of art. an»l scie* c e ;
leadership of the priests was estah- taught it to us while we were young law of that state, and his father
And when each school its sto ry tells
^ k n e lT
f° r m y th ’ ’ theiF fUnCra1 H sh cd a n d ,OHg h e Id HWa>’
Tliose hut now, in America, the new theo­ when asked a place on his farm for
who have read history know what ries of science are taking posses­ his son’s burial, remarked that the
In h a p p y , glad defiance.
Ye gods are know n and all vour priests, it has done for the world — this di­ sion of the minds of the people and butchers could take care of their
Your judgments mixed with evils;
vine right of kings. The story of the king is not known. To he sure own meat. But perhaps this cruel
An«l now ’tis tim e your folly censed!
Fiance, and of England’s bloody we have money kings but king- speech was worse than the one
Be off to hell, which you have pleased
To m ake for us poor devils.
wars are tales of horror that will craft received a heavy blow when Jesus spake, when we consider that
not soon be forgotten.
Georgie used his little hatchet on Christ and the other people of his
The needy we will not forget;
T he pri ‘st-roldw d »if on* n ation
These two, priest anil king, some­ the Redcoats. Who should rule us time,
comparatively
speaking,
sh a ll not forever, b irth regret;
times
under
these
names
and
some-
in temporal things? A Catholic were ignorant heathen, without
Ari«e, our sta n d a rd m ust In* set!
Give priests their own dam nation.
times under other names, have'priest told me not long ago that I the fine sense of decency that
Torch of Reason