other geological form ations; math
The question of a Suprem e Power sun, and the effect is the new life.
We sav - the wind blows and the the little cell, from which all so-
! is, of course, one of fact. Io de­
m onstrate its existence, or non­ rain falls by reason of natural law, called life springs; caused it to
The O n ly Paper of Its K in d .
existence, can only he accom plish­ hut in reality it is due to the ac­ grow and develop, and become the
perfect life, and the parts in time,
P ublished W eekly by the Lil»eral U n i­ ed by the application of our reason­ tion o f m atter on m atter: the blow­
versity C om pany, in the In terests of
ing powers to known facts. If we ing <»f the w ind being due to press­ by reason of their changing form,
C onstructive, Moral Secularism .
1 should see som ething in the image ure at some point from above upon could no longer m aintain their true
of man, and nature was performing the air, which c a u s e s it to move in relation to other parts, ami being
J. E. H o s m e r,.......................E d ito r
some of its phenom ena, under its proportion to the pres.-nre, and the out of harm ony with them , and by
P. W . Geer........................ Manager
¡im m ediate direction, our reason fall of rain is due to the condensa­ reasor of changing form, death
¡would teach us, with unerring tion of m atter, caused by the ina- ; comes.
E n te re d a t th e postotfice a t S ilv e rto n ,
certainty, th a t this was the per­ bility of the sun to give it sufficient ; And so it is with everything here
O re g o n , a s second-class m ail matt< r.
sonal God, although we m ight not heat, and becoming heavier than and elsewhere. They m ay he ac­
understand in what m anner the the air, the earth pulls it to itself. counted for by m atter and its action
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
It rises, as we sav, by the laws of varying in mass and position, upon
thing was accom plished. Knowing
One year, in ad v an ce..........................$1
evaporation, hut this in reality is other m atter varying in mass and
Six m onths, in a d v an c e ....................
;>y the two sides of a triangle, we can
It is position. This can account for all
T hree m onths, in a d v an c e ...............
-o ascertain the length of the other due to the action of the sun.
In clubs of five or m ore, one year,
so with hum an life. The action of changes on the earth and in the
in ad v an ce.......................................
<r> side without m easurem ent, and
It needs no stretch of
Money should I xj sent by registered such knowledge is certain, and we m atter upon m atter brought it into universe.
le tte r or money order.
need no tape line to verify the ac­ existence. It developed it by a slow the im agination, or indulgence in
Man is hut m at­ fancied su pernatural power, to dis­
curacy’ of such knowledge. \\ e gradual process.
“ I do not know,”
Notice!
know it is so simply because of o th ­ ter, and the absorption of m atter, cern the cause.
er knowledge. In the consideration acting w ithin himself, causes him say you, but basing our judgm ent
A jx-ncil m ark here denotes th a t your
to live, think and have his being. on the facts, our reason from those
subscription will expire w ith the next of what this suprem e power is, self-
num ber. You are earnestly requested evident tru th , coupled with facts So all we call n atu ra l law is hut facts, answ ers th a t we do know
to renew so th a t you m ay receive the pa­
th at m atter, acting on m atter, and
per w ith o u t in te rru p tio n . W e have d e­ within our knowledge, should be the effect of the action of m atter on
cided th a t it is best for all concerned called into use in reaching a ra tio n ­ m atter. The earth and planets are all combined in one lim itless ex­
th a t we do not send papers longer th an
We therefore base not kept in place, and do not travel panse, known as the universe, is the
th e tim e paid for unless so ordered. al conclusion.
T his will p rev e n t an y loss and we will our argum ent on w hat the hum an in their orbits around the sun, by supreme power.
know ju st w here we stan d .
C harles K. 'P enney .
We request you to send us the nam es m ind recognizes as such facts and reason of any n a tu ra l law, but
of Secularists who m ight become su b ­ truths.
their position and course is due to
scribers and we w ill mail sam ple copies.
F irst, there can he no such thing the action of one upon the other,
" W e Do K n o w .”
ju
st
as
the
organs
of
the
hum
an
as an absolute vacuum , or nothing. J
THURSDAY, OCT. 27, E. M. 298
Our beloved friend and co-work­
Therefore the universe is, alw ays body act by reason of the action of
has been, and alw ays will he. Sec­ one upon the other, and all upon er, Mr. Chas. K. Penney, of M adi­
C ra m p e d .
ond, the universe is lim itless, and each other. All is but the effect of son, W is., has, under the title, “ I
m atter operating upon m atter. Do Not K now ,” given the readers
This week our school has increas­ therefore centerless. T hird, there
W hat is true of our planetary sys­ of the Torch some very excellent
ed in num bers about thirty-live per was no beginning, and can he no
tem m ust he true of all others. thoughts. The discussion of such
cent. This tills up our study room end. F ourth, there is nothing in
questions in the spirit of fairness,
This is self evident.
alm ost to its lim it and will neces­ the universe hut m atter, and all so-
We have then nothing in the kindness and helpfulness is hound
sitate the organization of other called natural law is but the effect
universe but m atter and the chang­ to do us all much good and through
classes. W hat to do we hardly of m atter operating on m atter.
es produced in m atter operating on us lead m any to the pinnacle of
know, but we can only do our best. This may not yet he termed a self-
m atter. W hat these effects m ay be the stable and lofty tower of Free-
We ought to have more room. Our evident tru th , hut is capable of de­
are as varied and num erous as the thought.
regular school building should he m onstration from the fact th at
We know th a t most of Friend
q u ality and mass, and the varied
finished at once. We should have there is no such thing as a vacuum.
and countless positions which m a t­ T enney’s argum ents are based on
an o th er good teacher who is able Fifth th a t no port can be equal to
ter may be in with respect to itself sound reasoning, hut we fail to see
to teach the
n atu ral
sciences. or greater than the whole.
These varied th et he has proven oui statem ent
As there can he no vacuum , and and other m atter.
W h at can we do? We can hold
and countless positions, which we in error.
He says th at “ we do
the fort— we can keep up the tire the universe is, because it m ust he,
call the phenom ena of nature, are know th a t m atter, acting on m at­
against old grizzled Ignorance and and as it had no beginning, and can
due entirely to changing positions. ter, and all combined in one lim it­
Superstition until we receive re in ­ have no end, there is no cause for
T he universe is but one endless less expanse, known as the u n i­
forcements.
And although
we its existence, and no suprem e pow-
chain of m atter, constantly chang­ verse, is the suprem e power”.
sometimes grow faint with over ex ­ called it into existence. A suprem e
ing form and place, and doing it by
Now here is where our friend has
ertion and the scorching breath of power, in the sense used by the o r­
reason of its own inert pow’er. T hat certainly made a mistake.
He
the enem y, yet like the explorers d in ary m an, m ust be a central
power is the whole universe itself, should not have said “ w e” , for it is
of old, we have burned our bridges power. Its abiding place m ust he
and is the suprem e power.
a fact th at the editor of the Torch
behind us and we will— we m ust as much here, upon this earth, as
A pplying this reasoning to the of Reason does not know that there
in th e rem otest im aginable spot.
conquer.
Such a suprem e power m ust he here ea rth , 011 the facts as we know is a suprem e power. The idea of a
and everywhere. It m ust be c o -1 them , we can account for all the m an-like god is too absurd to he
“ l D o N o t K n o w .”
phenom ena of nature. By them adm itted into our discussion, and
extensive with the universe itself.
readers should not for a moment
So-called n atural law is but the we ascertain the cause.
E ditor T orch ok R eason :
The changed positions of the think either of us en tertains such
In an able article in your issue of effect produced by m atter o p erat­
In the spring­ earth to the sun m ake our seasons. silly, unscientific notions; but we
Septem ber 8th you discuss the ques­ ing upon m atter.
tion of a “ Supreme Power’’, and time all vegetable and anim al mat- T his constant changing position know there are certain powers of
from the various standpoints of your ter seems to take on new life. The brings forth the seed which ripens nature. 5 ow these powers m an i­
reasoning reach the conclusion“ I do grass shoots forth from its seeming into perfect grain. The pressure of fest to us in the form of light, heat,
not know” - Pardon me for the sug- I hiding place. The leaf bursts forth m atter upon the air gives us the inertia, gravity, electricity, etc., all
gestion, but your line of reasoning from seemingly lifeless trees. The gentle breeze, as well as the cyclone. combined, according to Mr. Pen­
applied to any of the phenom ena of bird huiMs its nest, and most a n i­ It causes the waters to evaporate ney’s reosoning, in the suprem e
nature would lead to the same con- mals m ate. We say all this is due and fall in gentle rains which power; hut, although the resultant
conclusion. W ith equal force you to n atu ra l law, but the fact is it is moistens and refreshens the verd­ of all these forces is the universe as
might say the earth did not revolve due to m atter (the sun) operating ure of the earth , aided by the ac­ we find it, yet some of these powers
This action of are in direct opposition t<> one a n ­
on its axis or move in its orbit on m atter (th ee arth ). The process tion of the sun.
For exam ple, the power
around the sun. No one ever saw it we do not know, hut we do know m atter upon m atter lifted up our other.
move,yet from known facts,and the the cause from our reason and m ountains, and m ade our valleys; known as m olecular attraction or
application of reason to those facts, know ledge of the fact th a t the earth sunk portions and covered it with cohesion is directly antagonistic to
we know it does so move, and know has reached a position where it re­ the sea for countless ages, and then the power known as heat. The re­
ceives the more direct ravs ol the elevated it; made our rocks and s u l t a n t of all these piowers cannot
it with absolute certainty.
Torch of
Reason