R eason .
S IL V E R T O N , OREGON, T H U R SD A Y , N O V EM B ER 24, 1898.
VOL. 2.
w orthless trash , no m atter if it bear om atic th a t it is easier to create the herent principle of life, the devel­
opm ent of which is seen in every
the signet of a god.
We well ; lesser th an the greater.
Revised for the Torch of Reason.
living organism . Creation is con­
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know th a t in n atu re there are no
IV E us th e freedom of the skies,
T he la titu d e of freedom ’s range, in terp o latio n s nor m isinterpreta­
Motion in n ate in m atter possess­ sta n tly going on around us, and we
H ope’s rainbow hues th a t circling
tions.
I t comes to us fresh and es the sim plicity which n a tu re de­ see com paratively in ert m atter
rise,
Relief from dead creeds,and th e change new, unsoiled by the hands of self­ m ands, and we can trace its o p era­ awake from sleep to w hirl in th e
And splendid grow th th a t comes w ith
ishness or deception.
If we read tion down from the g reat suns restless activity of sentient organ­
tim e 1
O h, give us these, break bolt an d b a r! arig h t from its pages, and it clearly wafted on its wings, to th e crystal- isms. B ut there is no necessity of
And we m ay know a fam e sublim e
contradicts any pretended revela­ ization of a solid from a solution, callin g to our aid an external force.
And spotless as a sh in in g sta r.
tion, we are assured th a t such reve­ and the infinite m ovem ents of the We see th at it possesses the living
Give us th e lil»erty from creeds
T h a t blind th e m in d ’s divine desires, lation is an im posture, no m atter living organization. Motion is ever forces. W hen placed in the proper
M aking us serfs to selfish deeds,
if descended from im memorial time the same, directed in different c h a n ­ circum stances, its before dorm an t
D estroying all th e fervent fires
and h a lf tho world bow to its d ic­ nels and fulfilling different m is­ powers awake under the new order,,
Of hope and love th a t burn w ith in —
G ive us such lib e rty and we
sions, nevertheless the sam e, w heth­ and the so-called in ert m atter be­
tation.
Shall walk no m ore th e p a th s of sin,
N a tu re in terp reted by reason is er aggregating the particles of salt comes living m atter. Life is not
B u t as g rea t gods forever be.
th e u ltim ate test of all tru th ; cor­ in a cubic crystal, or binding with necessarily sentient. The lowest
E m an cip ate us from a land
W here vassals bow to God and G reed, rect observation the avenue to the iron bands world to world, and sun anim al can not be distinguished
C onstrain us w ith no ty r a n t’s h a n d ,
m ysteries of causation.
Such is to sun, in the grand network of so­ from the lowest p lan t, and th e low­
B ut let us rise an d quickly sj>eed
est p la n t grow’s as a crystal en larg ­
To realm s w here Freedom w ith h e r key the philosophical code.
lar and stellar system s.
U nlocks th e doors of T h o u g h t and
Life is born of m otion. It is first es in solution, by the elongation of
Now the philosopher has stepped
.
T r u th —
P er c h a n c e w ith such g reat lilierty
upon th is planet, everything n u rs­ traceable in the m utual attractio n a central axi3. But this p la n t lives,
‘ We m ay fiii<I th e fount of y o u th .
ed and petted in th e past as tru th between atom s in solution a rra n g ­ and its life is the sam e as th a t of
And finding it m a n ’s m ind m ig h t blend is severely scrutinized. He has the ing them in definite forms; in affin­ the ox, the deer, or of m an. The
W ith o th e r sp irits in c u r lan d ,
m ental crucible which digests solar ity, the attractio n and repulsion of p lan t is sim ply an anim al w ithout
And on to T im e ’s ete rn al end
Shall forw ard travel h an d in h a n d ,
I t perhaps m ay appear a nervous system , and consequent­
system s, and .extracts the pure particles.
Ami h e a rt w ith h e a rt, new tr u th s to
metal from the dross. He calls un­ startlin g th a t the forces which cre­ ly devoid of feeling. All the func­
claim ,
New glories find, new th o u g h ts to see, prejudiced observation to his aid, ate the crystal are living forces; but tions of the anim al, except th a t of
And w ith fair F re ed o m ’s d eath le ss flame
and by it unlocks the gates of m ys­ the data are m any which support the nervous system , are strictly
Know m ore an d m ore of lib e rty .
In the lower ! vegetative; secretion and excretion,
tery. F irst he observes the regu­ such a conclusion.
O h, give us freedom as we go
O nw ard in to th e S ilen t L a n d ;
larity of phenom ena, which tolls order of anim als, where life nearest absorption and assim ilation, are
W ith lib erty we feel and know ,
him there is no chance; th a t like approaches the m ineral, the form identical. Some philosophers claim
W ith freedom we m ay u n d e rs ta n d ;
And when tim e shall destroy th e chain causes produce like effects, yester­ and skeleton of the anim al conform th a t an im passable chasm exists
T h a t b inds us to th e y ears th a t be,
to the laws of cry stallin e growth, between the organic and inorganic
May m ind, a n d h e a rt, a n d h a n d s, and day, today, and forever. All idea
brain
of chance is utterly excluded. There as the plates of the sea-urchin, the w orlds; but where is it to be found?
Know’ D e a th ’s e te rn a l lib e rty .
is an observed order never d istu rb ­ rays of the asteria, and the calcare­ If life in its general aspect is but
ed; organic and inorganic m atter is ous fram ew ork of the coral, and the m utual interchange of rela­
ruled by an undeviating m ethod. even in the higher m am m alia, th e tions, then m atter itself m ust be
The Natural Origin of Life.
H as it not
T h a t method he terms- law, because bones alw ays are cry stallin e, being ad m itted as living.
it is sim ilar in its tendency to a r ti­ formed of elongated cry stals which motion in the terrific winds, which
BY HUDSON TUTTLE.
ficial enactm ents. Still no force or grow in th eir cartilaginous beds lash the heaving billows of the
R U E, science has been s o lit­ power is expressed; the m odus op- precisely as they would in a solu­ ocean, and in wild magnificence
ile understood,and nature so eran d i is concealed; he is baffled in tion. T he petrifaction of wood dif­ walk onw ard am id ruin and deso­
wrongly in terp reted , th a t th is direction by the portentous fers not m aterially from the growth lation? H as it not its sy m p ath ies
and an tip ath ies in the relations ex ­
its facts could not previously be sentence,“ T hus far and no farther.*’ of bone.
successfully array ed ag ainst the ! T u rn in g , he inquires, W hat is inat-
T he m ysterious process of ab ­ isting between the different ele­
H as it not
W as it ever created, or is it sorption in the p lan t or anim al m ents of the chem ist?
prejudices of the biased m ind. But ter?
every day has brought new light, etern al? W h a t is its constitution? does not differ in the least from ab ­ its a ttrac tio n s in the world atom s
and forced the conviction th a t the After surveying the en tire field, he sorption in the m ineral. The sam e it sends on th eir m ighty orbits?
last b attle m ust soon be fought on reasons th u s:
M atter is etern al, force which takes up a fluid W ith w hat an x iety we watch th e
strictly scientific grounds. Theolo- as far as a finite m ind can con- through walls of anim al m em brane agitated needle as it trem bles be­
gy has been co n stan tly frightened ceive. T his is an axiom lying a t causes chalk and o th er porous m in ­ neath the concussions of the n o rth ­
And how astonished
by the revelations of nature. W hen the very foundation of nature. It erals to absorb a fluid, or a cap il­ ern lights!
G alileo contradicted its assertion is to him self-evident. In opposi- lary tube to lift it higher th an its are we a t th e play of the contending
electric and m agnetic forces be­
th a t the world was flat and the tion to th is view, the theologian level.
center of the system , its throne brings th e creative fiat of God! But
T he process of secretion, though tween bodies differently charged!
seemed ready to crum ble, and each w hat does he assume?
The self- in tricate in character, can be im i­ A ssuredly if this is not life, it has
new developm ent of m ind has bat- existence of God! How can he a n ­ tated with m ineral walls instead of all the appearances of being. Life
tered it with u n p arried blows.
swer
th e
p ertin en t
question. living tissue. These facts m ay be is individualization, and when the
Slowly the light has daw ned,and W hence cam e the O m nipotent Be- regarded as fain t proofs, but it can crystal forms from solution after a
men of unfettered m inds now feel ing who could create the U niverse not be denied th a t they furnish the definite model, is it not an a tte m p t
th a t the true philosopher m ust not from nothing?
The m ystery said clew — the footprints to the law at individualization? Is it not th e
be guided in his in terp retatio n s of to involve the G odhead has little binding the organic to the in o r­ first step tow ards an organized
n atu re by any theory or bias of weight against the dem onstrations ganic.
Life of necessity depends being?
I f there is not life in m atter,
others. B ut as a little child, free of science.
To the calm m ind it on the m ineral.
It is breathed
from whence is it derived? How
from prejudice, he m ust
walk is vastly more ratio n al and prob­ forth and sustained by it.
out into the field of causation and able th a t the universe, with all its
A dm it th a t God, by a special act is th e inorganic m atter rendered
observe an d theorize for himself, suns and worlds teem ing with liv- of creation, formed m an out of the capable of supporting the living be­
These are questions which
W hat has been said, w hat w ritten, ing beings, is th e result of blind, dust; then it m ust be received as a ing?
before his day, should appeal to his fortuitous chance th an the creation correct deduction th a t m atter has m ust be m et if the popular idea is
But they can not be
judgm ent; if true, it should be re- of a being capable of creating it by th e capability of becoming a living sustained.
Continued on 6th page.
ceived; if not, be cast aw ay as an effort of his w ill; for it is axi- being. Then it m ust possess an in-
FREED O n.
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