TH E TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, NOVI Ml ER, 24, 1898.
“ I Do Not K now .’
E ditor " orch of R eason :
R eplying io your observations
(they are h ard ly criticism s) upon
my article entitled “ I do not know,”
published in your issue of October
2?th, I would say it would seem we
do not radically differ in our views,
or m ore th an is Compton to al,
m ankind, looking through different
ey es, i th in k it very fortunate
th a t n atu re has so constituted the
hum an race th a t at the beginning
of the argum ent of any im portant
question, com paratively new, we
look upon the subject from differ­
ent standpoints, u n til the light o’
real tru th finally daw ns from the
com bination of the different views,
after th a t is discarded which will
not bear the full test of reason.
I th in k likely you m isunderstand
my true m eaning when I say “ that
m atter acting on m atter, and all
contained in one lim itless expanse,
know as the universe, is the su­
preme power.” I th in k you will
agree with me th a t n atu re is but
m atter and its m anifestations, and
th a t all m anifestations come from
m atter acting on m atter. If you do
so agree, then we have reached a
common stan d p o in t upon which to
discuss this subject.
You say in substance, “you do
not know there is a suprem e power
because there are some powers of
n atu re m anifested in various ways,
and th a t some of the powers are a n ­
tagonistic to each other, and the re­
sult can not be called a suprem e
power any more th an all the com­
bined political powers of the world
could be called a suprem e power
when a t war with each o th er.”
I t is certainly true there are
m any powers con tin u ally counter­
acting and destroying the work of
others, but this does not dem on­
strate th a t conflicting powers are
not a p art of the whole universe,
and owing th eir existence to the
fact th a t they arc a p art of it, and
th a t these seem ingly antagonistic
powers would be in perfect h a r­
mony were the conditions proper,
and th a t these proper conditions
can be brought about by other pow­
ers, or perhaps the sam e belonging
to and in the universe, b ut all be­
ing a p a rt of and m aking up the
whole.
The locomotive engine, perhaps
the most satisfactory m achine, un­
der all conditions and circum ­
stances, m ade by m an, may serve
as an exam ple of my m eaning.
W here is its suprem e power? Is it
the steam or the steam chest, the
boiler or the furnace, or the drive
wheels, or the piston, or the th ro t­
tle, or the w ater to be expanded, or
the coal to furnish the heat? U n ­
der different conditions and circum ­
stances every m aterial entering in ­
to its stru ctu re, and every m aterial
used in its operation, m ight be
m ade antagonistic to the purposes
for which it was constructed. As
o
The Suprem e Power.
it stands upon the track, ready to cycle.” B eginning with the min­
do the bidding of its m aster, can it eral ingredients in the soil, the food
be said th a t any part of it is su­ m aterial sta rts in its circulation E ditor T orch of R eason :
A nent the discussion of the “ su­
prem e? I think you will agree iron, the soil to the plant, from the
with me th at each and every part plant to the anim al, from the a n i­ preme pow er,” one peculiarity of
in its structure, each and every m al to the bacterium , and from the, the Agnostic has struck me very
th in g in its operation, and all con­ bacterium through a series of other forcibly. It is the ever recurring
stitu tin g a whole and com plete lo­ bacteria back again to the soil in question: “ W h at causes m atter to
th e sam e condition as when it s ta rt­ act?”
comotive engine, is suprem e.
Mr. Jo h n so n , in the issue of No­
A nd so it is with the m an at the ed. I know it is the sunlight
th ro ttle. H e is full of checks and which produces the energy for its vem ber 17, adm its th a t the “ action
balances, all necessary for the pro­ movement around this never end­ of m atter upon m a tte r” satisfac­
m otion of his life. He could not ing circle, and th a t, as Professor torily accounts for all n a tu ra l phe­
nom ena; but later he denies th is by
live and be a m an but for his v ari­ Conn says, “ that it is this repeated
asking “ w hat causes” m atter to
ous organs. W hich is suprem e? circulation th a t has made the con- l
Is it his heart, or his digestive or­ tih u atio n of life possible for the I act, which is the equivalent of
questioning the action of m atter at
gans, his lungs, bis liver, or bis m illions of years of this life’s his- J
nervous system , or his brain? One tory. It is this continuous circula­ all, because if some power exterior
to m atter is the actor, then m atter
could not be w ithout the other, and tion th a t m akes life possible still,
becomes m erely a m edium and not
all perform ing different function», and it is only this fact th a t the food
is capable of ever circulating from an actor.
and all com bined, suprem e.
T his idea is m ade more positive
I am glad you suggested political anim al to p lan t, and p lan t to an i­
when he directly assum es th a t m at­
com binations to illu stra te your m al, th a t m akes it possible for the
ter is a “ dead w eight” and does not
views, as our form of governm ent living world to continue its exist­
of itself act. Let him prove th a t
ap tly illu strates my position. T he­ ence.” W hy our food supply con­
som ething exterior to m atter causes
oretically, a t least, the governm ent tain s such an inert power I do not
m atter to act, before he asks w h at
of the U nited States is based on the know, but I do know th at such is
th it som ething m ay be.
whole people. W illiam M cKinley the fact, and so it is. with all inert
The Agnostic is a little more rea­
We can not
is not the suprem e power; neither powers of nature.
sonable than the orthodox, in th a t
is his cabinet, nor the house of rep ­ know why, but we m ust accept the
he w ants proof as to w hat th e oper­
resentatives, nor the senate. They fact. All these suprem e powers are
ating power is, but he seems to ac­
are but the servauts of the whole perhaps suprem e in them selves in
cept the orthodox assum ption th a t
people form ing our governm ent, the im m ediate sphere in which they
it is som ething exterior to m atter
ju st as the various organs of the m ay be a t work. They m ay be
There is perhaps no answ er to th e
h u m a r body are but the servants antagonistic to other local powers,
question as it is usually put, but
of the whole. There is continual suprem e in the p articu lar field in
there are intelligent and satisfac­
antagonism am ong us over the which they are a t work, but we
tory answ ers to all or most ques­
spoils and powers of office. It is m ust not overlook the fact th a t
tions of n a tu ra l phenom ena, and
only a few years since we were en ­ they are all but a p art of the whole,
there is no reason for assum ing
gaged in a bitter and prolonged and th a t no p art can equal the
th a t these answ ers do not go to th e
w ar w ith each other. Y et there whole, and th a t they owe th eir ex­ bottom of things and th a t there
has never been a m om ent since our istence and being to the fact th a t
“ might be” a m ysterious som ething
existence as a governm ent th a t the they are a part of the whole, and somewhere th at science has failed
whole people have not been the su­ th a t th e whole m ust be supreme. I to discover.
would, therefore, respectfully reit­
prem e power.
The question is an appeal to the
W hy m atter acting on m atter erate w hat I said in my former a r­ im agination and not to reason.
causes certain effects I, of course, do ticle, th a t “ m atter acting on m a t­ Along with the C h ristian ’s god, let
not know. T h at it ¡ossesses inert ter, and all contained in one lim it­ this “ w hat is it” present som ething
powers I do know from the facts of less expanse, known as th e u n i­ th a t reason can get hold of, when
th e case, and which can point to verse, is the suprem e power.”
it will receive proper and courteous
C harles K. T enney .
no other conclusion. I t is these in ­
attention. But it is not reasonable
M adison, Wis., Nov. 8, 1898.
ert powers which are supreme.
to suppose, when we see “ m a tte r
They could not, however, be in the
[The above article, from the pen acting upon m atter,” th a t it is not
universe, nor of it, but for the of B rother Tenney, pleases us very m atter, b u t som ething else acting.
whole, and therefore are subordi­ much. W e are as near the same I do not m ean to say th a t science
nate to the whole, just a» any p art opinion as two hum ans can very has reached her lim it, but th a t
of the hum an body, exercising sep­ well be. We adm it th a t th e uni­ scientific conclusions are based u p ­
arate and distinct in ert powers of verse, taken as a whole, is the only on a preponderance of evidence,
its own, is subordinate to the suprem e power of which we have and im agination or wonder have
whole.
knowledge. Of course, looking at it no business interposing questions
I fully agree with you th a t “ the in one way, this is no suprem e w ithout the backing of a single fact
result can not be the cause,” but I power a t all, but all powers com­ to these reasonable conclusions. I f
do m aintain th a t both the cause bined. We don’t know of any one such a question ag Mr. Jo h n so n ’s
and effect combined are suprem e. suprem e power, yet with B rother were allowable, I could easily go
W hy m atter possesses certain inert Tenney we can say th at m atter act­ him one better, by asking w hat
pow’ers I certainly do not know. I ing on m atter, and all contained in causes the cause th a t causes m a tte r
do not kfiow why the sun produces one lim itless (as far. as we know) to act, and so on, ad infinitum .
certain effects, but I do know it expanse known as the universe, is But this is not the true m ethod of
produces such effects. I do not the only suprem e power (if, after a reasonable discussion. The o r­
know’ why water at a certain tem ­ rem em bering th a t there can be no thodox are more logical. They tell
perature becomes a solid, and at subordinata power to the whole you at once th a t the great cause of
another becomes an invisible gas, universe, it may be called such) of all things, their god, is a causeless
b u t I do know such to be the fact. which we have knowledge. W ill cause, and so stop useless (b u t em-
•
I do not know why the bacteria th a t do, B rother T .?— E d .]
barrassing) questions. My ques­
produces certain chem ical changes
tion m ay em barrass Mr. Johnson,
in m atter, and in m any instances
T h at Texas girl who ate the heads assum ing him to be a representa­
gives it its color, and gives it its off 212 p arlo r m atches m ust have tive of Deism, but his can not em­
flavor or odor, but I do know th a t not only * wanted to die, but to inoc- i barrass Mr. Tenney, as a represen­
it does so. I do not know why we u late herself against suffering in tative of science, because science
can have no prejudice against an
have w hat is known as the “ food 1 the next woild.—[Ex.