THE TORCH OK REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON. MARCH 2, 1<99.
W hen a proposition is m ade
came to the place where I was stay -,
which the mind has the strongest
a a t * r v w ritte n by a student of the
I ib eral U n iv e rs ity In the late exam ­
ing. Of course he was told the tale.
reasons for believing, next to the
BY B. F. UNDERWOOD.
ination in r h e t o r i c ...............................
He did not look at it in the light I
facts of consciousness, and the ax-
The G hosts of S ilverdale.
did, however, hut laughed h eartily
M any people m ake no d istinc­ 1 joins and dem onstrations of m a th ­
and said he did not believe it. T he tion between knowledge and belief, em atics, most people say they know
BY Li)KA AMES.
next night the ghosts appeared but the distinct ion is one which it th a t proposition is true,w hen stric t­
ilverdale »« a beautiful ami were shown to him. After he is im portant to hear in m ind, espe­ ly speaking it is one of those state­
Httle valley i» »he northern | had been there about a week, he cially in controversy. Some per­ m ents of a conviction which, while
part of Sw itzerland. S itu ­ told us at the breakfast table one sons think they know a great deal it falls short of the requirem ents of
ated at its head is a sm all village, m orning th a t he had an ex p lan a­ because they believe a great deal, actual knowledge, belongs to the
a winding, silvery stream runs tion to make concerning the h a u n t­ and such persons im agine others highest or least doubtful class of
through it.
A em ail, deep, clear ed lake. We all gazed at him m know less than they do, because beliefs, and of course for every
they assert only w hat they know, practical purpose m ay have all the
lake overshadowed by rocky c 1 , open eyed astonishm ent.
He said he had discovered th a t being reserved in regard to w hat validity of knowledge.
is on one side and a forest of tall
A conviction is not to be treated
trees on the other.
It is a very certain times in the year a mist they do not know.
picturesque place, for beauti u arises over the lake, arid being
One m ay believe much and know as of no value sim ply because it is a
flowers bloom in the forest and tall so near the black cliff, it ap but little, and one m ay know a belief. Beliefs move men to action;
ferns grow up out of dam p, green pears to he q u ite white. Then the great deal and have a very short knowledge guides and corrects
moss on the bank of the l a k e u n ­ moon shines from above the cliff creed.
T he m an of large experi­ them . B ut before a ratio n al man
derneath the cliff, over which clear, and casts the shadows of some low
ence and knowledge is cautious can ask another to accept his be­
sparkling water trickles in the su n ­ shrubbery on the m ist, m aking it and discrim inating in accepting un lief he m ust show th a t it has a good
appear like m isty forms to the verified statem ents.
if he
fails to
The ignorant foundation, and ..
„„ -----
- con-
The people who live in this place strong im agination of people who m an is less capable of calculating vince another he may have reason
are quiet and peaceful. They are believed in ghosts.
probabilities and is easily imposed ) ,o 8USpect th a t the evidence is
Most of the villagers did not be­ upon by false statem ents.
in perfect harm ony with their su r­
It
I weak, or that he has not presented
roundings, for the sweet m onotony lieve him , but upon m aking care­ easier to believe as one has been it d e a rly , or th a t the person he
of their lives is as unbroken as the ful research, I found w hat he said tau g h t th an to doubt such teach- Would convert is not m entally
1 ing.
dropping Of the water over the to be true, and since then
I t is easier to think in old adapted to appreciate the evidence,
have
never
believed
in
ghosts,
and,
cliffs by the lake.
ru ts which have been worn deep, which in time, however, may pro-
th
an
k
s
to
this
lesson
of
investiga­
I spent one whole delightful sum ­
th an it is to strike out m entally in duce conviction. Theological teach-
mer in Silverdale.
W hen the day tion, I am now entirely cured of su­ new directions, to think along new ers have prepared statem ents of
was warm I u»e<I to take my book perstition.
easier to
w hat ouumu
8hould be
believed,
declared
lines.
I I l t is
IS rttr'ict
VW assent to an , i wiiai
w
---------- » -------------
i m aking
1 •__ il_o
a-i ♦ th o rity
t nf
Y • 1 !•_*__
and go to the lake to read. It was
old creed,
the au
of disbelief
and 1 even doubt sinful llA
in
so silent, and such a soothing calm ­
a nam e or book serve in the place advance, and have then pronounc
L ittle S tories.
ness would steal over me th a t
of proof, th an it is to exam ine a ed a n who reject their theologic
sometimes I would lay my boo
Once when Bismarck was leaving subject, weigh evidence and m ake j a j no8trum8 a8 deserving and des-
aside and give myself up to d ay ­
home in 1866, his youngest son ask ­ th a t the basis of belief or disbelief.! tined to eternal suffering.
It is men who wish to control i Men may be urged to exam ine,
dream s.
ed him how long he was to he
A battle had once been fought on
away. He replied th a t he did not others and the slaves of au th o rity but to urge them to believe is to
the banks of this lake, and the vil-
know. At th a t m oment a servant so cot ,trolled,w ho repeat the th reat, tre a t them like children. If the ev-
agers claim ed that on certain nights
came in to inquire how m any bot­ “ He th a t believeth not shall be idence of any claim is good, it will
during the year, the ghosts of the
tles of cognac were to be packed in dam ned,” and dem and m ental sub- sooner or later be accepted by all
dead soldiers, who, it seemed, could
the prince’s luggage.
“ Twenty- mission on penalty of excom m uni- ratio n al minds.
not rest in peace, would come hack
four,” was the answer. “ Ah,” pa­ cation here and eternal torm ent
and hover over the lake in misty
pa,” cried the terrible infant, “ now hereafter.
It is men accustomed
form. The people firm ly believed
more
or
lees
to the authority ofl
A close Ca •
I know how long you are to be from
this and told it for the tru th .
home— twenty-four days!
creeds and to the idea or
of the pre-
Louis Tebbe, w riting for the
One night, after I had been in
em inent im portance of believing ^ re e tjloUgi,t Ideal under th e head-
***
Silverdale about two m onths, I was 1
»< a T rip W est,” refers to our
W hile dining at his son-in-law ’s this or th a t dogm a, who Pri(,e
seized with such a restlessness th a t
them
selves
more
on
w
hat
they
he-
I
following words:
I could not sleep, and being im pel­ one evening,it was noticed th a t I as-
ieve th an on w hat they know, an d j
,
led by some unknow n force, I went teur dipped his cherries in his glass more on the am ount of the m arvel­
“ Mr. Schwab took us to the C ap­
o ut on the balcony to walk up and of water and then carefully wiped
ous they can swallow th an on the ital of Oregon, the S tate House of
them
before
eating
them
.
As
this
which is a beautiful building. I
down th at I m ight become calm.
am ount of evidence they can a d ­ was up in th e dome, which is as
caused
some
am
usem
ent,
he
held
Passing out as if in a dream and
duce to sustain th eir views, or on near heaven as I ever expect to be.
gazing away across the valley, my forth a t length on the dangers of
th e strength of the reasons they can T his is a fine valley in which sm all
atten tio n was suddenly draw n to the microbes with which the cher­
give for adopting and adhering to grain is raised in abundance. We
m ysterious,
white,
hum an-like ries were covered. 1 hen he leaned
were near Silverton at this point,
them .
hack
in
his
chair,
wiped
his
fore
where the Liberal School is, but
forms gliding hack and forth over
Belief
m
ay
exist
w
ithout
any
head
and
unconsciously
picked
up
my tim e was so lim ited th at I could
th e lake. I rubbed my eyes and
looked again,but no, I was not m is­ his glass, d ran k off the contents, real evidence and in conflict with not visit them , but I read the Torch
the tru th . But w hat one knows is of Reason each week and I th in k it
tak en ; I saw the sam e thiug—sure­ microbes and all.
alw ays true. W hen a m an says I one of the best F reethought papers
***
ly the ghosts of the dead soldiers.
published, and they are doing a
know*
th
a
t
I
feel
and
th
in
k
,
he
great work in the west which will
I was very superstitious a t th a t
F ritz W illiam s, the actor, was
states
a
fact
of
consciousness
which
he an aid to our work throughout.
tim e, and it fairly m ade me trem ­ sitting one evening in a New A ork
ble. But I was not a cow ard, and cafe, when two very young men is beyond em pirical proof and deep­ I t does us good to find wide awake
Liberals, for so many seem in d if­
I determ ined to find out if possible came in. They beckoned coude er th a n dem onstration. W hen he
ferent.”
w hether it m ight or m ight not come scendingly to a waiter. “ VV aiter,’ affirms th a t he existed m illions of
We do not know Mr. Tebbe, but
said one, “ bring me a chop. Mine years ago or th a t he will exist m il­
from some n atu ra l cause.
lions of years hence, he states what we are very sorry he did not visit
I looked carefully till my eyes it ’s just right, now. Ju s t m ention
he believes, not w hat he knows. us.
If he ever visits Oregon again
were cleared and I could still see my nam e to the cook.” “ A ou m ay
T h a t which is believed m ay be as we invite him to call. \ \ e-also ex­
the dim forms hovering over the bring me a steak, said the other,
true as th a t which is known. W hat ten d this invitation to an y others
lake. I went back into the house, ju s t as grandly, “ and tell the cook
is believed by one person m ay be among our Secular friends. Come
but not to sleep. S uperstitious i who it is for.” T he w aiter was half
known to another. The evidence and see us at our work.
fears and fantasies h aunted me till way across the room, which was
for belief m ay be of every degree of
the welcome daw n of a new day, crowded, when F ritz W illiam s h ail­
strength from one to ninety-nine in
when I told w hat I had seen. The ed him. “ W aiter,” he draw led,
The church m embers are bad
a
scale
of
one
hundred,
zero
repre
“
bring
me
half
a
dozen
Blue
Points
people were not a t all surprised,for
eenting no evidence and one h u n - ¡eggs, but sing of batching out will,
and
mention
my
name
to
every
they had seen it m any times.
dred representing knowledge.
i wingsl—[F lam iu g Sword.
In a few days a new boarder , darned oyster.”
K now ledge an d Belief.
S