Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1899)
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, APRIL 20, 1899. Sturgis, in Southern Michigan, of Freethought that relate to ortho Tuesday night. I was billed for dox Christianity. He says that Coloma, in Western Michigan, the Freethinkers are practically agreed following night. In the morning I on these questions, and that to went to Kalamazoo, where I ex take up questions on which they are not agreed is to divide the so tended the great Rochester F ree pected to reach Coloma by way of ary 7, 1848. He is of Ger th in k ers’ Convention, and there the South Haven road. Owing to ciety into factions, array them against each other and destroy its man-English descent. His pater delivered bis lecture on “ False snow blockades, the road was out nal ancestors came from Germany Claim s.” His success there as a of coal and no trains were running. usefulness. As an evidence of Mr. Rems- and settled in Maryland about lecturer was assured. One of the I boarded a Michigan Central train 1760; his maternal ancestors came Liberal papers said: “The publica and came through to Niles, intend burg’s conservative view on this from England and settled in New tion of his great lecture, ‘False ing to lake the Benton Harbor road. subject, we remember he was one England about 1640. I claimg/ marks an era in the pro Trains on this road were snow of the delegates at the Chicago His father was not a church of Liberalisnk it is the most bound, and I was baffled again. Liberal League Congress, in 1882, member, and, while a nominal >e- erfuJ document ¡n the English One more chance remained, and who stood with Colonel Ingersoll liever in Christianity, was a man Jan n His lecture n ‘Thomas that was to reach New Buffalo be against the entire repeal of the of broad and liberal views. is I Paine” p^.np„ Horace Horace Seaver pronounced fore the Chicago and West Michi laws enacted to prevent the circula Seaver pronounced mother was a Methodist, but took one of the best and most brilliant gan train went north. So I took tion of obscene literature through little interest in religion during orations “he had ever listened to.” the Central again. Unfortunately, the mails. He then thought they the later years of her life. Of his lecture on “ Bible Morals” it was a through express, behind should be amended so that they When John was s.x years old H Gar(,ener 9ay8; u < _ Bibb time, and dashed through New could not be used against Free- his father became totally bll" d; Moral8’ is the most conclusive nr- Buffalo at the rate of forty miles thought literature. That is what he For years the mother supported , (hat £ an hour. Michigan City, Ind., was desired should be done. the family with her needle. John K ,iHtened t0?. Mr. Remsburg has been a life the first stop. On, on, we sped, received good English education . no forensic . • and the prison city was in sight. long student of history. He is receive« a a guuu n Mr. Remsburg makes in the public schools. At the age [dat(orn)) al)d few At the bridge east of town all passionately fond of the drama, of sixteen he entered the army, ge9lures; ,)(lt ,,e c„mtnanda , he trains slowed up. Looking out of music, arts and literature. He serving at Washington and Nash closest attention from his audience the window I saw an eastern-bound loves fruits and flowers. He plant ville till the close of the war. On by his lucid presentation of his train approaching. I changed from ed an orchard when he was ten his return from the army he en subject and his able, comprehen the one moving train to the other. years old, and ever since has de gaged in teaching for a time. After sive and unanswerable arguments. It was the Chicago and West Mich voted a considerable portion of his warns auenuen Ft. ri. Edwards i™ , ofUn & te„ ing igan, and I was safe. Coloma was time to horticultural pursuits. wards he attended (N.Y.) Collegiate Inst,tute a, > brillg9 torth thund„ ing reached at noon.” In 1870 he married Miss Nora year, pursuing his studies after applause; * . . but . . . the greater ..... He seldom misses his appoint M. Eiler, the daughter of a Kansas portion leaving this institution. of his speeches are direct appeals ments, no matter bow far apart. pioneer. She is a Freethinker, and In 1868 he went to Kansas, where to the reason of his hearers. We He has lectured at Council Bluffs, has done much to make his life a he has since resided. For twelve well remember the closing words of on the western borders of Iowa, one happy one. They have six chil years he was engaged in educa a lecture he delivered at one of the night, and at Ft. Wayne, in the dren, five sons and a daughter. tional work, serving as Superin New York Freethought conven eastern part of Indiana, on the fol Two of them, George and Charles, tendent of Public Instruction for tions. His subject was “Bible lowing night. In December, 1891, are newspaper men. Another, John, four years in his county, Atchison. Temperance.” After a thorough he delivered four addresses, at the has made music his profession. While performing the duties of this Colonel Ingersoll pays the sub digest of all the Bible had to say regular meetings of four different office an incident occurred that de on the subject of intemperance and societies, in four different states, in ject of this sketch this tribute: termined his future career. He the liquor question, he closed his twenty-four hours. He did not fill “ Mr. Remsburg has done splendid had rejected Christianity as unten address with this emphatic affirm these appointments in their order, work all over this country. He is able, but took little interest in re ation: “I have carefully searched but went from the first state to the an absolutely fearless man, and ligious matters. While visiting a the Bible from Genesis to Revela third, returned to the second, and tells really-and truly what his school one day he saw on the tions, and find therein but one in went from that to the fourth. On mind produces.” There is no man teacher’s table a copy of Paine’s stance of a man calling for water, Sunday morning, July 19, 1896, he in the Liberal lecture field for Age of Reason—a book not often and he was in hell.” The house left Iowa, went to Minnesota, de whom Colonel Ingersoll has more found in the school room. Up to came down as it had not before livered three lectures in that state, respect and admiration than he has this time he entertained the popu and returned to Kansas, reaching for John E. Remsburg. during the convention. lar opinion of Paine. He believed Wc have known Mr. Remsburg Mr. Remsburg has lectured in Atchison in time for dinner Mon that, while he had aided in achiev quite intimately for the la6t twenty- day. ing American independence, he was fifty states, territories and prov He has held upwards of twenty five years, and we have greatly ad yet a very bad man. He perused inces, and in twelve hundred cities mired him as a lecturer and author the book carefully and became very and towns, including every large debates. He has written several and worker in the Freethought much interested in it. It was a city in the United States and Can books, among which are the follow cause; but these are not the only revelation to him. Paine’s religi ada. In the performance of this ing: Life of Paine, Abraham Lin qualifications that have made his ous opinions, as there stated, he work he has travelled over three coln: Was He a Christian? The influence felt for good w’herever he fully agreed with. Preceding the hundred thousand miles, a distance Fathers of Our Republic, The has been. He has a personal char work was a sketch of Paine’s life, sixty thousand miles greater than Image Breaker, Bible Morals and acter that is without reproach. No very different from everything he from the earth to the moon. This Sabbath Breaking. His lectures one can point to an immoral act or had heard regarding him. Before has not all been in parlor cars and have been translated into various any disreputable couduct in his he laid down the book he became steamboat cabins. He has travelled European and Asiatic languages, long public life. Where he is best convinced that Thomas Paine was thousands of miles by team and and have a large circulation in known he is most respected. In one of the most worthy and one of hundreds of miles on horseback or Europe, Asia and Australia. The his own town his life has been such the worst abused of men. He be on foot. If the mud or the snow Calcutta Gazette says: “His lec that it commands the respect, if came interested in the man. He drifts were too deep to get through tures have an immense circulation not the admiration, of his orthodox searched libraries; he read every with a team, he went on foot. He in India.” Mr. Remsburg is now President neighbors. Such a man’s silence is thing pertaining to him. The re has ridden seventy-five miles in an more potent for good than the most sult was The Life and Vindication open wagon over the prairies of of the American Secular Union and eloquent words from one whose of Paine, his first book, published Western Kansas, with the mercury Freethought Federation. He has daily life is unworthy the prin in 1880. In the preparation of this 20 degrees below zero. He has lec faith in the society and believes ciples he advocates. It would be . work he had the hearty support of tured at night and then driven that it is capable of accomplishing well for the Liberal cause, which is Elizur Wright, Parker Pillsbury, forty miles through the rain to great good. He believes in confin the cause of humanity, if it had ing the w’ork of the society to the many more champions whose abil George W. Julian, Charles Brad catch a morning train. ity and personal worth were equal He has had dozens of adventures purposes which it was organized to to those of our highly esteemed laugh and others. About the same time Mr. Remfc similar to the following, which we promote—the secularization of our friend, John E. Remsburg. May burg delivered his first Freethought take from his lecture notes pub national and state governments their number increase.—[Free- address. It was warmly received, lished many years ago: “I spoke at and the affirmation and negations thought Magazine. and Governor Robinson of Kansas, Judge Krekel of Missouri, and Pr.s. American Secular Union. others who heard him, urged him to so on the rostrum. OHN E. REMSBURG wasborn, invi,a,ion ¡„ 1883) he at. near Fremont, Ohio, Janu JOHN E. REMSBURG, J