H IE TORCH OF REASON, SILV ER TO N , OREGON, MAY 4, 1899.
4
Several times in our experience we moral character and be entirely
have noticed th a t young men of a free from all superstition; he should
certain type think th at Infidelity is have a deep-seated conviction th a t
synonym ous with recklessness of the religion of H um an ity is ju st
action and coarseness of speech. , what the world needs, and energy
This was illustrated the other day, and enthusiasm in preaching this
when, after talking with a stranger gospel th a t knows no defeat.
But where are we going to get
a short time about our work, h e'
turned to a com panion and, ta lk ­ such workers? Never fear, they
ing loud enough so we were sure to will be ready when the dem and is
hear, he wove into his talk several great enough for them . We m ust
old-fashioned oaths, such as “ Jesus first know w hat we w ant. We
C hrist,” “ God d am n ,” etc. He m ust then m ake conditions right to
acted very much as if he thought secure them. We m ust not allow
this would convince 11s th a t he was our cause to he represented by
“ all rig h t,” but the fact is it very every thing th a t takes a notion to
Six m onths, in a d v an c e ....................
™ te r
T hree m onths, in a d v an c e ................
,
much disgusted us, and we feel talk against the orthodox religion.
We
m
ust
all
be
alive
in
order
to
In clubs of five or m ore, one year,
In fact, we m ust take a definite
in a d v an c e ...................................... .. .
* ’ succeed, fol* the tim e is short.
I he sorry for th e young m an’s lack of
Money should l»e sen t by registered sooner our work of getting the new good language and his poverty of stand, so th a t people will know
le tte r or m oney order.
w hat Secularism means. I t too
building re td y is an assured suc­ judgm ent.
Infidels who are such ju st be­ often means only the secularization
cess, the better it will he, for there
Notice!
of the governm ent and a fight
are m any stu d en ts who will come cause they are n a tu ra lly bad are
generally the worst of cowards, and against the orthodox churches.
A h a n d pointing to th is notice denotes next year if they can have the ac­
th a t your su b scrip tio n h as e x p ire d . com m odations th a t it will afford before they die are quite apt, in T his is too narrow a platform for
You are earn estly requested to re ­
their fear and ignorance, to “ fall broad-m inded men and women.
new so th a t you m ay receive th e pa­ them . We should have the ad v an ­
The A m erican Secular Union
per w ith o u t in te rru p tio n . W e have de­ tage of knowing rig h t aw ay, on ac­ ¡into the arm s of Jesu s.” From
cided th a t it is l>est for all concerned
this class the orthodox preachers and Freethought Federation is all
th a t we do not send papers longer th a n count of advertising it and giving
th e tim e paid for unless so ordered. stu d en ts a chance to plan to come judge all Infidels,and this accounts right for the purpose for which it
T his will prevent any loss and we will
was organized, hut it does not
to our school instead of elsewhere; for the C h ristian ’s idea th a t In fi­
know just where we sta n d .
We request you to semi us th e nam es go we hope to soon announce th at dels nearly all repent, and that th e represent w hat we mean by Secu­
of Secularists who m ight becom e su b ­
deathbed scene of those who do not : larism . I t is an anti religious,politi­
scribers and we will m ail sam ple copies. the completion of the new building
cal movement and deserves the
for the Liberal U niversity is an a s ­ is som ething horrible.
I t is no wonder to us th a t Secu­ sanction of all true Secularists, hut
THURSDAY, HAY 4, E. M. 299 sured fact.
Friends of T ru th and Progress, larism and Secularists are m is­ it does not fairly represent S ecular­
let our sum m er “ outings” be short; judged, for they have been very ism by any m eans, and we are
VA CATIO N .
let us work now and we will soon poorly represented. M any people sorry th a t, in the eyes of m any, it
m isreptesents the real cause. But
Before this reaches some of our have our “ innings,” which we will know nothing of Secularism ex­
we will not have long to w ait be­
readers, the Liberal U niversity hold in this our life game against ig­ cepting w hat they have learned
from men and women of low m oral fore every state will have a regular
will have closed for the sum m er norance and superstition.
characters, who aro not only infi­ Secular Union of Secularists, when
vacation. Last fall we were much
dels to C h ristian ity , but to every­ there will he a real Am erican Secu­
disappointed in not getting the
M ISJU D G E D .
lar Union and when Secularism
thing but their own selfish pleas-'
lum ber from the mill in tim e to
will be judged by true representa­
The idea th a t m any people have ures and dream s of personal renown.
finish the main building. So we
tives and its good fruits, instead of
had no building, hut we all went of Secularists is th a t they delight Such characters have m ethods pe­
being m isjudged, as it now too
to work, “ ham m er and tongs,” and in obscenity, profanity, coarseness, cu liar to themselves. They go on
often is, by m isrepresentatives and
found a way to carry on our work and in fact everything th a t is evil. the supposition th a t “ if one does
their idiosyncrasies.
by “ m aking one”. We moved the N othing could be further from the i not praise him self or herself no one
b arn up to the dining hall, finished tru th . A real Secularist, one who else will,” and so their announce­
W H E N OUR S H IP COMES IN .
it like a house, fitted p art for living is enthused with the idea of m ak ­ m ents are full of very flattering
rooms and p art as school rooms, ing this world a fit place in which recom m endations; their conversa-
We wish to do som ething before
and the result is th a t we have gone to live, dislikes everything th at 1 lion is skillfully centered around
rig h t on with our work u n in ter­ lowers h u m an ity physically, m en­ their own glory in such a way as we “ shuffle off this m o rtal coil”.
to com pletely cap tiv ate the u n in ­ We will try to do som ething, and
ruptedly. To he sure, we have tally or m orally.
The false notion th a t most C hris­ itiated. Such F reeth o u g h t work­ “ when our ship comes in ” we will
been crowded at tim es, and the
teachers have been nearly worn out tian s have of “ having a good tim e” ers, and there are plenty of them , finish our U niversity, buy a large
by the unavoidable noise from un­ is one of the worst features of their have no deep-rooted principles. tract of land, lay off a city, p u t up
deadened floors and the in te rru p ­ artificial prop. “ W h a t is the use They have, like thousands of o rtho­ m anufactories and give every one
tions of classes passing through of doing rig h t,” said a C hristian to dox preachers, the power to fool who w ants to live in a real Secular
recitation rooms, etc., hut we have us the other day, “ if there is to be people and m ake them think th a t com m unity a chance to do so. The
lived, are all in good health and no rew ard for it and no punish­ I they are som ething wonderful, b u t land adjoining the U niversity tract
full of enthusiasm for our next m ent for w rong?” T his is a very the tim e alw ays comes when honest is level and the finest place in the
im p o rtan t question. It lies at the seekers for tru th find th a t m ere world for such a com m unity, but it
y ea r’s labors.
There has been a good, health y root of the controversy between the oratory, flattery and excitem ent takes money to get the th in g s ta rt­
grow th of the Rchool this year. orthodox and the Secular idea of am ounts to but little unless backed ed. The land is excellent for g ar­
T hings are beginning to shape salvation. If w rong-doing brings by well-defined plans and p rin ­ dening and for fruit and grain.
them selves into a regular, m ethod­ happiness, there is certain ly no ciples. Then follows lack of in te r­ Crops are a sure thing here, and as
ical cam paign.
We are learning reason for not doing wrong; but it est in Secularism and disgust, and the W est is growing very rapidly,
who are the real friends of our ed­ does not bring happiness. The ex­ the victim “ drops out.” This is m anufactories of all kinds flourish.
ucational plan and who are our citem ent of wrong-doing m ay bring one great reason why our cause is W e do not say this from any self­
real enemies, and as experience to a hardened or ig n o ran t m ind a kept a t low tide. We are m is­ ish m otive whatever. W hat we are
gives us strength we are fast be­ short-lived pleasure, but every judged because we have been m is­ talking about is the best way to
com ing strouger to cope with the wrong brings its corresponding represented. A m inister of th e advance the cause of Secularism ;
“ hosts of S atan ” (those opposed to evil, and th a t which brings no p u n ­ Gospel of H u m an ity should be b e t­ aud we can think of no better way
scientific, moral Secularism ) ou th e ishm ent of evil is not wrong.
ter qualified th an a m inister of th an for a lot of us to get together
one hand and the arm y of the Lord
It is quite am using to watch the Jesus C hrist. H e should have a in a com m unity and dem onstrate
on the other.
effects of a statem ent of our belief good u nderstanding of th e n atu ra l to the world th a t there is some­
O ur vacation will be a very busy „ on different individuals. Of course, sciences; he should know fully as th in g i t our principles superior to
one
W e m ust raise enough mon- in conversation one cannot alw ays m uch about the C hristian Bible C h ristian ity or any other su p ern a t­
?y in some wav to finish paying give a full account of Secularism and much more about th e other ural religion. W e should have our
For the lum ber, pay up the few 1 and is som etim es m isunderstood. ‘bibles; he should have a good city all b u ilt on scientific princi-
little debts which were unavoid­
ably contracted in order to keep
th e school and paper going, buy
The O nly P ap er of Its Kind.
windows, doors, locks, nails, paint,
Published W eekly by th e L iberal U ni- b la c k b o a r d s , school furniture a n d
versity C om pany, in the In te re sts of
hire c a rp e n te rs , p a in te rs, etc., an d
Constructive, Moral Secularism.
,
»
’ ‘
k'-op the Torch of Reason burning.
I F H osm er
..E d ito r Thin must all he done anil the
P. W .G e e r, . ...............M an a g er building ready to be occupied be
fore the fall term begins. It is
Entered at the postoffice at Silverton, b ig undertaking, but we are not
Oregon, as second-class m ail m atter.
a fr a id to “ tackle” it, because we be­
lieve our friends will all do some -
SUBSCRIPTION R A T E S .
thing to help the work along, and
$1 00 if they do, it will he an easy m al-
One year, in ad v an ce..................
Torch of Reason