Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (June 29, 1899)
5 THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, JUN E 29, 1899. even those in domestic service; all which Darwin added to evolution sacrifice comfort and convenience ary thought, and he made these to be like their supposed superiors: ideas a part of hie materialistic and more surprising still, women system. Buchner’s second principal work, demanding the right of suffrage, go t>efore committees of Congress, and “Man—His Past, Present and Fu State Legislature, and Conventions ture,” is mainly an exposition of in the same absurd attire. I re Darwinism, with Haeckel’s ideas, joice that the senior editor of the as given in his “ History of Crea- Woman’s Journal has made his tion,” added, with chapters relat protest against the trailing skirt. ing to government, marriage and What should we think of our sires industrial and social reform, to and sons if they were such slaves gether with several pages of inter to the behests of fashion? Suppose esting and valuable notes. Buchner was, unlike Strauss, some French Beau Brummel should send forth a decree that they democratic in his nature, and he should have trailing ruffles on their was deeply interested in the com trousers, and the upper gear should mon people. He deplored indus be as smooth as the skin, banish trial w rongs and inequalities of op ing the fourteen pockets from their portunity, which made it possible usual hiding places; with all their for colossal wealth and extreme appendages, pocket-book, knife, poverty to exist alongside of each pencil, letters, and cigars stuffed in other. Buchner is not much read the crown of their hat or the top of and is not much quoted now, and the trousers. Imagine our beloved interest in his works is not likely lords of creation, rushing to and to be revived. As a thinker he fro in the busy marts of trade, with was not original, but he was honest their hands behind them holding and fearless, and he helped greatly up their ruffled trousers, their to weaken theological influence, not heads decorated with feathers and only in his own country, but in flags. We may laugh at the pic other countries into whose lan ture, but our women look quite as guages his works were translated. Buchner visited the United ridiculous. The men could no longer offer an arm in an emer States some time in the seventies gency to a feeble sister, but at the and lectured in a number of cities. risk of trailing their ruffles in the As a lecturer he did not prove to be dust. Thus, as citizens of a re as interesting as he was as a writer, public, and in the good time com and his expectations were not real ing, we should be obliged to go ized. After his return home some single file to the polls on election articles appeared over his name in day, and still worse, with these re a German paper which were sev stricted attitudes in both sexes, the erely critical of much which he had next generation of children would seen in America. Some of the probably be ushered into the world criticisms were merited, but others with withered arms. I tremble to were based upon observations too think what I have done to get the limited to give them any value, suffrage for women, fearing all the and were really unjust. Of their foolish fashions they might by law sincerity and honesty there was no doubt, as there was of nothing that cause to appear among us. he ever wrote for the public. Although in correspondence with Dr. Ludwig Buchner. Buchner, I failed by an accident to meet him when he was in the BY B. F. UNDERWOOD. United States, and I can speak of Dr. Ludwig Buchner died in him personally only by hearsay. Darmstadt, Germany, on M ay .l. I am told that he was rather His work, the one by which he was brusque and dogmatic. I should best known, “ Force and Matter,” infer this from his writings, but was published in 1855. It has the concurrent testimony of those been called “the Bible of the Ger who were intimate with him is that man Materialists.” Twelve editions he was a man of high character of this book were issued in twenty and of many attractive qualities. years, and it led to a large amount No man is good enough to gov« of animated discussion in which many distinguished thinkers took ern another man without that part. other’s consent. When the white Buchner owed his popularity as man governs himself, that is self- an expounder of materialism to the government; but when he governs unsurpassed clearness of his style, himself and also governs another his positive and confident manner, man, that is more than self-govern his avoidance of abstruseness in ment—that is despotism. Our re the treatment of his subject, and liance is in the love of liberty; our his “enthusiasm of humanity.” He defense is in the spirit which prizes presented the thought of Vogt and liberty as the heritage of all men in Moleschott more lucidly than it all lands, everywhere. Those who had been given in their books, and deny freedom deserve it not for his name came to be associated themselves.—[Abraham Lincoln. with theirs. Buchner was among the first to Are you acquainted with the appreciate and accept the ideas I merits of the Forstner auger bit? <^The Liberal University SU SI? SI? SU SI? SU SU T H E ONLY SCHOOL SU OF T H E KIND. SU SU SU SU SU SU F ree from S uperstition su su S tric tly N o n -S e c ta ria n SU SU su Pupils are Given Every Opportunity to Learn Without Being Hampered by Supersti tions and Dogmas. L o c a tio n H e a lth fu l, S o c ie ty G ood. E x p e n s e s M o d e ra te A Splendid Corps of Teachers and Good Facil ities for Teaching. For information, address I SI? su su SI? J. E. H O SM ER , Ph. D., B. S. D., P R E S ID E N T, *