VOL. 3.
We Will Speak Out.
SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1399
NO. 29.
in the skies or sigh over the past. humanity.’’ Many good, wise physicallv beginning at—yea be
It is our duty to live in the present. people differ about the answer to fore—birth, and ending only at the
e will speak out, we will be heard Now is the time for thought and this question; but if everyone who grave.
A great educator has
Though all earth’s systems
action. The past is gone never to has an idea on this subject will ad likened education to a tree. He
crack;
return, the future may never be vance that idea, and be broad says: “Sound education stands be
We will not bate a single word,
Nor take a letter back.
ours. This moment is all we are enough to discuse the question fore me symbolized by a tree plant
We speak the truth, and what care we
sure of. How we should treasure freely with those who differ from ed near fertilizing waters. A little
For hissing and for scorn,
While some faint gleamings we can see and improve each second of time him, reason will soon point out the seed, which contains the design of
Of freedom’s coming morn?
as it goes slipping by.
wav, and we will, if we are wise the tree, its form and proportions,
Let us all wake up and be thor enough, be ready to drop all pre is placed in the soil. See how it
Let liars fear; let cowards shrink ;
Let traitors turn away;
oughly awake at least for once io judices and pull together to bring germinates and expands into trunk,
Whate’er we’ve dared to think,
our lives, and see where we are, about a happier time for all in the branches, leaves, Mowers, and fruit!
That dare we also ssy !
—James Russell Lowell.
where we are as a people drifting, “sweet here and now.” To show The whole tree is an uninterrupted
and what will be the result if we do that I believe in practicing what I chain of organic parts, the plan of
The Need of a Liberal Education. not arouse ourselves, keep awake preach, I will give my idea of the which existed in its seed and root.
while at posts of dutv, and be rea.lv panacea for all our troubles. I will Man is similar to the tree. Ir the
he boundary between dreams to lead the rest of poor dreaming give you two thoughts on the sub new-born child are hidden those
and reality is so indefinite, humanity to a higher, better mode ject: First, the cause—Ignorance. faculties which are to unfold during
that even the wisest of our of life. Let us forget our own ex Second, the remedy—Literal Edu- life. The individual and separate
philosophers are sometimes puzzled istence for the moment and look I ca tjon.
organs of his being form themselves
to tell where one begins and the about us. We find ourselves sur The first thought, relating to the gradually into an harmonic whole,
other ends. During a few moments rounded by a seething, struggling cause, needs few comments. I think and build up humanity . . . ”
of sleep we often seem to experience mass of human beings. Some are all will agree, on second thought, Some get the idea that education is
hours of joy or sorrow; travel thou pushing and crowding, knocking that ignorance in some form or other received alone at school. This is
sands of miles over land and sea; down and treading over the weaker is the root of all evil. Ignorance of far from true. A school is only a
and visit places and meet people ones. Some are trying to get pos nature’s laws brings on physical step toward an education, but it is
that are entirely strange to us.
session of all the good things of this diseases, that affects not one but a very important one. If the school
There are men who are so mixed life, snatching property from the many generations. Physical dis- is what it should be it will lav the
on the question of distinguishing hands of those they come in con ease brings about mental weakness; foundation for physical strength,
between fancy and reality, that tact with, and often leaving the lack of mental development pro- pure morals, guided by a steady
they hold that nothing we see robbed one to suffer and die from duces a low standard of morals; will subject to reason, and a never
around us actually has an exist want by the wayside. Some seem loose morals affect the physical quenching thirst for knowledge.
ence, that we fancy everything— to be possessed by the demons of man, and thus we have a complete If, on the other hand, the school is
fancv that we live, and even fancv evil passions, and their very breath chain, forged link by link by ignor what too many of our schools are
death. Then there are those on the poisons those who come near them. ance—a chain without an end — a today—a place provided to get the
other hand who imagine all kinds We see the hypocrite on every hand, chain that will, in time, bind us children out of the tired mother’s
of extravagant things—build won smiling and sweet to your face but down to to all the ills that man is way for a few hours, and often pre
sided over by an experimenter hired
derful castles in the air relating to ready to use the dagger as soon as heir to.
this life and the one they believe is your back is turned. We see those
Now a word of explanation in re because she is a cousin of a niece ot
to follow—and they are willing to who are suffering from all kinds of gard to the remedy. By a liberal the chairman of the board, or be
stake even their lives that all their disease, mental as well as physical. education I do not mean simply cause she will teach for five dollars
dreams are a reality.
Many are struggling under burdens stuffing and cramming the head less than anyone else—if, I repeat,
Now it is not my intention to heavier than they can bear. Ah! full of facts, dates, geometrical this is the kind of a school you have
enter upon a discussion of this sub the world is full of deceit, wicked problems, dead languages, etc., but access to, you are indeed lucky if
ject. It is one that we will all have ness, crime and horrors beyond with Prof. Huxley, “I think that the result is not a weak, sickly body,
to settle for ourselves, according to description. Yes, it is “full of sighs, man has a liberal education who low ideas of morality, and a stunted
our reason. But I wish to lead up full of sad and weeping eyes.” If has been trained, in his youth so intellect. Do not misunderstand
to the statement in which I think this were all the picture we might that his body is the ready servant' me- We have raany g°od schools
you will all agree with me:—Too well be discouraged, but all is not of his will, and does with ease and
°ur land, but more than we
much of our real life is lost in so black. We see many who are pleasure all that, as a mechanism, should have that arc worse than
dreaming. In childhood we live in trying to raise the fallen, heal the it is capable of; whose intellect is a none, where it would be far better
a world of imagination—we play sick, dry the tears of the weeping, clear, cold logic-engine, with all its if the children were turned loose
the doll is a real, live, flesh-and- and drive out greed, crime and op parts of equal strength, and in out in the sunshine, with the birds
filood baby, the stick is a beautiful pression. This is the class we must smooth working order; ready, like and flowers for instructors.
In establishing the Liberal Uni
prancing pony. In youth we live look to for help. They are awake a steam engine, to be turned to any
in the future. Ours is then a world to the fact that something is wrong. kind of work, and spin the gossa versity we do not claim that it will
love and romance. How we do Perhaps but few have ever tried mere as well as forge the anchors he the °n ^y» or the best school in
hate to be brought face to face with to solve the question, or find of the mind; whose mind is stored the land, but we do claim that it
stern reality, by a call from our the remedy; but the first step is with a knowledge of the great and w*h he the only school of the kind;
mother or father reminding us of gained when a need is felt. All fundamental truths of nature, and the only Freethought school budt
some unfinished task. In later life live, earnest, thinking people feel of the laws of her operations; one hy Liberals; a school free from
we live in the past. We tell how the need of better conditions to-day. who *is full of life and fire, but rtl1 superstitions; a school whose
things used to be when we were They realize that, although we have whose passions are trained to come chief end is development of human-
- ''lng. We love to recall bygone reached a wonderful state of civili to heel by a vigorous will; who has *ty—mentally, morally,and physic-
days, and see again the rosy faces zation, we have not by any means learned to love all beauty,-whether a dy. We do claim that such a
d our childhood companions. We reached a state of perfection where of nature or art, to hate all vile- i school, yes, many such schools, are
'mile again over our merry pranks, peace and plenty reigns supreme. ness, and to respect others as him- needed, and we sincerely hope that
or sigh over what “might have Something is needed. What is it? self.”
the time is not far distant when all
lieen.”1 As long as there is sin,
The Christian will no doubt an True education consists of a true Liberals will feel this need and
sorrow and suffering in the world, swer, “More love for Christ.” The natural, systematic, development of assist in erecting and carrying on
we haven’t time to build mansions Secularist will say, “More love for a person mentally, morally, and
Concluded on 3rd page.
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