Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (July 27, 1899)
4 _ THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, JULY 27, 1899. rio*' to receive the truth, and Torch - of 2? Reason — wern when priest and king were power- upon the field of ihought; we do their lifeboat must be made of firer know that, coming down the infi- material than paper, silver or gold. less to silence its silvery notes or nite sea of the future, theje will Money will help secure the good The O n ly Paper of Its K ind. stop the ears of those who have never touch this “hank and shoal things of life, but it will also help Published W eekly by the Liberal Uni- eagerly leaned forward and listen- of time"’ a richer gift, a rarer bless- secure the bad things. One must versity Company, in the Interests oi , to its most welcome music. ing, than the libertv which he has know good from bad—the things C onstructive, Moral Secularism . \ . , . . . ' . . ... ,. , t . . . , Who can measure the influence l so gloriously advocated— the Ids- which goto make happiness and the things which ruin his life, or J E Hosmer Editor of this one man? He might have erty of man, woman and child, money will onlv prove a curse. We p ^V. Geer, .Manager held high political positions, hut he _________________ chose rather to be honest and hold should teach the young that money MONEY A N D P R IN C IP L E is only a thing to use, and not the E ntered at th e postoffice at Silverton, fast to his inalienable right to think Oregon, as second-class m a il m atter. a n d to e x p r e s s his honest thought. What should be the main-spring object of life. Let us early incul- One who little understands the of every action ofevery life? Should cate the idea that true principles of SUBSCRIPTION R A TES. great influence of absolute honesty, it not he a thought for others? right living, that self control, that One year, in advance.......................... »100 might say, “ How much b e tte r it Will not the world l»e a heaven in self respect, that education are of Six m onths in advance.................... oC j Wou]d have been if he had smoth- deed when all our actions are far more value than all the money 25 Tbree m onths, in ad vanee ered his convictions on the theo- hacked b y m o tiv e s of disinterested in the universe. In clubs of live or more, one year, in advance............................ . logical question and used his pow- love for our fellow creatures? What can be the happiness of Money should be sent by registered , . ,z • „ i le tte r or money order. era to place himself in an official As we come in contact with the the wealthy miser, who has lately position, where he might have had characters that make up our social added a coin to his money bag, more power and thus have done circle, we cannot help noting the compared with the happiness of the JYoticel more good”; but a hypocrite can do various objects for which different student of nature, who has through A h a n d pointing to this notice denotes but little good in any position, and men and women seem to he work the use of his microscope added to th a t your subscription has ex p ired . You áre earnestly requested to re many feel that, as a radical friend ing. The majority of people, we the world’s wealth another great new so th a t you m ay receive th e pa of ours expressed it on hearing of believe, have a more noble object truth? To be sure money was nec per w ithout in te rru p tio n . We have de cided th a t it is best for all concerned Mr. Ingersoll’s death, “we might in life than appears on the surface. essary for the student to buy the th a t we do not send papers longer th an better have lost the president, his When we see men toiling away in microscope, hut it was the micro the tim e paid for unless so ordered. This will prevent any loss and we will cabinet and the whole outfit at their shops, on their farms, and in scope, or rather the knowledge it know just where we stan d . Washington than to have lost Rob their offices day after day, scarcely would reveal, that he worked for, We request you to send us th e nam es of Secularists who m ight lajeóme su b ert G. Ingersoll”. It is not office taking time to attend to their health and not the money; and this know scribers and we will mail sam ple copies. nor the power that office gives that or social duties, we are apt to think ledge he enjoys in receiving and make men great. It is rather the that money is their god, and that in giving. It is like a spring of THURSDAY, JULY 27, E. M. 299. truths that they discover and dare they never have higher aspirations pure water, its supply and purity to advocate and practice, and here to secure the happiness th t money is not lessened by what it gives. T H E IN FLU EN C E OF INGERSOLL. is a man who has had the ability, cannot buy—the happiness of know Then again, if one learns to have the bravery, the energy and the ing that one is really loved and ap some aim in life higher than the The great Secularist is dead, but love of humanity necessary to dis preciated for the real worth they mere gold or silver standard, he is fully as apt to secure and enjoy the it seems as useless to write an or cover truths of the most vital im are to their friends and to the good things that money buys. dinary obituary notice as it would portance to mankind and to publish world. But if we could look into Y oung men. and young women who be for a child to copy a well known them to those who, we hope, will the minds of these workers, and see neglect to go to school, who neglect poem and send it a4» a letter to his have the requisite intellect to con there the many beautiful pictures of the library, who Jforget to think of classmates. The readers of the vert the world to common sense. what they will do when they but the great questions of reform, for Torch of Reason know of Robert And what a grand world it will be have the opportunity, we would the sake of acquiring wealth, are not those who make a success of G. Ingersoll’s life better than our when the lowest shall he an Inger condemn less and love and help life. The intellectual faculties of feeble pen can write it, nor will soll in intellect and in love for his more. But the necessary pursuit of the men and women of our time the general influence of his work fellow' men! money has given to many, through need the training that the school, for a higher civilization be much Mr. Ingersoll is dead, but his in inheritance and cultivation, an un the library, and the earnest thought affected by any one’s attempt; tellectual force still acts on the lev natural acquisitiveness which is on live questions of our times gives, in order to successfully compete in but we may be somewhat benefited ers of Freethought, and instead of very dangerous to our race. any legitimate line of work; and ar.d helped in carrying on the grieving over-much at his loss, we These abnormally developed men the men and women who are known grand principles for which he la Rhould rather rejoice that he ever and women think of money, dream as the successful, happy, busy bored, and in eradicating the evils lived. A man who has done more of money, talk of money, and will workers of the world, are those who against which he so successfully for the world than any other to in one way or another make money. have placed principle ahead of money. fought, by thinking of his far- free it from the superstition and But of what use to the world, and reaching influence for good. bigotry of priestcraft, the greatest of what use to themselves, is the IN -F O R -H E L L S . Freethinkers are neither god- enemy of both barbarous and civil- money when they have gained it? Sam Jones, in a reeent harang in worshipers nor hero-worshipers,hut, ized times, has done enough. How If they have a million they want this only strengthens our power of can we ask more? Everv true Free- another fully as had as they did the Portland, expressed great contempt appreciating whatever is good and thinker can and will, to the extent first, and the first is used to wring for men and women who have no noble in our fellow’ men; and tak- of his ability, push the campaign, out of this unsuspecting man, or faith in his god. Some of the names ing him all in all we can but feel of which our fallen hero has so long that unprotected and unadvised he applied to such as we, are “in- that this noble development of been captain, into the dark parts of widow, or by some nook or crook, for-hells,” “infiddles,” “fools,” etc., manhood was the greatest that ever the world. We will not court other amounts, until the second but a sure sign of the weakness of lived, either in this or in past cen- praise for the good we do nor ex- million is secured. The process is one’s cause, or at least his inability turies. His in flu e n c e , unlike the pect eternal hell for our mistakes, kept up until the poor victim’s to defend it, is to call names. Mr. influence of Jesus, was almost en- The battle for human rights is. as death, an event of more benefit Jones, like nearly all orthodox preachers, expresses many truths, tirely for good. “ Peace on earth our great Freeth night champion perhaps to humanity than all the but they are so mixed with error, and good will to men’’, without the has said, “a question of intellectual events of hi3 life. superstition and slang that his counteracting influence of the development”. work, like a parody, is taking the Under our present competitive sanctimonious edge off the preach sword, was his mission. Not by Robert G. Ingersoll lived and system it is necessary for men and ers’ regular work for their savior. declarations of his own greatness, died in the latter part of the nine- women to know how to earn money, In common with most of God’s but by his unconquerable words of teenth century. The world is bet- but the faculties necessary co its ac- children, Sam believes in corporal L T ow n^and'nL re“" " '" " ’'"V"1 his havin8 '¡vcl. and, al- quiaition should be balanced by a punishment — in pounding little lh°U«hw e k""" ’'»»tdiacov. higher and nobler object in life. children — and the following ex untold good. No b lo o d o f the inno enes. pression shows the nature of the what inventions, what Money, without something better love that he draws from his loving cent has liven shed to establish the thoughts may leap from the brain truths conceived by his great brain. of the world; we know not what than money, will not produce hap Jesus: “Fathers, you had better piness. Money is a cup used to go home tonight, pull your boys He lived on the shore of that out of bed and tan their hides. If garments ,f gl°ry maj be WOVV,‘ bail out a but il is not a part of human history when the > e 5 ears to come: we can not and those who successfully sail you don’t, they’ll go to bell by the minds of many men and womeu dream carload.” And “of such [as Sam of the victories to ho .............. , , 7 ,, y victories to be won - across the sea of life will find that ’ Jomes] is the kingdom of heaven”.