Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1899)
• THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, OCTOBER 5 1899. R e m in is c e n c e s . F ellow . I n f id e l s :— Circumstances beyond my con trol will prevent wife and I from treating ourselves to the pleasure of being personally present at the Liberal University commencement, but I believe that the Oregon branch of the Matteson family will be worthily represented by our daughter Katie. By her we are present “in spirit and in truth.” I had been quite a number of years an Infidel before I heard any one'publicly speak in advocacy or defense of anything which called in question the fashionable supersti tion—religion—of the day. I believe that a disposition to doubt accepted dogmas in religion, politics, social problems, etc.,and to think and investigate for them selves is inherent in the Matteson blood. It certainly is in my own immediate family, and I trace thin characteristic through the family of my father to my revolutionary blacksmith grandfather, who, in the Continental armory at Peeks- kill-on-the-Hudson wrought arms for “ T he old C o n tin en tals In th e ir ragged re g im e n ta ls,” ty. 1 have an “abiding faith” in the works of the “brethren and sis ters” at Silverton, and now’ I would like to be “born again” a number of times and live a thousand years longer. To die is not to “gain,” just now. And here allow me to repeat a “prophecy,” which I have made be fore, and upon which I am willing to risk my reputation for foresight. It is that this movement will prove to be of greater portent and wider usefulness, and greater advance to ward a higher plane of civilization and enlightenment than did the so- called “reformation” of Luther, Malancthon, Zwingli, Calvin and those old Freethinkers of their day, who kicked against the ecclesiasli- cism of the then dominant super stition, the church of Rome. We are today the successors of those old time stalwarts as they were the sucessors of the Christ and Paul and the Apostles. And from this institution, whose fourth open ing you celebrate, like a prolific mother shall come other schools,! colleges and universities, and from them again still others, until they! wil) “cover the earth as the waters cover the great deep; and all shall be bro’t to know them, whom to know aright is life”—worth living, the building of a new republic; and science and civilization shall reign, and all the ghosts of the ancient superstitions—holy or unholy— shall “cover their eyeless sockets with their fleshless hands and fade forever from the memory of man.” Press on, fellow Infidels; “weary not in well doing; for in due time ye shall reap, if ye faint not. Suf fer not your mouths to cause your flesh to sin; for it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to list en to the songs of fools;” and to fight the British with; and by inference to my old great-great grandfather, who came impiously from old London, England, to pi ously help John Winthrop, Jr., to found the town of New London, in New England. Those old Puri tans were the Freethinkers of their day, according to their light, if they didn’t allow their kittens to play, their boys to whistle, or men to kiss their wives on Sunday. But I never expected to live to the day when I should see Infidelity, and all that that word means, publicly proclaimed, much less to see it tak “ To p a tie n t faith th e prize is sure, ing the form which it now is. And only to th e end en d u re ; The ‘cro ss’ shall w ear th e ‘cro w n ’.” When I learned that Putnam Patience, brothers, and courage! was to lecture in Silverton, I re “new dispensation,” now’ open solved that the twelve miles of dis The ing, has a better future in store tance which separated me from than the old superstitions and priest that town, should not prevent me rule. “Rah! Rah! Rah! Zip! Rah! from hearing it, for I felt that if I Boom! Liberal University; give us could only hear an able man pub licly proclaim the thought of my room!” Respectfully yours, mind, I would be ready and will F. S. M atteson . ing to die. So wife and I went to Silverton; and we heard it and W a n ts a F in g e r in th e Pie. more. Was 1 willing to die? No, in D ear F r ie n d s :— deed! I was better pleased with I feel that I can not let such a life than ever before. Die! Me? great and good undertaking as that Why, I wanted to live a hundred in which you are now engaged pass years! I never before under without giving it some assistance stood the Christian longing for myself. I, therefore, subscribe for the “new birth.” I, too, wanted to two shares of stock in the Liberal be “born again,” and live another University Company and enclose lifetime longer. $20 for same. And while at divers and sundry Sincerely yours, times my “faith has been weak,’’ I. M. M acomber . and I have been harassed with Lennox, 8. D. “doubts and fears” regarding this Secular movement, my “fears’ have There is as much greatness of vanished and my “faith is strong” mind in the owing of a good turn as when I see the movement culmi in the doing of it, and we must no nating in the form of an education more force a requital out of season,, al institution—ft Liberal I niversi- ‘than to be wanting in it.—Senecal. * I L LIBERAL* I UNIVERSITY THE O NLY S C H O O L OF T H E K IN D F a c u l t y — i 8 q q - ’ o o . J. E. HOSMER, I’h. 1)., B. S. I)., P resident , Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Psychology. A . A. LEONARD, M. D., M. E.,* Superintendent D epartm ent of Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Hygiene, Electricity, M icroscopy. THADDEUS B. WAKEMAN, Superintendent Department of Sociology and Law, History, Sociology, Law, Linguistics, Ethics. MINNIE P. HOSMER, L. S.,B. S. I)., S u p erin ten d en t P rep arato ry D ep artm en t, History, English, Botany, Vocal Music. PEARL W. GEER, M. G. IL, S ecretary , Osteology, Religion of Humanity, Lecturer. MINNIE PRESTON, Primary and Kindergarten. SOPHIE WOLE, Piano, Elocution, English Literature. CLARA WAKEMAN, Art. ALICE DAVENPORT. Short 1 i an d, J y pe wri ti ng. LOUIS RAUCH, Assistant Bookkeeping, Commercial Arithmetic. LORA AMES, Assistant Physiology, Hygiene. KATIE MATTESON, Librarian. VIZ viz väz viz viz Mz Viz VIZ v?z a viz stz SIZ «Z ssz «Z \(Z « «Z <tz -4 / Fall TerJn ©pens ©Gt. 2 1899 <tz <IZ \iZ Our New building is nearing completion, and will give ue room for increased attendance and much better facili \tZ ties for teaching. For further particulars, address, ♦Dr. L eonard has consented to tak e th is c h a ir u n til some one can he found to fill it p e rm an en tly . P e a r l W . G e e r , S e c ’y , SILVERTON.0 { z 1 > >1 . ' d -tz. M H o w to M a k e < g G o o d T im e s f o r a ll T im e z ~ ~ S T |,e G overnm ent nationalized th e Postal System , why not also th e Money System ? A plan ie told by C. ELTON B L A N C H A lD 1,1 his book e n t i t l e d ................................. CX U N C LE S A M ’S H O M IL IE S ON FIN A N C E ___ P o s tp a id f o r 25 C e n ts . All profits on th is l»ook will l>e given to th e Lil>ernl I ni\< r i ity It should Ize in th e h an d s of everv th in k in g r»er«on. A ddress all orders to T h e T O R C H O F R E A S O N . S ilv e r to n . O reg on