Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 1899)
TH E TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, NOVEMBER 16, 1899 o R obert G. Ingersoll an d th e F ig h t reality —and to begin th at reality A g a in st D eath. a t once. N or let anv friend say th a t Continued from 3d page. Ingersoll was not an active organ- means so th a t his work, words and ¡«er. He was a friend of all prac- purposes can reach and be known d eal efforts in that behalf. He was to the masses of th e p eo p le— the f»>r years the President of our Lib- im m ortality of even the brave, gal- era I League, the predecessor of our lant, glorious E m ancipator, Inger- present Secular Union. W hen he soil, will not prevail against Death found a really “ Liberal ch u rch ” he enthroned upon Ignorance, Super- alw ays said, “ I would like to be a stition, Fear, Cow ardice,G reed and m em ber of it.” H e aided every D etractio n — all of whose m inister- work he could in th a t direction, ing Demons, in p u lp its and out, are w ithout m aking th a t work his spe now try in g to capture or destroy the cial province. He alw ays gave his soul of Ingersoll, as did the Devils voice and cheer in behalf of L ib of Hell and M ephistopheles the soul eral E ducation* and helpfulness. of F au st;— and his soul m ust be In his later days his tendency was saved in the sam e w ay—the hearts, ever in this direction: “ Hold the heads and h an d s of those who fort and advance the lines!” m ay J stand or wish to stan d upon L iber be said to be his last wish and ty, Love, Science and H u m a n ity ,— order. th a t is, all the children of Freedom But he had during his life his and of L ight, m ust now rally to special and grander w >rk of speech gether, and see th a t the soul of In from th e platform . It tvas his gersoll helps to make and so shall mission to sow the seed. H is fol reach th a t better world to be, in lowers and successors will fail of which “ M an shall be the P rovi the d u ty he left to them if they do' pence of M an” . It is only by such not reap. He had that work to do, use and tran slatio n of the souln of and he did it nobly; and it has de our great leaders and liberators volved a noble work upon his su r th a t they can become really im- vivors— a work which he could not m ortal, and the “ E arth ly P arad ise” have done. H e w’ho best m ade become a reality ,— become other m anifest the “ M istakes of Moses” than a m yth of the future, as the equalled the wisdom of th at fabled fabled Eden was a m yth of the past. leader. Moses did not him self try How this is to be accom plished to lead into the promised land. His is the m atter for early conference years were spent in arousing, m ar and consideration. One thing is shalling and inspiring his people, evident, th at is, th at Liberalism and in leading the way to the very m ust become more active, scientific, borders of the goodly heritage they educative and constructive in its were to possess and enjoy. T h at character. O ur friend, Jam es Par- heritage he pointed out, and from ton, the biographical historian, the highest m ountain top he had once said to me, “ W h at a pity th a t reached he made plain, to his lead Science and V oltaire did not lead ers and his people, the methods, our generation instead of Wesley valley-w ays and defiles by which and superstition— but superstition they should enter. Then into hi? organized, and V oltaire did not.” people passed his soul as and with There we h ave it—“ organized!” W ithout organization there can be no effective diffusion of lite ratu re, nor education, nor helpful co-oper ation in hum an «affairs. The m o tive for Liberal organization is now stronger and more m anifest th an ever, since our great Liberal spokes man has gone— to speak through us. the work and purpose of his life, for no other im m ortality did th at leader know— “ And no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day!” So has our sepulcherless hero from tlie highest m ountain of our time and knowledge plainly in d i cated the Land of Promise which his work and will has made it our future to enter, possess and enjoy. It was for him to call forth from the old Egypt of Bondage, of ig- norance and Superstition the chil - dren of liberty and light , to give to diem words of wisdom, inspira- Hon and patience, for forty years; ftnd then in the fullness of tim e to Pass his life into theirs, so th a t he would enter as they enter, and m ake their better world his en- during m onum ent, and their high- er life his assured im m ortality. Now certain ly those who were his friends, ad m irers and co-believ ers should meet and confer how to realize his career and m ake it it effective. They m ust m ake his death th e condition and m eans of his im m ortality. T he next Con- gress of the A m erican Secular I nion at Boston, should not fail to take some active m easures, not only for the praise but for the con- tinuation of Ingersoll. If ignorant eredulity and hypocrisy can keep np their organizations to fight a m ythic hell and heaven, certain ly *()ne of th e incidents very pleasing to th o se who can now plainly feel the me’ near th e close of bis life, was his h e ll o n o o r ik j , neil on earth , and see the heaven "h ich only can replace it,ought not to he«ifoto • * i n e s ita te to organize so as to m ake th a t better future our present as soon and a«, - v- • n and as far as we begin i t s T h ? LIBERAL t MZ MZ MZ MZ UNIVERSITY OREGON. The @nlv; Institution of the Kind! MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ P c lC L llty — J. EARL HOSMER, Ph. D., B. S. D., P res S u p erin te n d en t D ep artm en t of Cosmology. Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Dynamics. ABEL A. LEONARD, M. D., M. E. * S u p e rin te n d en t D e p artm en t of Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Animal Electricity, I hysiological Psychology, Microscopy. THADDEUS B. WAKEMAN, S u p e rin te n d en t D epartm ent of Sociology and Law General History, Sociology, Law', Linguistics, Ethics. MINNIE P. HOSMER, L. S., B. S. D., S u p e rin te n d en t P rep arato ry D e p a rtm e n t, History, English Grammar, Botany, Vocal Music. I EARL \Y. GEER, M. G. H .,'S ecretary , Business Methods and Correspondence. MINNIE PRESTON, Kindergarten and Primary Classes. SOPHIE WOLF, Piano Music, Elocution, English Literature. CLARA WAKEMAN, Drawing and Painting. ALICE DAVENPORT, Stenography, Typewriting. LOUIS RAUCH, Assistant, Bookkeeping, Commercial Arithmetic. LORA AMES, Assistant, Physiology, Hygiene. KATIE MATTESON, Librarian. PROES. HOSMER, WAKEMAN, GEER, Lecturers on Religion of Scienceand Humanity. EM ILY L. WAKEMAN, M atron. •D r. Leonard has consented to tak e th is c h a ir u n til som e one can tie found to fill it p erm an en tly . S T U D E N T S M A Y E N T E R A T A N Y T IM E . We are now in our New building, which gives us room for increased attendance and much better facilities for teaching. For term s and further p articu lars, address, P e a r l W . G e e r , S e c ’jy, « MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ Mz MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ MZ I c S q q - ’ o o . S IL V E R T O N OREGON. r " Our Job Departm ent. -A LW A Y S GIVES- g re a t in te re s t in th e L iberal U niversity, a t S ilverton, Oregon, and his warm ap- Prova* of my becoming one of its in « tracto rs. He had Mr. P. W. G eer, one of its organizers, explain th e In stitu tio n f a lly /o h im , am i prom ised to give a lee- ---- BECAUSE IT GIVES- tu re ’n b ehalf as soon as it could be properly a rra n g ed . ' H O NEST STOCK, F IN E S T IN K A N D E X C E L L E N T W O R K flA N S M lF . . . . Satisfaction