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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1899)
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, DECEMBER 21, 1899. m any in th e ir infidelity, am i begetting doubts in o th ers. U nlike L. H astings, Ingersoll , . , , wrote no liooks, ami upon no one does his m an tle fall as an Infidel lectu rer, W hile he m ade m any sk ep tics, it is not in th e n a tu re of doubt am i unbelief to inspire its votaries to active laborious effort to m ake proselytes. Infidels can scotf at th e Bible and religion, b u t not one in ten thousand has e ith e r benevo- lent zeal, or actual e a rn est convictions, sufficient to devote his life to its d ark , doubtful, d am n ab le theories. “ D uring a g en eratio n , E ngland has fu rnished a single B radlaugh, am i A m erica an Ingersoll, to devote th e ir life’s work to Infidelity. N eith er have left any active disciples to carry on th e ir work of unbelief. It is personal D ivin ity H im self th a t raises u p am i semis laborers in to H is vineyard, b u rdened with e a rn est faith , holy zeal, and in sp ir ing love, to win disciples for Jesu s, in tu rn in spiring th em w ith th e sam e hal lowed faith , and love an d labor in ^ h e ir M aster’s cause. In our benevolent work of blessing our fellows, when a sta n d a rd Ijearer falls in b attle, th ere are o th ers to take and hold up th e gospel b an n er till the work is done, ami p artin g clouds shall reveal th e com ing C h ris t.’’ the worse, One who remains in ig- norance in order to lie about a great and good man is com m itting . . . . j a double c r im e , a n d s u r e ly any one w h o wishes to k n o w t h a t R o b e r t G. Ingersoll w ro te b o o k s c a n e a s ily J. find out that be wrote m any voi- times. These volumes prove be- yomi a shadow’ of a doubt th a t the writer did not secure his high posi- tion in the minds of the th in k in g \VZ people through his oratory, hut k l / rather through the tru th s th at he knew and spoke, and truly “ no man m i ever spake (or wrote) as ¡his m an.” T llG T»Ç liberal UNIVERSITY OREGON. ZA 1 0 n lS r « •* 1 U S t- lt- L ltlO n n ©f , i t- tlC t . t * h K ltlC l! The true religion— the religion of Science and H u m an ity — is a m atter ci 1 t y — 1 q q o of evolution. There were many clam -like anim als in the world b e .1. E A R L HOSM ER, Ph. IX, B. S. D„ P ees ., fore those with feathers and hair S u p erin ten d en t D ep artm en t of Cosmology. M athem atics, Physical Sciences, Dynam ics. were evolved, and many an ape-like creature “ere man learned to hew A BEL A. LEONARD, M. D., M. E.,* the shaft, and lay the architrave, S u p e rin te n d en t D epartm ent o f B io lo g y , and spread the rdof above them .” A natom y, Physiology, A nim al Electricity, And Infidels are beginning to do Physiological Psychology, Microscopy. som ething beside “ scoff at the TH A D D EU S B. W AKEM AN, Bible and religion,” and more S u p erin ten d en t D epartm ent of Sociology and Law, But few words in ex planation are than “ one in ten thousand” G eneral H istory, Sociology, Law, L inguistics, are already beginning to have necessary. . ‘ Ethics'. Mr. H astin g ’s an ti-in fid el publi “ benevolent z»*al and actual earn M IN N IE P. HOSMER, L. S., B. S. D., cations like the false theories of est convictions sufficient to de S u p e rin te n d en t P rep arato ry D e p a rtm e n t, other religions m ay have “ reached vote their whole lives" to its bright, H istory, English G ram m ar, B otany, Vocal into m illions of copies,” but what saving and blessing theories. These M usic. does th a t prove? We read one ©f people are called Secularists and PE A R L \V. G EER , M. G. H., S ecretary , his “ publications” —a little leaflet. are actually building a Freetbongbt B u sin ess M ethods and f'n rrc sn n n d p n e o A • It was a series of “ Nuts for Infidels U niversity at Silverton, Orc. And • À • to Crack,” and perhaps one of the it Avould be well for those whom MINNIE PRESTON, most foolish things on which we the “ personal Divinity H im self 1ms Kindergarten and Prim ary Classes. were ever induced to waste time. raised up and sent into his vine SOPHIE WOLF, The main point in the tract was the yard, burdened with earnest faith, . . . Piano Music, Elocution, English L iterature. question: “ W hich was first, the egg holy zeal and inspiring love,” to he \vZ or the hen?” This is ofte of the a little more careful about making CLARA W AKEM AN, silliest things for an educated^?) false statem ents, f r th a t m anner of Drawing and Painting. man to ask and one of the easiest warfare may not alw ays be.*r as A LIC E DAVENPORT, good fruit for their m aster’s cause for a scientist to answer. Stenography, T ypew riting. To com pare Mr. H astings to as it has in the dark past. For the Robert G. Ingersoll is very absurd, time is coming, and now is, that, LOUIS RAUCH, A ssistant, bui to lie about our dead hero is when an Infidel standard-bearer Bookkeeping, ( ’om rnercial A rithm etic. worse than ab su rd — it is crim inal. fall.- in battle, there are others t o 1 LORA AMES, Assistant, Notice bow the good man of God i take up and hold up the banner Physiology, I Jygiene. flatters his defenceless victim before J o^ truth and right till the work . KATIE MATTESON, he makes the fatal slab in the dark. I is done, and the parting clouds L ibrarian. The story of Jesus C hrist showed shall reveal th a t the real Christ him l o b e (if he was an y th in g but a who h a s been continually crucified, PROES. HOSMER, W AKEM AN, G EE R , m yth) “ a bitter, scoffing unbeliev- and the one whom we should adore, • Lect urers on Religion of Science ami II u inanity. er, who confirmed m any in their pray to and love, is H umanity E M IL Y L. W AKEM AN, Infidelity and begat doubts in itself. Matron. others.” lie was the greatest ene T H E S M A R T N E S S OF GOD. *Dr. Leonard has consented to take th is c h a ir u n til sonic one my the established churches of his ran 1 m * found to fill it p erm an en tly . time had, and the greatest differ The ancient peoples thought ence between Ingersoll and the theD gods very sm art and bragged S T U D E N T S M A Y E N T E R A T A N Y T IM E . C hristian w riter's Jesus was th at very much about their ability to We are now’ in our New building, which gives us room Ingersoll knew’ more, had better make and break things. Jehovah, for increased attendance and much better facilities for opportunities and lived in an a g e ’the god of the Jews and adopted teaching. For term s and further p articu lars, address, when people were freer to think, god of the C hristians, was a won- Mr. H astings and his Pharisee fid- derfuliy sm art one. But under the lowers were scourged in their syn- teachings of Secularism it is no S IL V E R T O N OREOON. agogues, and no wonder they credit to hum an beings to he sm art; endeavor to crucify this m odern it is their good fortune and nothing savior, who, un lik e Jesus, m ade no to biag about. IP it were possible pretentions of M essiahship and per- for a god toexiM and have a son, FR| ENQS gf L|BERAL SEg y LAR EDUCATION formed no slight of hand. it would still he impossible for are earnestly rem inded th a t the above U niversity is in a c t “ Ingersoll wrote no books,” says them , if they were all pow erfuland ive and harm onious operation, but th a t it m ust be provided with this “child of a king.” W hat a liel full of love, to allow the hum an sufficient m eans to finish its building, now’ approaching com ple One of the most beautiful works we race to stum ble along in its dark- tion and p artly occupied, so th a t a paying num ber of students can he accom m odated. Please to subscribe, or obtain subscrip ever read was written bv this m atch- ness and sin as it has for all these tions, for our Stock, and send m em oranda of property, books or less orator, statesm an , philanthro- centuries. a p p a ra tu s you can furnish. pist and author. If this C hristian There is no god, for if a thing ex J. E arl H osmer , President of Faculty. falsehood was launched upon the ist th a t ha* the power to do good T. B. W akeman , President Board of Directors. world through ignorance, so much Continued on 8th page. P. W. G eer , See’y Board and Business M’g ’r. Fac 8 - ’< > . I ’e n r l W . G e e r , S e e 'y ,