2 THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON OREGON, JANUARY 11, 1900. connected with them. Our people order to secure a general knowledge are divided and broken up, socially, about general methods and results, by differences of the religions or w’hich will enable intelligent people politics, or family or other tastes to be enlightened and generally in- and cliques. Where is there any formed as to all — “eclaires de attraction so general as our school tout”, as the French say. meetings and entertainments? Sup- Pardon me for these remark«, for pose after the lecture, «ay on Friday I have served many a long year at or Saturday evenings, the teacher the law to be with you today as a or lecturer should be given a recep- teacher. It is a promotion which tion by the scholars and their is the crowning glory of a patient parents and friends at the school or life; and entering this new world I other suitable place— why not? cannot help but say, Let us “mag- There might be school addresses, nify our calling” and extend our etc., and simple refreshments, per- profession in every way we can. haps ending with a dance—why For upon the instructors depend not? Every body knows that the the future of our State and country, lively young people of Oregon will [The teachers are now the leaders of dance, and the only question is i the learned professions, because lection OF BOOKS.” they have the J ames P arton , our leading bio shall it be done highest duty. graphical historian, often said, and safely, wisely The clergy were, I heard him say it, that what made and well, or oth but they must he New England the school mistress erwise? Under re-adjusted to of America, as Pericles said Athens the approval of meet the modern was of Greece, was not only that parents, teach world. The law she had district schools, but that ers and friends yers were, but every family had a library. Often this art may the people have the books were but a dozen or so on take its place as taken the pres hanging book-shelves in kitchen or one of the fine tige from them sitting-room, but they were general arts—the incar by making them books often ending up with a lot nation of the their servants in of sermons, tough and heavy, but highest art in a popular gov with the idea of duty in them. the humm form ernment. Even Every child from thence learned —the best ex the doctors are the invaluable habit of, and taste pression of hu being dwarfed for, the acquisition of knowledge, man joy aud de power and culture by reading; light—the living by the rivalry of which habit has spread over the poetry of motion, people’s common whole Union with their descend expressing the mutual delight and sense and sanitary science. But the ants, and thus has become a germ homage of the sexes. Thus athlet people themselves, young and old, of hope on our mountains and coasts ics and calisthenics would reach mustfall back,and do fall back more here todav. their flower; and if the old should and more upon their teachers; and •r But this need of general and r<- oin in — w’ould not all then be we must meet and use the respon sibility, if the people are to rise in presentative libraries seems too young? There is no law’ needed to start general intelligence, culture, and patent for words here. What I really rose for was to call your ear this extension of school utility and strength and joy of life. A noble nest attention to another improve culture. If nicely begun the au sight it might be to see this Hall of ment upon the school and library thorities w’ill approve and confirm our Legislature filled with the Leg system, recently adopted, and now it. There is no intention of lessen islators themselves—the law mak in most successful use in New’ York ing the practical results of school ers of our rising State,—but a far City. It is the way of making lib life, tuition aud discipline. By the nobler sight it is to find it filled raries and schools vocal , and so savings bank, by the scientific aud with, and to meet here the noble very instructive and interesting practical nature of the studies and profession who, more than any libraries, to be selected jointly by other, are the real creators of the by lectures in this wise:— The competent teachers and other the school authorities, teachers and legislators and legislation,and thus lecturers are properly paid to give parents—all this will be better se of the laws and future of the State evening lectures in the schools to cured than ever. But something itself! the students and their parents and more is certainly needed. The great These remarks were frequently ap friends, to be admitted by tickets or objection to the public schools has plauded. otherwise, on subjects scientific, ever been and is now,that they make Mr. Wakeman then moved to amend historical, biographical or of gen little more than common-place hu the resolution by inserting, “ and such other books,” before the word maga eral interest, illuminating the school man machines, limited in character zines. He explained that the object .studies, and tending to make the and general views of life,—unable was to secure in every school district a library a source of information and to enjoy but little of the higher representative part of that great living interest to the whole school and to life of literature, art or culture—to literature, which constitutes the between- family circles. These lectures are understand the great Republic of Ry. with the reference books on one they are parts, or to know side and tl,e evanescent magazines and fully attended. They are ihe pride which , „ . x newspapers on the other. The amend- of teachers and scholars, and a what 18 meant by the “immeasur- m(?nl wM seconded. means of bringing all together able blessings of conscious exist- Prof. Martindale, mover of the resolu- socially, and thus greatly increas ence.” Colleges are supposed to ,io^ di' j " h ’ 'S e r m a n , in the chair, ing the general interest, culture and supply this higher education, but put the amendment, it was carried, anti good of the school system. Is not to the many they can never reach, ‘hen the resolution as amended,-both such an improvement particularly Yet it can be largely extended to ----------------- suited to the school districts of our the masses of our people, young Remember, if you send us the State? In large cities there may be aud grown, through the popular names and addresses of 25 of other amusements, but with us we use of our school buildings aud the y°ur Liberal friends and acquaint- have little of general and common extensiou of proper school studies, ancces, we will make you a present a copy of the Torch of Reason interest,unless it is our schools, and pictures, specimens, lectures, and of Song Book No. 2. This will only gome such lectures and amuse entertainments. It is not necessary cost you a few minutes’ work and a ments, which can be incidentally to teach everything in detail , in two-cent stamp. between reference book« and class ics, and the transitory and evan escent magazines and newspapers. It provides the skeleton and the skin, but omits the nerves, muscles, and the circulative and assimila tive organs and processes which make the growing healthy individ ual. This general growth must be had, and in order to be it must be fed by living books and living lit erature—the thought of present liv ing souls. T homas C arlyle was in many things our last great prophet as well as author, and he never said a truer thing than this: “ I he true U niversity of these days is a col D alhousie P rie stle y , BY j . h . morris . The American Freethought pub lic have been more or less familiar with the above name for the last ten or twelve years, during which time it has appeared attached to numerous articles of merit and abil ity in the Freethought Magazine, the Truthseeker, the Torch of Reas on, and other Liberal papers. Its bearer was born in the town of Chester, Warren county, New York, September 30, 1836. The noted heretic and scientist of the name of Priestley,discover of oxygen,was an uncle to Dalhousie’s father. The last mentioned was an Englishman, a graduate of Oxford, having com pleted the courses of Law, Physics and Divinity. He left his practice as a physician in New York in 1836 and went to Canada to take charge of a medical college, leaving behind the wife, soon to become a mother. He died in a year, and Dalhousie never saw his father, though he bears a name of bis fa ther’s choosing, in honor of Lord Dalhousie, then governor of Cana da. On the mother’s side, he is de scended from intelligent Revolu tionary stock, his maternal grand father and great-grandfather hav ing fought in the patriot army in the Revolutionary war. An uncle on the mother’s side was teaching on the Hudson when Fulton sailed bis first steamboat. In his nineteenth year, our friend came west to Wisconsin. Here he attended three terms of school, which constituted the greater part of his schooling. At Wayland University, where he attended one term, he had access to the college library, of which a young man of his ambition would make the best use. This, Mr. Priestley says, was the only good library he ever had access to until he came to Port land, Oregon, in 1882. In view of these meagre educational opportun ities, Mr. Priestley’s intellectual at tainments are remarkable. In abolition times, Mr. Priestley wielded a vigorous pen in the cause. Near the outbreak of the war, he returned to his native State, where he married, in 1860, and two years later joined the 118th New York Volunteer Infantry, serving until the close of the war. Of his mili tary career, he says: “I was a pri vate all the time, never holding any office, excepting what Andrew Johnson would call ‘corporal ad in terim’. There is nothing in my ca reer as a soldier to brag about, and nothing, so far as I know, to be ashamed of. I did whatever came in my way in the line of ‘duty’ and made myself as useful as I could to my comrades.” But usefulness is the only measure of greatness, and the private who makes himself use ful to the extent of his abilities and opportunities has more to be proud