4
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, FEBRUARY 8, 1900.
Torch of Reason
John Ruskin was a great writer As he is able to reason better today would he a great thing for our cause
and social reformer and made him- than he was yesterday, his brain is if some w ho are adapted for this work
The Only Paper of Its Kind.
self noted by his great depth of thus made stronger and his mind and now trying to do something else,
political insight, but what mistakes (brain action) is proportionately could only “come over into Mace­
Published W eekly by th e Lilieral U n i­ he made on other lines may be seen strengthened in exactly the same donia aud help us”. All can not,
versity C om pany, in the In te re sts of
by the following quotation in re- way that his muscular tissues are however, but the general purpose of
C onstructive, Moral Secularism .
gard to the Darwinian theory, strengthened, and their strength every one’s life work can and bv
J. E. H osm er,........................Editor which is believed and taught by increased by physical exercise, right ought to be lifted out of the
Judgment, imagination, memory, old curse-work of selfishness aud
P. W. G eer,....................... M anager every great scientist of our day:
“It is mischievous, not only in sight, touch, hearing, etc., are all made to serve the general good. It
E n te red a t th e postoffice a t Silverton, looking to the past germ instead of parts of the mind according to all makes a great difference how and
O regon, as second-class m ail m atte r.
the present creature—but looking psychologists.
Now these are for what purpose men and women
also in the creature itself—to the names given to the actions of the are struggling to succeed education­
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
growth of the flesh instead of the braiu. I see a friend today; re­ ally, politically, socially or finan­
breath of the spirit. The loss in member him tomorrow; reason re­ cially. If one’s labor it.-elf is a
One year, in a d v an c e ..........................$1 00
Six months in advance..................
5C mere happiness in such modes ot garding his doings; have feelings blessing to humanity, i. e., if he is
T h ree m onths, in a d v an c e ................
25 thought is incalculable. When I of respect and love (emotions) for producing or distributing some ar­
In clubs of five or m ore, one year,
in a d v an c e ..........................................
75 see a girl dance, 1 thank heaven him and decide (will) to go and ticle of use, advancing knowledge
Money should he sent by registered that made her cheerful as well as visit him next week. All this is so that others may be better able to
serve, or if in any way the outcome
le tte r or m oney order.
graceful; and envy neither the brain action and the only mind or of his labors advance the totality of
Science nor sentiment of my Dar­ soul that any one possesses. It has progress, it is all very good as far
Notice!
winian friend, who sees in her only an effect on our brains, and through as it goes, but the great scramble
a cross between a Dodo and
us on the world; but when the for wealth and power has educated
A h a n d p ointing to th is notice denotes
men and women for centuries into
brain is destroyed these actions the
th a t your su b scrip tio n has ex p ired . Daddy-long-legs.”
of one kind of prosperity,
You are e arn estly requested to re ­
Some men have had great ideas, cease, the same as when the arm and idea
they as a rule,only do that which
new so th a t you m ay receive th e p a­
but
have
been
morally
corrupt.
decays its actions cease. “But how they think produces good results for
per w ith o u t in te rru p tio n . We have d e­
cided th a t it is best for all concerned Some, like Mr. Gladstone, have do you know?” says a Christian themselves, and when they reach
th a t we do not send papers longer th a n
the climax of success it is a catas­
th e tim e paid for unless so ordered. been great statesmen, and yet clung skeptic. How do we know a man
T his will p rev en t any loss and we will to the decaying religions of past can’t see when his eyes are put out? trophe excepting for them and
theirs. If knowledge is gained, it
know ju st w here we stan d .
We request you to send us th e nam es ignorance. Some have been great How do we know that some lose is used to overcome those who have
of Secularists who m ight becom e s u b ­ iconoclasts, but have lacked alto­ their memory by their brains being less knowledge; if political prefer­
scribers and we will m ail sam ple copies.
gether in constructive ideas or phil­ injured? How do we know the ment, class legislation is the result;
anthropy.
brain and its function is a matter if wealth, the amount in circulation
THURSDAY, FEB. 8, E. M. 300.
But the one man in the world of evolution; that the story of a is that much less, or the surplus
above self-gratification is used to
who has all of these good qualities god injecting wind into a dirt baby extract
still more from the toilers.
B L E S SE D A R E W E.
( and none of the weaknesses, who man’s nostrils, making him a
But how all this is changed when
I has labored for years on the far living soul, is unscientific? How do men and women have consecrated
Often times men become great, Atlantic coast, uow comes to spend we know? Search the scriptures of their life-work to Humanity! Do
or at least noted, not because of the rich legacy of learning and love Science, for in them ye have more they gain knowledge, the whole
their wide scope of knowledge or that has been given him both by abundant life, and they are they world is blessed; political prefer­
ment, the country has wise and re­
clear understanding of everything inheritance and environment, on which testify of the truth.
formatory laws; if wealth, science,
in general, but because of their the far Pacific Coast in the Liberal
art, invention, and everything that
deep insight into some special de­ University. Our friends afar can FOR W H A T A R E W E LABO RING ? makes for progerss takes a leap for­
ward and brings us nearer the time
partment of human thought. This scarcely imagine what joy we feel
when
there shall reign universal
shows the utter folly of putting our that such a one as this honored
When God pronounced his curse peace and love. For what are we
trust in any one man or set of men, and beloved co-worker has given upon man because Adam took the laboring?
and the nonsense of hero worship. his all to our Freethought educa­
advice of his rib-wife, he did not
We can learn to adore the truths tional work.
figure on the peculiar dispositions
Y . P. S. S. C.
that men utter, and base our lives’ It has been said by them of old
of the latter day Infidels. Those
work thereon, but we must only time: “Blessed are the meek: for
ife-forms which have the greatest
When our Y. P. S. S. C. started
love, respect and help the men they shall inherit the earth,” but jower of adapting themselves to the there
was only a little handful of
themselves, pitying them for their Freethought friends, we say unto
conditions are those which survive students and teachers present, but
weaknesses, but never copying you: Blessed are wo who have aud progress, and it must be un­ see into what a noble company it
their faults. What the world needs faith in Humanity, and who have derstood that this curse of labor is has developed. Last Friday even­
is originality, but originality in stick-to-it-ive-ness, for we shall re­ now becoming a great blessing, for ing, in addition to the full school,
there was a large audience of citi­
harmony with the great truths ceive help in making the earth a fit we have discovered for what object zens
and friends present. After a
which the great specialists have place to inherit.
to labor in order to enjoy it. When well received program of speeches,
discovered, and which have been
men are selfishly laboring for farces, songs, poems, etc., an hour
was devoted to a social dance.
put together by the great broad­ SE A R C H T H E SC R IP T U R E S OF
their own special, exclusive benefit
The young people thus had a
minded men who have not only
SCIENCE.
and glory, as they did in God’s chance to cultivate their intellect­
done valuable work along special
time, labor is a curse, and under ual, physical, moral and social
lines, but have made a speciality of
The only thing, if it could be call­ this condition if one can secure natures in a very enjoyable way,
generalities. Such a man is our ed a thing, in the human being that
what he wants by plunder, he gen- and went home at eleven o’clock in
own Thaddeus Burr Wakeman, who might be called a soul is the mind, erally does so, or at least there is a the happy, developing state of mind
can not be duplicated in the «md it seems to us that the whole great premium placed on avoiding that young people always have
world. His knowledge of polit­ edifice of Christianity rests upon the curse. But as soon as our la­ under proper conditions. A strang­
er from South Dakota who chanced
ical as well as natural laws, his the lack of knowledge people have bors become really “labors of love” to drop in, came to us after the
great, unselfish love for his fellow of the nature of this brain action and we are working for the broader literary part was over, and said
men, his knowledge of human na­ we call the mind. And the whole idea of making thousands and mil- thathe was very much surprised to
ture, his familiarity with an­ truth of the matter is so simple and lions of human brothers happier find such a society and school
cient and modern languages aud easily understood that it seems very and better, then the curse becomes under the auspices of Freethinkers.
“ Why,” said he, “I didn’t know
history, aud his free, genial strange that we have been deceived a blessing, and poor old God is that any where in the United
mind, unhampered by any creed so long.
States such a thing could be car­
beaten at his own game.
or dogma, make him a peerless
ried on. I am very much pleased
1 here is no thinker who will for
It is not right to suppose that we for
that is my belief.”
giant among men.
, a n)Oment deny that reason is a advocate the advisability of men
e had a fine chat with the
"
s-t -
* *
>"•< - .......* —
• « *
gentleman and find that he is one
gave the world that for which it power of reasoning depends upon which they are best adapted, and out of the many thousands who
will ever be j indebted, . . but this is the nature and growth of our brain for all to go to preaching writing only need to know about us to help
limit, and we neither see nor cel.,. A child’s mind, under proper teaching and organizing for the us push this good work along.
hear of him ,n any other capacity., conditions, thus grows every day. ¡cause of Humanity. To be sure it “Spread the joyful news wherever
man is found!”