T orch
of
“ T R U T H BEARS T H E TORCH IN T H E SEARCH FOR T R U T H .”
VOL. 4.
Lucretius.
SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, E. M. 300 (A. D. 1900.)
Honor.
NO. 8.
pulpits, nor society—whose opinion of the Church to prove its claims tongue and pen. The free mind
appals so many. He who has the in discussion. In his introduction fights mainly for its own freedom.
ay what is Honor? ’Tis the finest
manly passion of freethought has to his address at the Liverpool It may begin in curiosity and may
sense
Of justice which the human mind no fear of anything, save the fear College (1872 or 1873) he said: “1 end in intellectual pride—unless
of error.
*
can frame
wish to place on record my convic­ conscience takes care of it. Its
Intent each lurking frailty,to disclaim.
Fearlessness is the essential con­ tion that belief cannot now be de­ nature is iconoclastic and it may
And guard the way of life from all offence
Suffered or done.
dition of effective thought. If fended by reticence any more than exist without ideas of reconstruc­
—[W ordsworth.
Satan sits at the top of the Bible by railing, or by any privileges or tion.
with perdition open underneath it, assumption.” Since the dav of
Though a man goes no further,
The F irst Stage of Free Thought:
into
which
its
readers
will
be
Milton
there
has
been
no
greater
he is a better man than he who
Its N atu re and L im ita tio n .
pushed who may doubt what they authority on the religioue wisdom never went as far. He has ac­
find in its pages, the right of of debate.
quired a new power and is sure of
BY G. J. HOLYOAKE.
private judgment is a snare. A Thought, even theological, is his own mind. Just as one who
“ He who cannot reason is defenceless; man is a fool who inquires at this often useless, ill-informed, foolish, has learned to fence, or to shoot,
he who fears to reason has a coward risk. He had better accept at mischievous, or even wicked; and has a confidence in encountering
mind ; he who w ill not reason is willing to once the superstition of the first
he alone who submits it to free an adversary, which is seldom felt
t>e deceived and will deceive all who lis­
ten to h im .” —Maxim of Free Thought. priest he meets. It is not conceiv­ criticism gives guarantees that he by one who never had a sword in
reethought is founded upon able how a Christian can be a free means well and is self-convinced.
haud or practiced at a target. The
reason. It is the exercise thinker.
By criticism alone comes exposure, sea is an element of recreation to
of reason, without which
He who is afraid to know both correction or confirmation. The one who has learned to swim; it is
freethought is free foolishness
sides of a question cannot think right of criticism is the sole pro­ an element of death to one ignor-
Freethought being the precursor o upon it. Christians do not, as a tection of the community against ant of the art. Besides, the thinker
Secularism, it is necessary first to rule, want to know what can be error of custom, ignorance, preju­ has attained a courage and confi­
describe its principles and their said against their views, and they dice or incompetence. It is not dence unknown to the man of
limitation. Freethought means keep out of libraries all books until a proposition has been gen­ orthodox mind. Since God (we
independent self-thinking. Some which would inform others. Thus erally accepted after open and fair are assured) is the God of truth,
say all thought is free since a man such Christians cannot think freely examination that it can be consid­ the honest searcher after truth has
can think what he pleases and no and are against others doing it. ered as established and can safely God on his side and has no dread
one can prevent him, which is not Doubt comes of thinking; the be made a ground of action or be­ of the King of Perdition—the ter­
true. Unfortunately, thinking can Christian commonly regards doubt lief.
ror of all Christian people—since
be prevented by subtle spiritual in as sin. How can he be a free
These are the implementary the business of Satan is with those
tirnidation in earlier and even in thinker who thinks thinking is a rights of thought. They are what who are content with false ideas;
sin?
later life.
grammar is to the writer, which not with those who seek the true.
When a police agent found
Freethought implies three things teaches him how to express him­ If it be a duty to seek the truth
young Mazzini in the fields of as conditions of truth:
self, but not what to say. These and to live the truth, honest dis­
Genoa, apparently meditating, his
1. Free inquiry, which is the rights are as the rules of naviga­ cussion, which discerns it, identi­
father’s attention was called to the pathway to truth.
tion to the mariner. They teach fies it, clears it and establishes it,
youth. His father was told that
2. Free publicity to the ideas him how to steer a ship, but do not is a form of worship of real honor
the Austrian government did not acquired, in order to learn whether instruct him where to steer to.
to God and of true service to man.
permit thinking. The Inquisition they are useful—which is the en­ The full exercise of these rights If the clergyman’s speech on be­
intimidated nations from thinking. couragement of truth.
of mental freedom is what training half of God is rendered exact by
The priests, by preventing instruc­ 3. The free discussion of con- in the principles of jurisprudence criticism, the criticism is a tribute,
tion and prohibiting books, limited victions, without which it is not is to the pleader, but it does not and no mean tribute to heaven.
thinking. Archbishop Whately possible to know whether they are provide him with a brief. It is Thus the free exercise of the rights
shows that no one can reason with­ true or false, which is the verifica- conceivable that a man may come of thought involve no risk here­
out words, and since speech can be, tion of truth.
to be a master of independent after.
and is, disallowed and made penal,
A man is not a man unless he is thinking and never put his powers
Moreover, so far as a man thinks
the highway of thought can be a thinker; he is a fool, having no to use, just as a man may know he gains. Thought implies enter­
closed. No one can think to any ideas of his own. If he happens every rule of grammar and yet prise and exertion of mind, and
purpose without inquiry concern­ to live among men who do think, never write a book. In the same the result is wealth of understand­
ing his subject, and inquiry can be he browses like an animal on their way a mau may pass an examina- ing, to be acquired in no other way.
made impossible. It is of little deas. He is a sort of kept man, tion in the art of navigation and This intellectual property, like
use that any one thinks who can­ >eing supported by the thoughts of never take command of a vessel, or other property, has its rights and
not verify his ideas by comparison others. He is what in England is he may qualify for a barrister, be duties. The thinker’s right is to
with those of his compeers. To called a pauper, who subsists upon called to the bar and never plead be left in undisturbed possession of
prevent this is to discourage “outdoor relief” allowed him by in any court. We know from ex­ what he has earned, ana his duty
thought. In fact, thousands are men of intellect.
perience that many persons join in is to share his discoveries of truth
prevented thinking by denying
Without the right of publicity, the combat for the right of intel­ with mankind, to whom he owes
them the means and the facilities individual thought, however praise­ lectual freedom for its own sake, his opportunities of acquiring it.
of thinking.
worthy and however perfect, would without intending or caring to use
Free expression involves consid­
Free thought means fearless be barren to the community. Al- the right when won. Some are eration for others on principle.
thought. It is not deterred by gernon Sidney said: “The best generous enough to claim and con- Democracy without personal defer­
legal penalties nor by spiritual legacy I can leave my children is tend for these rights from the be- ence becomes a nuisance; so free
consequences. Dissent from the free speech and the example of lief that they may be useful to speech without courtesy is re­
Bible does not alarm the true in­ using it.”
others. This is the first stage of pulsive, as free publicity would be,
The clergy of every denomina- freethought, and, as has been said, if not mainly limited to reasoned
vestigator, who takes truth for
authority, not authority for truth, tion are unfriendly to its use. The many never pass beyond it.
truth. Otherwise, every blatant
Independent thinking is con impulse would have the same right
fhe thinker who is really free is ■oldiers of the cross do not fight ad-
independent; he is under no dread; versaries in the open. Mr. Glad- cerned primarily with removing of utterance as verified ideas.
lie yields to no menace; he is not stone, alone among eminent men obstacles to its own action, and in Even truth can only claim priority
dismayed by law, nor custom, nor of piety, has insisted upon the duty contests for liberty of speech by
[Concluded on 5th page.]
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F