THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, MARCH 22, 1900.
G
and work together, or the time is same army and under the same
50 YEARS’
E X P E R IE N C E
not far off when they “ will hang commander, there are the con
The Presbyterian brethren used separately,” as B. Franklin sagely structive Liberals ready as never
to have a good dog story to help remarked of the original Republi before, to build and hold the new
them over the doctrine of Elec cans. Think of it! On our snug forts and intrenenments, and thus
tion when they were shown that little planet there are one billion to make sure the conquest of th e1
T rade M ar k s
it made all of their preaching use five hundred millions of humans— New World by the institution of a
D e s ig n s
less, because our eternal fate was “mostly fools,” as T. Carlyle would New Life and of New Hopes and
C o p y r ig h t s A c .
Anyone sending a sketch and description may
settled at our creation, or before. say, and most justly. And how Aspirations.
quickly ascertain our opinion free whether an
invention is probably patentable. Communica
tions strictly confidential. Handbook on Patents
“Yes,” said they, “that is so; but many real scientific human Lib
Thus each division of the Grand sent
free. Oldest agency for securing patents.
Patents taken through Munn A Co. receive
we are a miscellaneous lot of dogs erals are there, to be the leading, Army of Liberty, Science and Hu fecial
notice, without charge, in the
sent through on the “express train” educating and finally redeeming ! manity may see in each other the
of life. We were all tagged, per van of these mighty hosts of Super means of a common success, and A handsomely Illustrated weekly. Largest cir-
culation of any scientific Journal. Terms, . f3
. _ a
haps, at the start—some for Heaven, stition and consequent ignorance? rally under the common name, vear; four months, |L Sold by all newsdealers.
BDtne for Hell. But you see, in Well, possibly 100,000. Wtiat a “Liberal,” until a better tag or title MUNN
& Co.36,Broa'1"” New York
Branch Offlc« «25 F Rt- Washington. D. C.
can be found.
t . b . w .
our young and ignorant scraps we mighty work is before them! At
lost our tags , and no one knows pre. ent they hardly know each
where we are to go now’, and it other, because they have no com
is Up and
won’t do to put us off the train. If mon uniform or passwords—not
a Coming
we are to go to Heaven, we must even a tag- So, just as soon as it
have a lot of preaching and prepar is a little rough or dusky, they be
Our Big Shipment of Spring Shoes has Arrived. Tan Shoe&
ation to make us at home there.” gin to disown, and to fire into, each
will be the Correct Style for Spring Wear. See our Assort
ment in
The preparation for Hell goes easy, other; and so are hunted down and
without saying; besides, the mem hanged in detail. If they had some
B A B IE S ’
ory of those sermons on earth will common name-tag,they might hang
C H IL D R E N ’S
only make its pangs the more ex together, make fight, and enlighten
quisite, and thus increase the glory the ignorance which is the common
M IS S E S ’
of the Creator and the joy of the danger.
L A D IE S ’
saved at their own happy “elec
Of the names proposed, as above
G ENTS’
tion.” The thing to do, therefore, stated, three have had some suc
At Silverton’s Largest and Busiest Store.
is to keep all dogs on the train and cess in America and Europe, viz.,
under the training of Presbyterian Liberal (the American Liberal
ism till the end of our life-route, League), Secularist (the American
when the omnipotence of the Cre Secular Union), Freethinker (the
ator will renew the tag and send Freethought Federation of Amer S T R IC T L Y O N E P R IC E -
PRODUCE TAKEN
each to his eternal destination. ica). All these have gradually
Thus preaching was necessary to come together, and are to hold their
complete either Heaven or Hell. congress next fall in Cincinnati, O.
Thus argued the modern Jonathan Then perhaps the tag may be elect
Edwards. But it left this life in a ed, but it must first be selected by
fearful state of agonizing uncer the mass through individual choice.
tainty. The Presbyterian spends It would seem that the first word,
TORCH OF REASON . . . .
his life in the vain and agonizing Liberal, is in more general use than
effort to find or recall that lost tag, any other word. It has two phases:
so as to know whether his “calling One includes the Scientific, Secular,
and election is sure.” How happy, Positive, Humanitarian, Social,
in contrast, is the life of the Lib Ethical and, in a word, the C on
eral! Instead of starting with a structive Liberals, and the other
tag that marks and determines his the Freethought, Infidel, Iconoclas
election, he has the pleasure of tic, Critical, Negative, disorganized.
electing his own tag—a tag that Anarchistic, in a word, the D e
will largely determine his future structive Liberals. And the word
—his influence before and after ‘‘Liberal” has, luckily, two mean
death. A wide choice of names is ings. (1) One is, that those taking
already open to him in the Liberal that name are freed and emanci
No. 2.
world of Thought. On our first pated (Latin, ‘liber’, free) from all
page you will see that George J. of the old religions, creeds and dog
Holyoake originated the word mas. (2) That those are “Liberal”
“Truth bears the Torch in the
“Secularism” as a good name for who are free to think as they will,
search For Truth.”
us—that is English. Auguste and gladly permit and sustain all
Comte originated the name “Posi others in doing the same.
tivism” as our tag—that is French.
Now do not these phases of Lib
David Strauss started the “New eralism show a hopeless contradic
Faith,” a good enough tag—that is tion? Is not President Remsburg
S IL V E R T O N , O REG O N:
L IB E R A L U N IV E R S IT Y PRESS
German. John Fiske gave us the at the head of an army utterly dis
IS 9 9
“Cosmic Philosophy,” and hence cordant, because of a hopeless di
“Cosmists”—which is American. vergence of purposes? It might at
PRICE TEN CENTS.
All of these and other names give first seem so, and be so to some ex
emphasis to certain true and good tent for consultting purposes;but in
phases or aspects of Liberalism, as t+ie end are they not concordant in
we might show if we could write a a general result, and so the neces
few pages, but you can see that sary forces of the same army of
in their names. Every one can see, progress? What could be done un
too, because they are not generally less the critical Liberals kept up Our Job D epartm ent
adopted,that they are not generally their fire of doubt and intellect up
------ ALWAYS GIVES-
satisfactory. So it is a part of on all the old superstitious relig
every Liberal’s pleasure and duty ions and institutions?
If they
to elect and select his own tag. thereby obtain a habit of mind,
“ Why his duty?” do you say. feeling and thought which will not
Because Liberals must learn to rest upon or build up anything,
---- BECAUSE IT GIVES----
know each other and hang together how fortuuate that within the H ONET STOCK, FINEST INK AND EXCELLENT WORKHANSHIP
Elect Your Tag.
Scientific .American.
Spring of 1900
Dreyer & Craig.
Song
Book :
. . . Satisfaction