4
Torch of Reason
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, MAY 17, 1900.
fanatical, ignorant statements of and insist on his trying to grasp it scattered in innumerable directions,
our awful wickedness, or a pitying, day after day would be doing the as will also the carbon, nitrogen,
The O nly P ap er of Its K ind.
belittling prayer for our speedy re­ child a great injustice, but what is calcium, phosphorus, etc. Then,
to be thought of those who give the
turn to the loving arms of Jesus.
little ones such problems as they according to the arguraent(?), the
Published Weekly by the Liberal Uni­
But the second and third steps themselves can not solve? But it mind, even if it were a thing,
versity Company, in the Interests of
seem to be entered into lately, and is thought by many that it is better would also separate into its ele­
Constructive, Moral Secularism.
even the fourth. Go to the State of for the people to have something to m ents and no more resemble its
hold them in check ot they might
J. E. H o s m e r,......... . . . . . .E d ito r Kentuckv and see C. C. Moore, an do something had; and in order ♦.<? former conditioo.
P. W . G e e r,............. . .. . . M an ag er agc-d Freethinker, unjustly cast keep up this checking business a
The real truth of the matter is
into prison. Go to the penitentiary had set of hypocrites have contiol this: What is colled the mind is a
Entered at the poetoffice at Silverton, of Washington and see prisoners and are permitted to do bad, that complex expression of the energies
Oregon, as second-class mail matter.
compelled to endure the cruel and . the imaginary bad effects of know­ of the matter of which the brain is
unusual punishment of listening to ing the truth mav be avoided.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
last step, that of murder, is, composed, and as the sum of all
teachings worse in their effect, and and The
ever since “the church” gained energy is the same and as it is as
to
a
great
extent
accountable
for,
its power has been going on. Even indestructible as the matter itself,
One year, in advance...................... $1 00
Six months, in advance.................
50 crimes which put the poor crimin­ now, in Fiance, editors who are op­ and as one form of energy is con­
Three months, in advance.............. 25 als in durance vile. See these posed to the Roman Catholic
vertible and continually being con­
In clubs of five or more, one year,
in ad vance....................................
75 Christian prison-keepers destroy church are obliged to call for police verted into other forms, the forces
Money should )>e sent by registered the Torch of Reason and prevent protection, and a great movement
is on foot that is jeopardizing the whose combined results we call the
letter or money order.
the prisoners from knowing the life of every Freethinker in that mind, inherent in the matter itself,
truth of things; and this, too, with­ great Republic. This hellish work is is immortal only as our bodies, or
Notice!
out any real right to do so, and not so openly done now as when rather the elements of which they
without any notice given to the one could buy an indulgence for a are composed, are immortal. These
A hand pointing to this notice denotes
few hundred dollars, but as we
th at your subscription has expired. prisoners or to the publishers. How write, human beings who love life, forces, however,-do not remain in­
You are earnestly requested to re­ this is done is better told by the
light and liberty are being foully tact any more than the elements of
new so that you may receive the pa­
per without interruption. We have de­ following letter from one of our murdered for the glory of God.
which our bodies are composed,
cided that it is best for all concerned friends:
and the theory of the immortality
that we do not send papers longer than
the time paid for unless so ordered. E ditor T orch of R eason :
T H E BEST A R G U M E N T FOR IM ­ of a soul is one of the most absurd
and injurious that Science has been
This will prevent any loss and we will
Dear Friend:— In regard to the
M O R T A L IT Y .
know just wherti we stand.
obliged to fight. It is a weakness
We request you to send us the names Torches that are h'ing sent to
In a recent conversation with to which may be traced more years
of Secularists who might become sub- \\ alia Walla, I have just learned
scrilierp and we will mail sample copies. that they are barred out of the one who is trying very hard to be­ of ignorance and more years of
prison, so you may as well cut lieve in the old immortality myth, misery than any other superstition
or abnormal action of that most
them off the subscription list. The
we
discovered
the
very
best
ar­
T hursday , M ay 17, E. M. 300. authorities have but very little use
wonderful and complex combina­
for anything that savors of freedom. gument in its favor that w’e have tion of elements called protoplasm—
They even went so far as to compel ever heard; and as it is no more the human brain.
T H E EFFEC TS OF C H R IST IA N
men to attend their religious ser­ than right to investigate both sides
T E A C H IN G S.
vices. In barring Freethought of all important questions, we wish H isto ry of th e In g e rso ll-C h a ir
The same forces acting under the publications they say nothing at our readers to look into this “new
rio v e m e n t.
all to either the publisher or sub­
same conditions always produce the scriber, but just sneakingly throw7 revelation” and discover if possible
[The following recapitulation of
same results, and although the them in the waste basket. They the truth or falsity of its claims.
the history of theLiberal-University
domineering disposition of Chris­ frequently make a tour of the pri­
The well-known fact that all Ingersoll-Chair movement is given
tians has heen somewhat softened, son, confiscating books that have matter is indestructible and, there­
to our readers on account of the
sent to or bought by the in­
or has, at least, become more mod­ been
fore, as far as we know eternal, w’as many calls for the same, combined
mates.
est, by the triumph of secular over
used to show that the most natural with the fact that all our back
No wonder the prisons are well
“spiritual” things, yet the nature
way to look at that wonderful numbers referring to this import­
patronized.
When
will
the
people
of Christian-taught people is about
“thing” called the mind or soul,
the same today as when the thous­ of the world learn that to teach the the “thing” that causes the matter ant subject are gone. We hope
ands were slaughtered in Holland youth the abominable stories of in our bodies to act, is that it too is our friends in America will quickly
in the name of Jesus, or when Bru­ “holy writ’’ and to deprive them of indestructible and eternal. This follow the example of our English
no was murdered for trying to the truths of Science and Scientific we repeat is the best argument we brothers and let the world know
spread the gospel of science. The wisdom is simply training them for ever heard in favor of the immor­ that we fully and rightly appreci­
first manifestation of this narrow, lives of fraud? And then when tality of a soul part of man, and to ate the work of the great American
persecuting disposition in modern they are imprisoned and should be thousands who are too lazy to think Freethought forerunner and pro­
times is generally shown by per­ taught moral truths, they must be hard and to many who are too weak phet—Robert G. Ingersoll.]
fectly ignoring every attempt at hardened still more by their keepers to think long it is no doubt a From the Torch of Reason of Nov. 23, 1899.]
CHAIR FOR THE LIBERAL
honest investigation. The next step giving them still more of the poison “clincher.” “Come now, let us AN INGERSOLL UNIVERSITY.
is to search for weaknesses in the of orthodoxy. It is far better to be reason together, saith the Lord;”
E ditor T orch of R eason :
promoters of such investigations, neither a criminal nor a maker of but as the Lord is not with us let
Geo. Jacob Holyoake,of Brighton,
and by exaggerating every weak­ criminals; but the worst criminals us eat of the tree of knowledge and England, writes to me in a private
ness, to so blacken their reputation in the world are those who are out try to “be as gods, knowing good letter: “ If you and other leaders
took it up, you could easily get gifts
that not many can stand the awful of prison playing the confidence and evil.”
to found an Ingersoll Chair at the
game
of
posing
as
agents
of
a
god.
ordeal. The third step is to destroy
The first weakness we discover in Liberal University.” Mr. Holyoake
literature, the fourth to imprison, Our state schools are regular reser­ the argument is that the mind is
is now, since Ingersoll’s death, the
and the fifth to kill. But all this voirs of religious racket games. In not “a thing” but a process of the best known Freethinker in the
must be more carefully done than the State School for Deaf Mutes matter of which the nervous sys­ world. He is the father of Secular­
at one time, and many of our own the poor defenceless little deaf and tem is composed; but as this has ism. And now that he has sug­
ranks do not even suspect the aw­ dumb boys and girls are taught as been show’n so many times we re­ gested the raising of a fund to found
ful crimes yet committed in the solemn truth all about a god, a frain from repeating the proofs, an Ingersoll Chair at the Liberal
University, I would suggest to the
heaven, angels, etc. Think how
name of Jesus.
and for the sake of argument sup­ Board of Directors of the Univer­
Let us look into this matter. Is cruel it is to still further darken pose for the time being that the sity that a committee be appointed
it not true that our work has been their lives by making the world mind or soul is a subtle substance— ! for that purpose. And may I be
almost entirely ignored by the more of a mystery than their youth a real thing. Now if we follow the pardoned for suggesting the follow­
Christian world. This is the first aud (heir inability to hear and analogy further we notice that ing names for said committee:—For
Dr. E. B. Foote, jr., D. A
step. Where is the Christian min­ speak would make it. Oh, what when the body dies, the elements of America:
Blodgett, B. F. Underwood, Eliza­
ister or the Christian paper that lies are told in the name of religion! which it is composed break up, beth ( ady Stanton,Susan H.Wixon.
But Christian printing presses
has told the people about our work,
separate, go into other forms and For England: Geo. Jacob Holyoake,
just what our ideas are and just must run and therefore Christian no more bear any resemblance to it Charles Watts, G. W. Foote.
Yours truly,
how we are progressing? Scarcely books, papers, and cards must be in shape, functiou or in any way.
sold.
A
teacher
who
would
intro-:
H. L. G reen .
anything is said iq the Christian duce a kindergarten pupil to a com­
The water of which our bodies are
[Acting on Mr. Green’s sugges­
papers, and the exceptions are plicated demonstration of geometry 1 largely com posed (about |) will be
tion, the Board has adopted the