Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1900)
T orch of E F ASON. •TRUTH BEARS THE TORCH IN THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH.” _ £ M cr(, ^ Ms. ,’ÔL. 4. . . « U •« ♦ • ♦#'-•••-•• For th e Torch of Reason. «<<*-' * <w •«« <, «s* < m <. *«r* t -.•*. « E V E R T O N , O REG O N , T H U R S D A Y , JU N E 21, E . M. 300 (A. D. 1900.) > tp . Jrt lieion to do with fa d s? N othing., • « - «. 4 i<, « Z X •'*.»•. At present, a good m any men I the sam e old hitternese of th eir nro- L ife’s Jo u rn e y . w Jiere hr M ethodist m athem at- encased in s scientific c i e n t i f i c pursuits, n n w i n » « and ___ engaged in genitors. ics, C atholic astronom y, Presby who have signally failed in gaining So how even in alm ost every lit BY MINNIE PAGE HOSMER. terian geology, B aptist biology, recognition am ong their fellows, tle dispute or debate each of the or Episcopalian botany? W hy, are endeavoring to m ake re p u ta p th e m o u n ta in ’s cragfcv crest, contestants comes out with a firm Two c h ild ren travelled h a n d in then, should a sectarian college tions am ong the churches by deliv hand; exist? Only th a t which somebody ering weak and vapid lectures upon er adherence to his own opinion On they tru d g ed , nor stopped to rest, th an he had before; while both p a r T h ro ’ bru sh an d brier, o ’er rock and knows should be tau g h t in our the “ harm ony of Genesis and Ge ties have more or less ill-feeling» san d . schools. W e should not collect ology. ’ Like all hypocrites, these wounded pride, or positive hatred, taxes to pay people for guessing. men overstate the case to such a U pw ard, tow ard th e to p m o st heig h ts instead of a closer approach to the They ev er kep t th eir longing eyes; The common school is the bread of degree, and so turn and pervert T hinking only of th e sights life for the people, and it should facts and words th a t they succeed actual tru th th a t possiblylies som e T heir fancy p a in te d in th e skies. where between them . not be touched by the w ithering only in gaining the applause of Think stii fu rth er of the thous All u n k now n th e o th e r side— hand of superstition. other hypocrites like themselves. A w onder-land it m u st be th e re ! and and one petty difficulties a ris O ur country will never be filled Among the great scientists they are N aught b u t th e b rig h te st could abide ing every day between husbands In th a t sw eet realm of b eau ty fair. with great in stitu tio n s of learning regarded as generals regard sutlers and wives, parents and children, 1 hus th e y d ream ed , and p ictu res drew , un til there is an absolute divorce who trade with both arm ies. relatives, friends, playm ates, work between C hurch and School. As i ntil th e to p m o st p o in t was g ain e d ; Surely the time m ust come when m ates, neighbors—associates of ev There they paused to m eet th e view long as the m utilated records of a the wealth of the world will not be From th a t g ran d h eig h t they had at ery kind, because everybody has tain ed . barbarous people are placed by wasted in the propagation of ignor this disgusting conceit and unw ill priest and professor above the rea an t creeds and m iraculous mistakes. Far and w ide, on e ith e r h a n d , ingness to learn of a n o th er—a con One longing, lingering glance th e v son of m ankind, we shall reap The time m ust come when churches tem ptible pride th a t is nothing hut threw ’, but little benefit from church or and cathedrals will be dedicated to Hut th ey found no w onder-land ; pretension, claim ing knowledge it T heir d ream s—not one of them was school. the use of m an; when m inister and does not possess, an d an ability to tru e. Instead of dism issing professors priest will deem the discoveries of form correct opinions when it has for finding som ething out, let us the living of more im portance than no such ability. W hy should not Thus th ey realized a t last 1 h at th ey had lost th e th in g s th ey rath e r discharge those who do not the errors of the dead; when the every person who desires to be de sought. tru th s of N ature will o u tran k the Let each teacher u n d erstan d th a t R eal joys th e y ’d h u rried past cently honest despise such a frau d , \\ bile searching for—th ey knew’ not investigation is not dangerous for “ sacred” falsehoods of the past, and and cast it utterly out of the mind? w h a t! him ; th a t his bread is safe, no when a single fact will outweigh Narrowness, illib e ra lity , and pre 1 ravelers on life’s rugged way, m atter how much tru th he may all the m iracles of H oly W rit. judice are sim ply other form s and If you w’ould journey not in vain, W ho can over estim ate the pro discover, and th a t his salary will nam es of the same selfish pride and T reasure well each hour, each day, This p ath you ne’er can tread again. not be reduced sim ply because he gress of the world if all the money ignorant conceit which is the es finds th a t the ancient Jews did not wasted in superstition could be sence of bigotry. One special m an know the entire history of the world. used to enlighten, elevate and civil ifestation of it s q u ire s a few words. F ree Schools. Besides, it is not fair to m ake the ize m ankind? It is th a t which takes the form of When every church becomes a C atholic support aP ro testan t school, in h o sp itality to new thoughts, dis school, every cathedral a university, BY R. G. INGERSOLL. nor is it ju s t to collect taxes from coveries, or inventions. To be in every clergym an a teacher, and all Tnfidels anil A theists to support hospitable to a friend, or one in heir hearers brave and honest T is also my desire to free the schools in which any system of re reed of physical com fort, is ac thinkers, then, and not u n til then, knowledged to be m ean and repre schools. When a professor in ligion is taught. will the dream of poet, p atrio t, hensible. B ut refusal to en The- sciences a re n o t se c ta r ia n . a college finds a fact, he should P eo p le do n o t persecu te ea ch o th p h ilan th ro p ist and philosopher, be tertain th o u g h t or discovery, make it know n, even if it is incon e r on a c c o u n t o f d is a g r e e m e n ts come a real and blessed tru th .— that m ay be of immense i n m a th e m a tic s . F a m ilie s are [Some M istakes of Moses. sistent with som ething Moses said. good to hum anity, is not considered n o t d iv id e d a h o u t hot a n y , a n d Public opinion m ust not compel a s tr o n o m y does n o t even te n d to any offence; it is stupid, of course, a long tim e afterw ard, when the the professor to hide a fact, an d , m a k e a m a n h a te h is f a t h e r a n d B ig o try . new thing has gained a recognition, “like the base In d ian throw the m o th e r . I t is w h a t people do not • k n o w , t h a t th e y p e rse c u te each but nothing worse; nobody con pearl aw ay.” W ith the single ex o th e r a b o u t. S cien ce w ill b rin g , BY JOHN LORD PECK. dem ns the im m orality of it; though ception of Cornell [It too is now in n o t a sw o rd , h u t peace. the effect is the same as if every one the hands of th e enem y.— E d .J, Ju st as long as religion has con ook a t the C hristian world, knowing of the newcomer in the there is not a college in the U nited trol of the schools, science will be or th a t p a rt of it which has world of thought had deliberately States where tru th has ever been a an outcast. Let us free our insti m ost life, divided up into conspired to destroy it, intend in g welcome guest. The m om ent one tutions of learning. Let us dedi of the teachers denies the inspira cate them to the science of eternal num berless little sects, all alik e to Prevent the w orld’s receiving its tion of the Bible, he is discharged. tru th . Let us tell every teacher to spending th eir energies in defend- benefitH- f he devilish ch a racter of If he discovers a fact inconsistent ascertain all the facts he can—to ¡ng or p ropagating th eir peculiar 8UCh “ d<i8ign’ “ nd ,he devi,i9bne" with th a t book, so much the worse give us light, to follow N ature, no doctrine,and all incapable till late- of a blind, stupid, bigoted rejection of new tru th are in effect precisely for the fact, and especially for the g m atter •« 1 , where she i- leads lf to be in ly of u n itin g any good work, and i ne crim e a n d th e b lu n - the same. The crim e and the blun- discoverer of the fact. H e m ust finitely .ru e to lurnse f and ua; to n o w o n ly p artially , because of the der are one, and it is the sam e m ean not corrupt the m inds of his pupils feel th at he is w ithout a chain, ex- estrangem ent resulting from bigot- sp irit of perverse selfishness which with dem onstrations. He m ust be eppt the obligation to be honest; rt in regard to these doctrines — perm its one as m uch as the other. ware of every tru th th a t cannot in th a t he . is L bound u by ,v no books, by doctrines as u tte rly em pty and i n th a t sam e sp irit som e of you *°tne way he m ade to harm onize no creed, neither by the sayings of worthless for all practical purposes w ho read m a v sa v 11,a . , h i . i l ' ' . 1 ’ *ith the superstitions of the Jews. the dead nor of the living; th a t he as ch estn u t b u rrs of last year’s ,1 . • is asked to look with bis own eyes, growth. Even th e b e r e t U and i ' ? > v 7 ' ‘ ‘ cience has nothing in common ‘ ew> ttt east unfam il- "ith religion. Facts and miracles to reason for him self w ithout fear, and socialistic sects and parties m ay but 9uch a re»9on r,‘ ver did, and never will agree. to investigate in every possible th a t have been produced bv he I 911 bn" e9t 1 hey are not in the least related. direction, and to bring os the fruit P ro testan t tendency continue t o ' t v ” JeCtlDg ll 19 of all his work 1 desnise o J i. u <»nt‘“ ae to th in k er no excuse a t a l l . — [T h e They are deadly foes. W hat has oi a n ms work. despise and h ate each o th er, w ith K ingdom of the Unselfish. U I L