Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903, June 21, 1900, Image 1

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    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