THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, AUGUST 30, E. M. 300 (1900.)
4
ica, advocate the “open door” for
the Chinese. Sauce for the goose
The Only Paper of Its Kind.
don’t seem to l>e sauce for the
gander in every instance. I t’s just
P u b lish ed W eekly by th e L iberal U n i- when both goose and gander are
versity C om pany, in the In te re sts of
Christians that they are entitled
C o nstructive, Moral Secularism .
to the same diet. H o w God’s peo-
J. E. Hosmer,.....................Editor pie do love their enemies!
P. W. Geer,.................... Manager
There are no supernatural things.
E n te red at th e postoffice a t S ilverton, The ideas of gods, holy ghosts, di-
O regon, as second-class m ail m a tte r.
vine sons, angels, heaven, hell and
everything of the kind are relics of
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
an ignorant past and now used
One y ear, in a d v an c e .......................... $1 00 only by priests to fool their dupes,
50 ' Reader, if yon are still in the fog
Six m o n th s in a d v an c e ....................
25 I
T hree m onths, in a d v an c e ................
of mysticism, for the sake of Hu­
In clubs of five or m ore, one year,
Torch
of
Reason
Jesus. Poor John, we’ll help you
all we can, but it is too late, we fear,
to help you very much. May the
Christians have mercy on your poor
soul!
—
............
HEATHEN, C IV IL IZ E D A N D SEM I-
C IV IL IZED .
ORTHODOX
LAW .
It seems that there is an ortho­
dox legal element, as well as an
orthodox religious one in our coun­
try, who would kill the heathen to
make them understand how we civ­
ilized people live up to law and
order. Read the following from
the Legal Adviser:
We have heard it stated by “rad-
¡cals’’ that if the now desperate
It is said that “technically” the
Protestant churches were given the civilized powers are not at war
power, they would persecute as re- with China. So, also, when sav­
ages on our territorial borders pro­
lentlessly as ever. This has seemed ceed
to slaughter peaceful settlers
rather radical to us, and we have and battalions of soldiers are sent
asked ourselves if it is possible that to shoot the savages to death, it
we Freethinkers would be “brought I may be said that “technically’’ we
75 m anity, fiee from the w rath th at on to our knees” if our opponents are not at war with them. No
in advance..........................................
by
registered
declaration of war is issued. No
M oney should læ sent
again
had
absolute
control
of
things.
has
been.
Come
to
the
light
th
at
is.
la tte r or m oney order.
ambassador or other minister re-
Science!
Lately we begin to think that, al-| Ceives his passport. The savages
though they may not know it them- are shot, nevertheless. So should
Notice!
selves, if they should get the it be in the case of these Asiatic
The preachers who are so anxh power it would again appear to be savages. They are not entitled to
A h a n d p ointing to th is notice denotes
th a t y o u r su b scrip tio n has e x p ire d . ous for the “open door” in China their duty to “save the world for national recognition by the form­
You are e arn estly requested to re ­ would do well to keep still until
ality of a declaration of war. They
Jesus at any cost,” as in the dark have forfeited all claim to any
new so th a t you m ay receive th e p a ­
per w ith o u t in te rru p tio n . We have d e­ “Nancy kills the bear” and then days of the past. We are not
recognition whatever by a civilized
cided th a t it is best for all concerned come in for their share of the plun­
prophets, but we feared that the power. They are entitled only to
th a t we do no t send papers longer th a n
der
and
glory,
for
if
they
continue
th e tim e paid for unless so ordered.
power of the Church is slowly V'6 8wifte8t POS8ible extermination
This will prev en t any loss and we will to advocate war, people in this
creeping upon us, and that it It is to be fervently hoped that a
know ju st w here we sta n d .
combined army of all the civilized
We request you to send us th e nam es country may begin to think that would be well
to be awake. J he nations—an army powerful enough
of Secularists who m ight become suh- they (the preachers) are not trying
flood of moral light that has been I to erase the so-calied Chinese em-
scrilxirs and we will m ail sam ple copies.
to follow him who said, “resist not sweeping away the old dogmas Pire from the map of the world—
evil.”
since the establishment of this Sec­ will proceed with all possible des­
T hursday , A ug . 30, E. M. 300.
ular republic is being driven back patch in the righteous duty of exter­
minating these Asiatic savages,
The “glad tidings of great joy”
by the old spirit of the Crusades. and that America will be repre­
C H R IS T IA N W A R .
that a Liberal University is now
The dogmatic elements among the sented by an ample contingent of
being built to teach the “New Re­
leaders of religious thought have soldiers in that army.
“ Peace on e a rth ; good will tow ard m e n ,”
ligion
of
Science
and
Humanity”
is
Bawl th e p riests when peace is w a n te d ;
been losing their hold, and the
You see it’s like this: When Chi­
B ut w hen pelf’s in sight, a h , th en
flying all over the world. But few
counteracting result is the break­ nese get mad and kill white men
C h ristia n soldiers, all u n d a u n te d ,
as y e t fully understand what a
T hink th a t peace we c a n ’t afford—
ing away from the peaceful propa­ for their social, religious and
Jesu s cam e to bring a sw ord.
great movement toward higher and
ganda work for their savior toward financial aggressions, it at once
better things this is. Most Chris­
We read w ith h o rro r of days of yore,
W hen th o u sa n d s died as God com ­ tians think that we are evil and aggressive warfare. Of course, at brands the defenders of their sacred
m anded,
bottom the agents of God care no beliefs as Asiatic savages, and they
W hen e a rth was filled w ith h e ath en gore are trying to destroy the good they
T h a t C h ristia n creeds m ig h t not he have been doing, but the L. U. O. more for his glory than they did in are ours to rob, ravish and mur­
s tr a n d e d ;
Elizabeth’s time, when religious der; but when Christian white men
B ut R e aso n ’s to rch th ey could not has not come to destroy but to help
fervor became an excuse to collect think they have a grievance against
sm o th er,
fulfill
the
brotherhood
prophecies
T h en how th ey loved th e ir h eath en
money or rid the elite of a nuis­ the poor heathen, it is so easy to
of the great Secular poets and sages
b r o th e r !
ance. It is said that the collection put them to sleep and fix it all up
of all ages. Let us he not afraid
We learn how, by meek Jesu s sent,
of tithes alone in those dark Pro­ by preaching Jesus and him cruci­
T he C atholic killed the Infidel,
to labor that these prophecies may
And how the axe of P ro te sta n t
fied to the little China boys and
be fulfilled, for, verily, this genera­ testant days cos* a million lives.
Upon the necks of C atholics fell.
But the vast untaxed church young maidens that are kept alive
O, C h ristian zealots, read w ith sham e
tion should not pass until the walls
The crim es approved in J e s u s ’ name!
of the New Heaven begin to be property, which compels us all to for God’s share of the plunder, that
And w hen C olum bia hove in eight,
pay our tithes in taxes, and the we at once become the holy am­
seen of all men.
A shout of Freedom re n t th e a ir;
large sums extorted from those who bassadors of God.
B ut g en tle Je su s led th e fight
And c arried su p e rstitio n th ere.
still think that money will, in some
Isn’t it true that the better classes
The blue laws, m ade by “ th e e lite ,”
The Liberal University has a way, help buy their everlasting of Chinese are intelligent, thrifty,
Made h o n est m en and women weep.
friend whom we are very much pardon for the Adam’s apple blun­ ingenious and kind? Do we, who
“ Peace on e a r t h ,”
th e
preachers
afraid will, with his family, be der, is not enough for the ever-in­ are so proud of our civilization, not
p re a c h e d ;
Boldly said th a t God insp ired them ;
killed in China. He is the editor’s creasing army of preachers. They owe very much to these people?
B ut all th in k e rs they im peached—
H ung an d burned as if hell tired th e m . brother, and although he has many must have more! There are so Do they not love their wives and
Bible ’sta b lish e d p rec ed e n t;
faults like his Infidel relative, know many heretics in civilized countries children? And although their ways
T h in k e r an d w itch to hades w en tl
ing how bloodthirsty the Christian now, however, that the green-eyed are not our ways in many respects,
B ut slowly gained th e brave and free,
And creeds m u st seek a foreign land. boxers are when they think their monsters of superstition and greed should we murder them by the
T h ey ’ve gone to tight th e poor Chinee
God is with th e m , we fear that our have been held in check. But they thousands because some of them
And m ake him see th e C h ristia n plan.
poor brother will now surely meet now behold our helpless brothers are thought to have committed a
The p ig ta il’s house m ust “ open d o o r,”
O r “ hlow ee” hell from roof to floor.
a brutal death at the hands of the across the great “American lake.” crime? Every intelligent human
enraged Christians. Our brother’s There will those whom God has being killed, robs the world of some­
A red -h o t hell has l)een e a r th ’s lot,
And e ’en today repeats th e sto ry ;
name is John Chinaman. Poor chosen find ample room to cast thing that that human being could
And fu tu re ages ’ll read th e plot
He was born under un- their nets, and while our danger give. No two are the same, and by
Of how th e C h ristia n s, for C h ris t’s John!
glory,
favorable circumstances.
Being may be made less for a time, woe to exterminating vast numbers, who
“ Took no prisoners in C hina lands,
B ut dyed w ith blood th e ir guilty hands. marked with a yellow skin and the poor Chinese! They must now knows but the greatest of all sav-
almond eyes, he has been hardened help support the church, learn of iors may not be among them? We
The w orld is sick of selfish creeds—
Of jealous gods and greedy m e n ;
by the jests of the other hoys at Jesus and his love, see their child- cannot afford to lose a single intel
It needs “ red e m p tio n ” from such deeds
As gods and p riests e ’er recom m end. school, and many have thought ren hoodwinked or bribed into wor- ligent being from the earth. We
We need “ conversion” of th e free
that he has no conscience at all; shipping “other gods” than their should love, protect and help our
To Science and H u m a n ity .
but h is brother knows that he has; own, or be killed by the thousands, w’eaker brothers across the sea in­
j that h is heart is true and that he and that, too, by those who have stead of thirsting for their blood
Many Christians who shout the loves his wife and babies as well as ! been teaching them that their God like wild beasts. If they have done
loudest for closed doors iu Araer- those who have learned all aboutjsays: “Thou shall not kill!”
wrong, there is a cause for it; and