R eason . torch • TRUTH BEAR5 THE TORCH IN THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH.” - Z MC,.,.tfMs. VOL. 4. SILVERTON, OREGON. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, E. M. 300 (1900. Time To Me. has all through the century been stan d in g in the D eclaration of I n dependence, th an which there has been no higher political a u th o rity for Am ericans, and is strangely ob livious to the fact th a t the D eclar ation ot Independence has during this w’hole century moat profoundly affected the political ideas and am bitions of men throughout the civil ized W’orld. ) NO. 45. evident tru th .” “ E xam ined judic- her.” Let us consider a case for lally ,” it declares, “ this princple is illu stratio n , IM E to m e th is tr u th hag ta u g h t, seen to he impossible, since it vio ’Tis a tru th t h a t ’s w orth revealing AN ILLUSTRATION. lates the fundam ental assum ption More offend from w an t of th o u g h t T han from w ant o f/e e lin g . Here is an in d iv id u al who of every state— the assum ption of, ___ ob- power to determ ine w hat is best for 8ervee the seventh day as the sab- If advice we would convev, . . . . 11_«1 V • T h e re ’s a tim e we should convey i t ; the continuance of its own life. b ath , according to the specifica If w e’ve but a word to say, E xam ined historically, it is seen tions of the fourth com m andm ent. T h ere is tim e in w hich to say it. th a t no people has ever acknow l A com m ittee of his neighbors, O ft unknow ingly th e tongue edged it in practice.” The In d e headed by a clergym an, visits him Touches on a chord so ach in g pendent doee not believe “ th a t the and inform s him th a t he m u st T h a t a word or accen t w rong fathers who prom ulgated it” could keep S unday. NO SUCH THING AS A REAL RIGHT. P ain s th e h e a rt alm ost to breaking. “ B ut,” he says, “ my conscience M any a te a r of w ounded p rid e, “ The fundam ental principle in have “ entirely m eant it.” If they tells me th a t th e seventh day is the M any a fau lt of h u m an b lin d n ess, social conduct, according to Spen had been of “ an exacter tu rn of Sabbath, and I cannot keep two H a th been soothed or tu rn e d aside cer,’ continues The In d ep en d en t, m in d ,” they would have specified By a q u ie t voice of k in d n ess. days in the week. I can n o t sanc “ is this: ‘every man has the rig h t m any exceptions to the rule, as in the case of fem ales, m inors, slaves, tify the seventh day, w ithout re T im e to me th is tr u th h a th ta u g h t, to do th a t which be wills, provided ’Tis a tr u th t h a t ’s w orth rev ealin g : in h a b ita n ts of the territories not garding the other days of the week he infringes not the equal freedom More offend from w ant of th o u g h t yet adm itted into the union of as working d ay s.” of any other m an.’ So sta te d ,” T h an from w ant of feeling. “ The C hristian. S abbath is not states, etc. says The Independent, “ it megts —[A non. the seventh day of the week b u t with well nigh universal approval. A NEW BASIS OF GOVERNMENT. the first d a y ,” is the reply; “ and The P assin g of th e Doctrine of B ut,” it says, “ the m om ent it is T his is a From all this, The Independent you m ust observe it. Natural R ights. sought to determ ine w hat co n sti C hristian nation «and you m ust ob tutes infringem ent, there arises a arrives at the conclusion before serve th e rest day fixed upon by S h all t h e R epu b lic G o ? world of in terp retatio n s so diverse stated, which it puts as follows: T h at “ This absolute generalization re the m ajo rity of the people. and num erous th a t if order is to he by l a . sm it h . is the law of the lan d .” m aintained on the planet, organ garding consent, disregarded by “ But it is my rig h t,” says the AST week we called a tte n ized society, the state, m ust step in its form ulators, and practically dis be tion to the ground taken by and com prom ise. As for p a rtic u avowed by every state th a t has ev seventh-day C hristian, “ to a leading A m erican jo u rn al, lar ‘rights,’ to be fundam ental, to er existed, is likely to gasp out its guided by my own conscience in m atter of S abbath , observance. The Outlook, edited by L ym an Ah-1 he re al rights, thev m ust be o f uni- last breath in the pending cam 1_ 4 X • 1 1 • a 1 • . W W ' ** The constitution of the sta te d e bott, in declaring the stra ig h t N a versal ap p licab ility .” Then • The paign. The progressive dem ocratic tional Reform doctrine, th a t the Independent inquires, “ can anyone philosophy of today is building the clares th a t ‘every m an h a s a n a tu r proper basis of civil governm ent is point to a postulate of a ‘rig h t,’ com ing state iu the light of consid al and indefeasable right to wor I t postu ship A lm ighty God according to not the consent of the governed, which for any considerable tim e, erations of social ends. but the law of God. And now by any considerable num ber of lates nothing, in analyzes and de the dictates of his own conscience.’ ” These words provoke a m ocking comes an o th er leading American mPn, |,a „ been held to he absolute composes old principles and theor jo u rn a l, The In d ep en d ent, and de unqualified by tim e, place or cir ies, it concerns itself not with laugh. “ Ho, ho, here is a m an who clings to th a t old theory of n atu ra l clares th at the doctrine of n atu ra l cu m stan ce ?” The conclusion is ‘rig h ts,’ hut with duties, with social rights! W hy, rny friend, th a t theory rights m ust he set aside as an o u t th at there is no such thing as a adaptions, with an ideal of ‘the greatest good to the greatest num is all out of date. The progressive grown trad itio n ; th a t, in fact, it is “ real rig h t.” ll ber,’ as th a t greatest good may be dem ocratic philosophy of today likely to gasp out its last breath “ W hat one m an declares to be a iu the pending cam p aig n .” and ‘rig h t’,” it says, “ another declares a determ ined by experiences of fact.” has exploded those old notions of our fathers about n a tu ra l rig h ts the only rule th a t can be followed wrong; th a t which one generation This sweeps aside at once the and the consent of the governed. in governm ent is th a t of “ the holds to Ire n atu ral and inaliena whole system of A m erican republi- They were well enough in theory greatest good to the g reatest n u m ble, the next generation considers can governm ent set up a century but they weren’t capable of a p p li ber.” u n n a tu ra l and prom ptly alienates.” ag° upon the D eclaration of Inde- cation to existing conditions in this Such avowals from leading “ No society finds it possible to ac- p«ndence and the C onstitution, governm ent. If men were allow ed A m erican jo u rn als are startlin g , knowledge an ‘alienable rig h t’ to a n d which has continued unques to claim th a t they have n a tu ra l, and would be so to A m ericans ev- life. * * In every p art tioned by A m ericans down to the thi inalienable rig h ts which the gov eryw etyw here nere nut hut tor for the teaching as- of of the the world world society society finds finds it it neces- neces- tim tim e e of of the the cap ca p tu tu re re of of M M anila. anila. No ern m en t m ust respect, some men g i (I ‘ ' ’ rl - • i I ______ - 1 . _____ i _ _______l i . i m r ¡ra n n t i i . n l ____ ddu o u sly put ‘ r forth by f influential sarv * to determ ine . 1. the conditions more n a tu ra l rights, no more con- would claim one th in g and some A Am ericans the past two years, under which its members shall sent the governed, n eith er in an o th er, and society and the gov leading CP away •* __ from live, nor in Am erica, lead _ the ideals of • • re- ** i T I n o to n the basis of universal | the P hilippines, •• e rn m e n t would be throw n in to publican publican governm ent. m oral law, but on th th at at of of social social but hut only only the the principle principle of of “ the vu, hopeless confusion. We have got e “ One of the theories which has justice, which is but another nam e greatest good to the greatest num to be guided now by w hat is ex p e suffered most in these critical for social expediency. ‘R ights’ ber,” to be operated according t< to d ie n t.” d ay s,” says T he In d ep en d en t, “ is th u s resolve themselves into postu- the dictates of expediency,— such is “ A n d ,” adds th e clergym an, “ the th a t of ‘n a tu ra l rig h ts.’ It is true lates born of particular times, the basis to which A m erican free constitution of the state is wrong governm ent is being rapidly shifted ¡n a ! ! o w in g th a tm e n m ay do r ; th a t it has been reiterated in very places, and conditions.” recent tiroes by a m an conepicu- Such is The in d ep en d en t’s con- before o u r eyes. they p|ease in m atters of religion, uously learned an d able, the phil- elusion, which am ounts to saying How will this affect the Am eri- T h a t was th e work of political osopher Spencer. And y e t" af- th a t there is no such thing as a can p e„p |e ? T |,i9 j„ 9iniply to aek ath eists and it m ust be changed firms The In d ep en d en t, "th o u g h n atu ral right; th a t is, a right how It will affect an individual to Civil governm ent, it is now recog- bnttreseed by so em inent a nam e, which a person has by virtue of deny tlla t he haH any n a tu ra | nized, rests not upon w hat men it has failed to m ake an y distinct his creation. eights, th a t his consent is necessary m ay will, hut upon the law of im press on the age, an d the revolt The doctrine of governm eut by to his governm ent, and to hold ev- G od.” against it grows apace.” The In- consent of the governed. The I n d e - ^ r y in terest th a t he m ay have eub- " B u t,” persists th e observer of dependent seems not to recollect pendent finds, very n a tu ra lly , to ject to w hat men may consider “ the th e seventh day, " I am bound by th at th is doctrine of n a tu ra l rights he equally far from being a “ self- greatest good to the greatest num - the law of God, which says th a t T L 1 < ZA a 1 x I • 1 • a • • • tv n t rk u l »zxzx J A X 1_ — _ x x