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
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