Torch of reason., January 30, 1902, Image 1

“ T R U T H B EA R S T H E TORCH IN T H E SEARCH FOR T R U T H .” — L ucretius.
SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, E. M. 302 (1902.)
VOL. 6.
NO. 4.
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! (H c tu a ilv boTTPst. I D k n o w s Ho 1 a- ” • ’ Y
A C o u n try W ith o u t S trik e s.
-oJeke ; fiod-Ais*
¡'he D aw n of Peace.
lim itations of his m ind. He is con- tion of things, the condition of hap- I
BY JOHN RUSKIN.
BY HENRY DEMAREST LLOYD.
_______
vinced th at the questions of origin piness. He wishes to enslave the
U T off, p u t off y o u r m ail, O k in g s, a n d d e s tin y c a n n o t be a n s w e re d b y forces of nature to the end th at
A nd beat y o u r b ra n d s to d u s t !
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.
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m an. He knows th at he cannot they may perforin the work of the l rom c o u n t of New Z ealand.] 1 °F
Y our h a n d s m u st le a rn a s u r e r g rasp ,
Y our h e a rts a b e tte r tr u s t.
answ er Jhese questions, and he is world. Back of all progress are the
O PH ING can be more strik ­
candid enough to say so. The Ag- real th in k ers; the tinders of facts,
Oh, b e n d ab ack th e la n c e s’s p o in t,
ing than the contrast theo­
A nd b rea k th e h e lm et b ar;
nostic has good m ental m anners, those who turn their attention to
retical and practical be­
A n o ise is in th e m o rn in g w ind,
He does not call belief, or hope, or the world in which we live. 1 he tween the Victorian m inim un wage
B u t n o t th e n o te of war.
wish, a dem onstration. He knows theologian has never been a help,
U pon th e g ra ssy m o u n ta in p a th s
system and the New Zealand com­
the difference between hope and alw ays a hindrance. He has al- pulsory arbitration law. The la t­
T he g litte rin g h o sts in c re a s e —
T hey c o m e ! T hey c o m e ! How fa ir helief—belief and knowledge— and ways kept his back to the sunrise,
th e ir f e e t !
ter is a thorough-going scheme,
he keeps these distinctions in his { W ith him all wisdom was in the built up solidly on a statesm an-like
T h ey com e who p u b lish peace.
mind. He does not say th a t a cer­ past. He appealed to the dead. basis, to deal not only with a few
And v ic to ry , fa ir v icto ry ,
O u r en em ies are o u rs !
tain theory is true because he He was and is the the enemy of cases hut with the whole problem
For all th e c lo u d s are c la sp e d in lig h t,
wishes it to be true. He tries to go I reason, of investigation, of thought of the civil war between capital and
A n d all th e e a rth w ith flowers.
according to evidence, in harm ony and progress.
1 he church has labor. Though the cure of the
Aye, s till d e p re ssed a n d dim w ith dew!
with facts, w ithout regard to his never given “ san c tu a ry ’ to a perse- sweating system was not one of its
B u t w ait a little w hile,
A nd w ith th e ra d ia n t, d e a th le s s rose
own desires or th'e wishes of the cuted tru th .
avowed purposes, the New Zealand
T h e w ild ern e ss sh a ll sm ile
public. He has the courage of his
There can be no doubt th a t the com pulsory arb itratio n law allevi­
A nd every te n d e r, liv in g th in g
convictions and the modesty of his ideas of the Agnostic are gaining ates it with a far greater thorough­
S h a ll feed by s tre a m s of re s t,
N or lam b sh a ll from th e flock be lo st, ignorance. The theologian is his ground. The scientific spirit has
ness than the “ special boards” of
N o r n u rs lin g from th e n e st.
opposite. He is certain and sure of taken possession of the intellectual Victoria. New Zealand, the only
the existence of things and beings world.
Theological m ethods are country which has a compulsory
The New World Better.
and worlds of which there is, and unpopular today, even in theolog­ arbitration law, is the only country
can be, no evidence. H e relies on ical schools. The atten tio n of men in which for five years, with one or
BY ROBERT G. INGERSOLL.
assertions, and in all debate attack s pverywhere is being directed to the two insignificant exceptions, there
the motive of his opponent instead affairs of this world, this life. The has been no strike or lockout in the
U ESTIO N .— Do you believe
of answ ering his argum ents. All gods are growing indistinct, and, world of organized labor. T he
th a t the race is growing
savages know the origin and desti-; like the shapes of clouds, they are New Zealand experim ent answ ers
m oral or im m oral?
ny of m an. About t other th in g :'c h a n g in g as they fade. The idea every test which can he applied to
A nswer .—The world is growing
they know but little. The theolo­ of special providence has been sub­ [»rove the claim of a new in stitu tio n
better. There is more real liberty,
gian is much the same. The Ag­ stan tially abandoned. People are to be a perm anent and veritable
more thought, more intelligence
nostic has given up the hope of as­ losing, and intelligent people have addition to the world’s social in ­
than ever before. T he world was
certaining the nature of the ‘‘F irst lost, confidence in prayer. Today ventions. P ractically it does w hat
. . . .
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never so ch aritab le or generous as
Cause” —the hope of ascertaining no intelligent person believes in it undertook to do— it ushers in
now. We do not put honest debt­
w hether or not there was a “ F irst m iracles—in a violation of the facts industrial peace. P hilosophically
ors in prison, we no longer believe
C ause.” H e adm its th a t he does in nature. They may believe that it is an extension to a new field—
in torture. P unishm ents are less
uot know w hether or not there is there used to he m iracles a good th at of industrial an arch y — of an
severe. We place a higher value
an infinite Being. H e adm its th at while ago, but not now. 1 he “ su­ old in stitu tio n —th a t of the law —
on hum an life. We are far kinder
these questions cannot be answered, p e rn a tu ra l” is losing its power, its by which social peace has been cre­
to anim als. To this, however, there
and so he refuses to answer. He influence, and the church is grow- ated in the other territories of d is­
is one terrible exception. I he vivi-
refuses also to pretend. He knows j ng weaker every day.
order. Every day since its in tro ­
sectors, those who cut, torture and
th at the theologian does not know,
q ^ e church is supported by the duction the law has struck its roots
m
aiuti
utilate
aie in the
in e nam
n a m e of
vi Science,
u v ic u w ,
4,
and he has the courage to say so
people, and in order to gain the deeper into the life of the New Zea­
disgrace our age. 1 hey excite the
He knows th a t the religious support of the people it m ust reflect land people, and it further a p ­
horror and indignation of all good
people. Leave out the actions of creeds rests on assum ption, suppo- their ideas, their hopes and fears, proves itself by producing ont only
those wretches, and anim als are sition—on m yth and legend, on ig- As the people advance, the creeds what was expected of it but many
better treated than ever before. So norance and superstition, and that will be changed, either by chang- new and alm ost equally im portant
there is less beating of wives and there is no evidence of their truth, ing the words or giving new mean- fruits, such as checking cu t-th ro at
w hipping of children. I he whip The Agnostic bends his energies in ings to the old words. I he church, com petition between business men
is no "longer found in the civilized the opposite direction. He occu- in order to live, m ust agree s u b - and putting an end to trade d ish o n ­
home.
Intelligent parents now pies himself with this world, with stan tially with those who support esty. A nother feature of the New
govern by kindness, love and rea- things th a t can be ascertained and it, and consequently it will change Zealand law which com m ends itself
son. The stan d ard of honor is understood. He tu rn s his atten- to any
extent th a t m ay be neces- to the philosophical student of in ­
higher th an ever. C ontracts are tion to the sciences, to the solution sary.
If the church rem ains true stitutions is th a t its appearance
more sacred, and men do nearer of questions th at touch the well- to the old stan d ard s then it wil
came in the direct line ofevolutiou-
as they agree. Man has more con- being of m an. He wishes to pre- lose the support of progressive peo- ary devolopm ent. Other com m un­
fidence in his fellow m an, and in vent and to cure diseases; to length- pie, and if the people generally ai - ities, notably M assachusetts, had
But carried arbitration up to the R ubi­
the goodness of hum an nature, eu life; to provide homes and rai- vance, the church will die
Yes, the world is getting better, rnent and food for man; to supply my opinion is th a t it will slowly con of compulsion, New Zealand
change,
th a t , the m . inister will took the next step.
nobler a and
grander
day.
the w -------------
ants - of the body.
nODltjr
u u k'lau
u v * every
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nrHAch wh&t the mem bers wnnt to
The law is entirely w ithout pre­
we are moving along the highw ay
He also cultivates the arts. He I
,
.
in the world ex-
nr
h e E d e n . ,•
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hear, an<1 t,)at the cree 1
be cedent— _ nowhere
of . progress o on « our
w aj to
to t the
nuen Believes in p ainting
and i sculpture,
,, , , . .. worm ex
.
.
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i 'co n tro lled by the contribution box. cept in New Zealand is there com
of the future.
in music and the d ra m a —the needs
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One of these days the preacher may pUi8ory a rb itra tio n —and it has
QCEST.ON.-Are the doctrines of of the soul. T he Agnosttc bel.eves
#n(, when lhat J ^ n so successful lh a t it m ay fair-
Agnosticism gam ing ground and
develop.ng the brain, in cult.-
(he church win be 0, use. lv
nnMtionfi(l whBther it b .s not
ly be questioned whether it has not
what, in your opinion, will be the vating the affections, the tastes, the
. ,»
Q uestion .— W h at do you regard established a precedent th a t no
conscience, the ju d g m eu t, to th e
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future of the church ?
other modern people largely com-
C o n tin u e d on page 3.
A nswer .—The Agnostic is intel- end th a t m an may he happy in this
P
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