Montana news. [volume], May 07, 1908, Image 1

About Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?

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Votefor the Party^of Your Class
ONTANANEWS
OWNEDAND PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF MONTANA
Abolishthe Capi^^talist System
VOL.VI.
HELENAMONTANA, THURSDAY, MAY 7, !^()^.
NO.27.
ADISCOURSE ON^DEATH OF AN^ATHEIST
DELIVEREDBY S. P. CADY AT
Funeralof John Riley Lewis at^idler son City, dontana^^A Respected Citizen.
Friendsand Neighbor!:^It it well^when death hug intervened that the^last reasonable request of the dead, ex^^pressed in life, should be fulfilled. Be^^cause of this, it becomes my solemn^duty on this occasion to voice certain^sentiments which I believe shall be in^keeping and in consonance with the^life and the thought of him who lies^here now so still in the calm repose of^death. It was his oft-repeated wish^that no clergyman should, at his ob^^sequies, give utterance as the exponent^of dootrines which he, bis whole life^long, had consistently and persistent H/^antagonized. That his belief conceal^^ing nature and the supernatural coin^^cided so nearly with my own makes^easier the task that is mine today.^And yet, it is difficult and dispiriting^to assume a position which is at vari^^ance with that held by majorities.
Deatha Phenomenon.
Thereare at the present time many^well-meaning and thoughtful individu^^als, who would dissociate death from^all thought of gloom and overwhelming^sadness; viewing it as a phenomenon,^as inevitable and in line with natural^law; even giving to it an environment^of brightness and cheer. And yet, de^^spite all the teachings of science and^philosophy, there is something about^death that is smggeetive of exile, of-^tae chill and cheerless of winter and^of the barrenness snd desolation of^dssert wastes; dark and sombre is its^appropriate emblem. Yet the gloomy^pall may fittingly be decked with the^myrtle and the Illy, with the rose and^the lotas, with the olive and the laurel;^tie amaranth and the ivy, the lowly,^unpretentious violet and the regal^ehrynanthem in.
Necessitythe Supreme Law.
Philosophy,standing beside a grave,^saay ahed the tear, but will not de^^spair, for it has learned that nature^docs not think, does not knew; there^^fore, in nature there can be no malevo^^lent motive, no hatred, no revenge.^Necessity is the supreme law that gov^^erns throughout nature's domain. The^stars pursue their course along the^silent pathways of the night only be^^cause they must. Each atom forever^obeys that law. There are no acci^^dents in nature; no chance, no caprice.^The activities of mind, with which we^associate will or volition, are no ex^^ception to this. Hence, all phenomena,^throughout all time are fixed irrevo^^cably; there is no possible deviation.^All science tacitly admits this; upon^this principle s)l of its calculations^are based. Science deals only with^cause and effect as traceable in matter^and force, ami never acknowledges any^other agency. The astronomer, relying^upon such imta, fortells an eclipse far^in the future. The chemist has never^discovered in any of his processes a^single behavior or phenomena which^he would ascribe to divine interference^with natural law. This today is the^accepted doctrine in all the schools;^and thus the teaching of the schools^differs from the teaching of the fen]^pit. Both cannot be right. There are^some who believe that the teaching of^the schools alone is itenable and must^soon supersede the teaching ^^f the pal^pit. This is the lKisition of modern^atheism or inuterialism.
AnUncompromising Atheist.
JohnMsSf Lewis was fin uncompro^^mising atheiHt. He believe.I that na^^ture was all; that there is nothing^above, or beyond, or outside of nature.^He saw clearly the fatal antagonism^between the two systems of thought,^and he put aside theism, accepting the^doctrine of the schools. Though he^was not an academician, and though^he may not have been, in the broadest^sens,-, a trained thinker, yet his mind,^accustomed to analysis, was quick to^perceive all IfespffubahUItT and rill ab^^surdity.
Hedared to reason with the daring^of a Dnniol. For him reason was the^only oracle of man. Kor him reason^wns to lie likened unto that Pharos^light, blazing afnr, illuminating the^pathway of truth, and lending ever and^islwtivs to a higher plane.
Oreason! true light of the world,^long liHst thou been exiled in thy^I'atinos, but sometime shalt thou lie^called bask, and then shall the mm.I^be free. Brighter thou than the sun's^effulgence, brighter thau the light^ning's glare sublime, majestic, shalt
thouagain lift up thy head and vie^with the matchless glory uf the st irs t
Reasontaugtlut him that there are no j^miracles, that there never was a mir^^acle; because a miracle is a contra^^diction of terms; because the east is^not, said cannot be the west; because^harmony is not and cannot be discord;^because two and two are four, and are^not, and cannot be, four hundred; be^^cause the words truth and falsehood^never were, and will never be syn^^onyms. Sometimes, perchance, he may !^have had scant patience with one who i^would endeavor to explain a miracle,^thus foolishly destroying it, or making '^it simply a phenomenon, produced in^accordance with the unchangeable law^of cause and effect. He denied all |^miracles, and standiug with him are .^l^arwiu and Huxley and Spencer and'^Tyndall.
NoBeliever in Inspiration.
Again,he denied that there ever^was an inspired book or an inspired^author. It would have grated harshly^upon his mental perceptions to concede^that nn inspired writer could have^made one mistake, or that an inspired^volume could have contained a single^error. One error would have cast a^shadow upon all. Nor could his sys^tern of reasoning more easily have al^^lowed for on error in translation or^interpretation, since here, as before, one^error would have involved all in un^^certainty. He could not believe that^an allwise and beneficient creator^would have given his word and his^law in any form which would be pos^^sible of being misunderstood, or that^he would have given them to only a^few while many, for centuries should^remain totally ignorant of them. Kuch^a plan seemed to him to be altogether^absurd. And standing with him again^are I^arwin and Huxley and Spencer^and Tyndall.
Heknew that no prayer was ever an^^swered. Not only is the evidence of^successful prayer totally wanting, but^also the evidence of failure, gathered^from all the prayers uttered through^out Christendom for nineteen centuries^is overwhelmingly conclusive. He de^^nied the efficacy of prayer, and stand^^ing with htm yet again is practically^every scientific thinker of today.
God'sWill Be Done.
Itis Ood'S way: His will be done.^^These words, which shall forever ring^s.-ils. and mournfully in a nation's an^^nals, portraying a matchless devotion^and a sublime reverence, and beyond^and through these things pointing to a^nobility of character and to the high^^est ideals, yet cannot stand the test^of analysis. As literally interpreted^the sentiment is inexplicable. Kmotion^may uter it, but reason refutes. The^way and the course of human affairs,^the established institutions of men;^reject it. And the test;^the united'^prayers of all the churches of Christen^dom fail to reverse the divine decree.^More in accordance with logical deduc^^tion was the human decree, that the^base and ignominious assassin must^die.
Athousand people, nearly all Sab |^bath school childres and teachers, start |^for a picnic excursion, nnd that thou^sand lives are lost, nnd the Slocum hor^ror startles the world. Speak, O Wave!^O Finnic! In hoarsest accents voice^your motives !
Andthen fierce Conemaugh ! whose^relentless flood overwhelmed a great^city, and extinguished so many thou^hmikI lives, in fearful utterance impart^what lessons thou mciyst teach ! Can^the believer in an all wise and bene^'irient supervision over phenomena an^swer or explain these things f
Futilityof Prayer.
\..\\teeming with wealth ami gaiety,^an.I crowned with fair renown,^ in :m^instant desolated ruin,- famed, yet ill^starred metropolis ^^f the Pacific's^(lolden (late. Again, the atheist will^ask, can the believer in the efficacy^of prayer explain this f Yet the same^(iod whi.se inst rumcnitality, according^to the theological .^.intent.i.in, brought^inbuilt all these things, the same is^He who notes the sparrow's fall; the^MUM is
Hewho stills the raven's clam'runs^nest.
Anddecks the lily fair in flow 'ry^pride^;
Themime is He who iloeth all things^well.
Hn.1the saaWS will answer all ibSM^objections^pen-linnee has answered^them all again and again. Hut the^answers which the church has given^in the past have not been sustained^through .liming time. It will answer^these things us it answered ^ 'opernicus^and Galileo; as it answered Darwin^and Laplace; as it answered Columbus'^theory of the rotundity of the earth.
heathhas come to un aged pioneer^of Montana, long a resident in Mir^midst. On a farm near Valparaiso, In^diann, he was burn, August 0, 1822.^His death occurred oil April 13, 1908;^at 40 minutes past seven o'clock p. m.^he passed away calmly, sereuejy as^fades the golden light from the sunset
The^Free Lance
AdoptsNew Tactics
IsTrying to Rim-Flam Billings Out of^State Federation Convention-^Object Is Plain.
The^Free Lance^ (I) (deception^on the face of it^started out cussing^every political party except the demo^^cratic) has broken out in a new form^of virulent eruption in its last issue.
Thispaper, it will be remembered,^was the one that was started by C'utts^and Shields, one of them business agent^oi the Clerks' union and the other of^the carpenters, in Butte, as bunco-^steerer for the Amalgamated company^to get the working men of Montana to^vote the democratic ticket this fall.
Theold Heinze game over again.^Whoop ! Hurrah ! for Heinze ! Vote^for him because he loves the working^men, so Heinze can get control of the^courts I And then after he got 'em^safe he turns republican^with his^thumb on bis nose to the working men^of Montana.
Now,working mules, do it over again^for the Amalgamated. How they do^love the dear working men. How they^love to skin 'em. How they love to^grind them, anil jail them and smash^'em with their injunction judges.^Black or white, Pern or Rep. Rep^Hunt or Pern Fox^it's all the same^^so they name the man and the mules^vote for him.
Cottscan afford to be jailed if he 'a^consoled by being the petted and^pampered stool pigeon, the dear mam^^ma's darling of the Amalgamated^to^be the .ludas of his brethren, the Bene^^dict of working class patriots.
Butthe carpenters were a crowd^where you couldn't fool all of them^all the time, and when it came to^Cutty prancing aronnd and getting out^a stinking democratic sheet on brother^^ly love, and the salary of six plunks a^day they were giving him, they^said, ^Oh, no, Cutty, you can't cut^'er any more like that,^ and they^dished him, politely, expeditiously, and^unceremoniously.
Thatis, the republicans and social^^ists in the Carpenters' union declined^to pay Cutts ^6 a day to help the^democratic ass to bray.
{Shields,who ascends the limelight as^the ^advertising manager^ of the^^ Free Lsnce,^ is using the prestige^of his position as business agent of^the (Berks' union, gets the advertising^friim his victims on the ground of his^squaring them with the unions, and^not from a bona fide standpoint. In^other words he is working a bogus^game to float a bogus paper.
Nowthe new viscous eruption is a^dainty little scheme- to get the annual^convention of the Montana Htate Fed^eraHon of Labor to be held in August,^over at Butte, instead of at Rillings,^where it was voted last year.
TheButte unions don't wsnt the^convention there, but the ^Free (t)^Lance^ does. (Why t) The ^Free (f)^LsaSS^ quotes the fare to Billings as^*.r^ higher than it really is. Why t
Itquotes the total fares at $1800.00^to Bill ings when in reality they would^only be wo thirds of that.
The''Fres (t) Lance^ says there^are no unions affiliated with the State^Federation within 236 miles of Billings.^There are two affiliated unions at^Miles Cityj at Red Lodge, only 80^miles away, the Miners' union is 700^strong^not a non-union miner in the^camp. Hear Creek has two unions;^there are unions at Bridger and Gebo.
Livingston,125 miles away, is the^best organized town in the Northwest,^with the most militant organizations.
Sixtymiles to the north is Roundup,^where a big coal camp has formed^^all organized.
TheTruthful James on the ^Lance^^says the necessary referendum to make^the change would only cost $10.00. It^wouldn't pay for the printing^to say^nothing of postage, envelopes and sec^^retary 's time.
Billingswas chosen as the seat of^the next convention because it was the^gTcat Citizens' Alliance town of east^^ern Montana.
Whatthe motive for the change I^Why this sudden burning anxiety to^make Butte the center of labor operx-^tions f There is just one tenable rea^^son: The purpose is to get this con^^vention of Montana's laboring men to^endorse the great religious weekly, the^would-be moulder of working class^ideas, the ^Free (t) (democratic)^Lance,^ and capture the convention for^the Amalgamated and the democratic^party, a la Heinze.
Hee' you mules T Got that through^your skull f
Themove is already serving to make^the unions of eastern Montana hostile^at Hutte. Nice thing to do when these^unions have just spent $.1,000 fighting^injunction cases for these ^Free^Lance^ lnminaries. Bo raw is this^decoy work that a blind man can sec^that there is a nigger in the woodpile^somewhere.
Thereis no cause for any change or^referendum. Billings and the territory^surrounding it need the convention. It^hss been the policy of the Htate Fed^oration to bold its conventions st^points outside Butte in order to beget^solidarity of the entire working class^of Montana. Butte does not need odu^eating. It is the ^(iibraltar of union^ism in the Northwest.
Organizedlabor of Butte needs the^outlying state brought into line to^fortify it in case of need. This is of^eminently more importance to the^working class of Montana than going^on a junketing tour to Butte to deliver^organized labor soul and body into the^hands of the Amalgamated company,^its democratic party aud its injunc^t ions.
A word to the wise is sufficient.
'musicof the wild woodland singer;^but, ah! how speedily must follow na^^ture's mournful chunt and solemn^dirge !
Onan occasion like this many will^ask, What is the estate of the dead t^The atheist must answer, that death is^only dissolution; it is simply a return^to a former condition, inorganic and^insensate. This is nature's universal^law; and we know that the loss of an^endless future cannot be greater than^the loss of a beginninglc^s pant.
Peathis eternal rest. No fearful^cataclysm, when worlds are hurled^against worlds and universal chaos^reigns supreme, can ever disturb that^peaceful, hallowed sleep.
Steadfastto the End.
Ifany should suspect that in this^discourse I have gone beyond or en^^larged upon the settled convictions of^John Riley Lewis, I answer, that I^believe I have not in any essential^particular. These things he believed^when his intellectual faculties were at^their best; these things he still be^^lieved when bent and gray; theie^things he did not recant in the hour of^death, when, at last, he had reachel^eternity's portal. And, be it said,^that there are some whose minds are^freer because he has lived and died,^and because he died as he had lived.
Heis dead. He knows not anything.^He sleepeth, to be forever unconscious^as the withered leaf that is wafted by^the west wind's breath, plaintive and^sad. He has passed from life into that^elemental realm where nature's alem^^bic works out its wonders, not its^miracles; and with him at rest are^Parwin ami Huxley and Spencer and^Tyndall,^at rest forever and forever-^more.
Atthe Grave.
Earthand the elements now claim^that whiidi they gave, and which is^theirs. Nature makes no permanent^appropriations. From matter and^force comes all, and the law of per^^petuity demands all. It is well.
HOWMANY DIB.
sky.He came to Jefferson City iu the^winter of 1H^H, previously, however,^having spent several years in Colo^^rado. Puling his life he was engaged^in various spheres of activity, having^been I'm a time a ranchman in the vi^^cinity of It.odd.vi. and sometimes he^,'iiisucd the fickle industry .if mining.^He also possessed skill in certain mo^chanical lines. He was a man of great^energy and great perseverance. His^ideas, ami every impulse of his nature,^were progressive. To him there was^no final goal to be notched in thought^or in human achievement, but only^eternal advancement. This, however.^afjf^lie4 to this world only, and to hu^inanity collectively not individually,^^as death, according to his belief is the^last of the individual. That he made^no secret of this and other unpopular^tenets which lie held, pointed to char^acteristies of courage ami self-reliance,^which were marked and dominant traits^ml his life. I'n tense he despised. He^was always generous mid hospitable to^a fault. He would entertain no tol^ i^mice toward the slightest injustice or^wrong. Indeed, I do not believe thai
hewould havmpromised his honor
orbartered his integrity for all the^wealth of all the treasuries of ull the^governments of earth. And this is the^fairest Moshoiii that eun bloom over a^grave. He whose life is nn exemplifi^cation of truth nnd justice and right^is greater than any conqueror or any^king; for thus does one become a thou^^sand^yea, a thousand times I thou^sand, in his influence for good.
Ifmy feeble and halting rhetoric^were otherwise, and could be commen^^surate with the nobility and beauty of
thelife of my counselor and friend,^this tribute would be classic. Often^have the ignoble, the base am) grovel^^ing purchased for a price such praise^as that) which he has earned and won.^Surrounded by these besetting tempta^tions Which are ever inseperable from^pioneer life, he withstood thorn all, and^rose like some towering monolith, ma^jestic, dnfiant.
KnewNo l-uture Life.
Heis gone. No more that electric^thrill courses through the now mam^unite form. Life and miiud. nn inde^pendent entities. are inconceivable;^they can man it est themselves only^when united with a more or less com^^plex stMsais a rasters. And ^) tins
point it should be observed that the^personages of the Old T. st.ainent, who^weic in direct cominnnicat ion with .le-^hovah, knew nothing of a future life.^It is significant that that book follows^its heroes only to the grave; there wan^the last of Modes, of David, of Samuel.^^ Pust thou art, to dust leturnent,^Win not spoken of the soul^^^Believe it not liecause Longfellow^has sung it; Longfellow wins a poet,^but not always a logician
5panof Life Is Brief.
Brief,indeed, is the spau of a hu^^man life. Its morning, with radiant^glow in the eastern skv. soon passes^into the full brilliance and splendor of^noon; and swift and ever swifter when^the shadows have begun to lengthen,^falling backward limn life's meridian,^it speeds on to its western haven, on^to the gates of peace and rest, on to^the land where Lethe is king. We^listen for a whole to the rapturous
Therecords of murder, maiming and^destruction of property by the rail^^roads of the United States for the^quarter ended September .10, 1*07, have^been printed by all the newspapers in^the country.
Youprobably read them.
Pidyou realize what you were read^^ing t
Hereis the record of 90 days:^One thousand, three hundred and^thirty-nine human beings were killed.^In 90 days.
Twenty-onethousand, seven hundred^and twenty four were maimed.^In 90 days.
Two hundred and twenty two pas^senger trains ran off the track.^In 90 days.
Threehundred and twenty collisions^occurred.^In 90 days.
Fourthousand two hundred and sev^^enty-nine accidents occurred to as many^trains.
la90 days.
Nowdo you realize what it means I^Once in every two hours somebody
waskilled.
Oncein six minutes somebody was
maimed.
Onceevery thirty minutes a train^was wrecked.
Onceeach minute $20 worth of prop^^erty was utterly lost from the nation's^wealth.
Andthis goes mi, night and day.
Ifyou go to a theater ami stay the e^two hours and a half it doesn't seem^like a long time, does it f Yet while^you have been amused one murder has^been done. M people have been struck^down, five trains have lieen wrecked^and over $3,000 of waste has been^committed. The Bulletin.
SOCIALISTSSTIR^OLD PARTIES^TO ACTION
COMBINATIONSARE MADE TO
Defeatthe Socialist Majority on^County Board in Milwaukee.
Wisconsin.
MOREPATRIOTISM.
WomauBelieves All Boys Should Salute^Policemen.
Schoolchildren should be taught^to salute policemen,^ said Mrs. K.I^ward Kobv at a luncheon given bv tin^Woman's Athletic club a few evenings^ago in far off Chicago town.
Thewife of the governor was the^guest of honor, and Mrs. Kobv wns one^of the principal speakers. The latter^declared that ^the police forces of^the cities should appeal to Americans*^as being among the patriotic orgnniza^tions.
Ves,it's a fine idea. Let it be en^aided into law immediately. What an^imposing spectacle it will be to see^school children stand to ^attention^^add ^salute^ as a big fat policeman^goes by guarding a scab who has taken^the place of the father of one or more^of the children when the father has^been compelled to strike for living^wages I
(loahead. Make it as ridiculous as^you can. Perhaps the workers will be^able to see it yet.^Exchange.
Asthe Milwaukee Social Democrat*^grow more formidable, the Milwaukee^republicans and democrats are becom^^ing more friendly to each other. The^two old parties are coming to aa^understanding that they must work to^^gether if they hope to defeat the^growth of socialism. Says the Mil^^waukee Sentinel (republican): ^It is^understood that the six republican and^four democratic members of the new^county board have tacitly agreed to^get together on all propositions re^^lating to the welfare of their re^^spective parties and by this means de^^feat the Social Democrat!.- members of^the board. The Social Democrats are^six in number. This would indicate a^sufficient majority to carry before it^most propositions in which a split be^^tween republicans and democrats might^result. In consequence thereof the^two older parties have agreed on a^friendly understanding, the republicans^to throw their influence toward demo^^cratic measures in return for demo^^cratic support on republican measures.^This arrangement is understood to^have been made quietly without the^intervention of a caucus.^ Further^comment is unnecessary The anti-^Socialist party^the capitalist party^^is beginning to shape itself I
Themeeting of the Civic societies of^Molwaukee last Tuesday turned out to^be a lively occasion. The capitalistic^interests have been trying to use thee*^civic f. derations as a means for propa^^gating their reactionary schemes, bat^they are not meeting with great sae-^cess. The Social-Democrats were on^band last Sunday, and gave sonic ea-^lightening statements on municipal^ownership, the referendum and initia^^tion and kindred subjects. A rseohs-^tion was proposed that a committee of^five be appointed to represent the civic^federations at the approaching Mil^^waukee charter convention and use^their influence to have the initiation,^and referendum incorporated in the^new charter. This resolution was op^^posed by the capitalistic dements.^After a long and interesting discussion^the resolution was laid over till the^next meeting, and Socialist Berger,^Thompson and (iaylord were invited to^attend and speak on the initiation,^referendum and recall. Thus the open-^minded portion of the public is strong^^ly inclined to investigate the principle*^and tactics of the Social Democracy.
TheItalians are coming our way in^Milwaukee. They have started a^Social-Democratic organization and are^proceeding to make good earnest^propaganda in Rose's pet wsrd, the^^Bloody Third.^ The Italian priests^are bitterly opposing the spread of^socialism. On election day the brother^of one of these priests severely kicked^and seriously injured one of the^Italian comrades who wss peaceably^explaining the principles of socialism.^But this violent |h rse. ution is only^stirring up the comrades to greater^festivity.
BIOCO OPERATIVE PLAN.
Ifplans now about completed by thc-^Chicago Federation of Labor work out^successfully co operative stores for thf^distribution of products direct from^the farmer to the consumer will soon^he established in every section of this^city. The plans contemplate the pur^chase of a large number of grocerv^stor.h in different parts of Chicago,^retaining the present proprietors asi^managers at u fixed salary, and a per^^centage on all sales over a certain^amount each month.
Acentral warehouse is to be estab^^lished to which the goods will bo^shipped by the fsrmcrs and from them^they will be distributed to the various
branchhouses. The gIs will be sol I
st the prevailing market prices, but
purchaserswill he entitled each utb
toa rebate, according to the amount^purchased and the profits made.
Theproject will be managed by the^international Kuuitv union, compose!^of the organized farmers and the local^laboT bodies. The new organi/.ation^has already received its charter of cor^poration and is prepared to issue char^ters to the various local branches.
Socialismig the collective owner^ship of the musses of the production^and distribution of woslth.
Itis a systematic method of carry^ing on the industries of the world.