Professor J.E. Hosmer

From Free Though Magazine, Chicago - 1898: Professor J.E. Hosmer, whose portrait is the frontispiece of this number of this magazine, was born in Durand, Pepin county, Wisconsin, February 17, 1862. His father, whose name was Albert M. Hosmer, was an industrious, hard-working man, who engaged in various occupations-hotel-keeper, ferryman, stage driver, farmer and carpenter. His mother was an intelligent, worthy woman, whose maiden name was Cynthia Earl.

Young Hosmer attended the district public school in Durand and in other towns where his father's work called him. At the age of eighteen he joined the Independent Order of Good Templars and became a zealous advocate of temperance. He afterwards became a member of the lodge of that order at Rock Falls, Wis., when his father was a farmer near there.

At Rock Falls, by accident, he learned that some of the members of the order were hypocrites, "drinking behind the door," as the saying is, and he was so disgusted with such hypocrisy that he exposed them, and fifteen members, including the Worthy Chief Templar, were compelled to acknowledge that they had violated the pledge they had taken. They were each again reobligated, but the shock was so great that it destroyed the lodge, and it was never again resurrected.

When young Hosmer returned to live at Durand he renewed his membership in the Durand Lodge, became an active member, and was elected Worthy Chief Templar. And, by the way, most of those hypocritical members were either Christians or sons of Christian parents, or believers in the Christian creed, and this episode had a tendency to shake Mr. Hosmer's faith in the efficacy of the Christian religion. Professor Hosmer has always continued to be a zealous advocate of temperance. He never drinks intoxicating liquor, tea or coffee, and has no use for tobacco.

Mr. Hosmer was always very skeptical as to orthodox theology, but when twenty-three years of age he was inveigled into the church by a skillful young preacher.

September 1, 1885, Mr. Hosmer was married to Minnie M. Page, the oldest daughter of Hiram and Mary Page. Mr. Page was a popular dentist. The union proved such a happy one that the husband has great admiration for the marriage institution and could not be persuaded to say anything against it. His intelligent wife is fully in sympathy with him in his reformatory work, and together they labor for humanity in the most cordial harmony.

When Mr. Hosmer became a Christian convert he united with the Congregational Church, and in accordance with his earnest, enthusiastic nature, went to work with great zeal to build up the church. But the trouble with him was, he had an inquiring mind, and sound reasoning powers, and he found it impossible to smother his doubts and do as most of the members of the church did, take whatever the minister said as matter of fact, without thought or investigation.

He says: "I tried to smother my doubts; I prayed over them, and this caused me great mental anguish, and finally I felt compelled to tell my wife that I should have to withdraw from the church." The preacher -urged him to remain in the church, even if he could not believe the creed, but young Hosmer was not born a hypocrite, and even his "conversion" had failed to make him one. He was compelled to be true to his honest convictions, and, regardless of consequences, he withdrew from the church and became a free man.

Shortly after this he was chosen principal of the public school at Stockholm, Wis., and after serving the people in that capacity for some time he decided to take Horace Greeley's advice, "Go west, young man." He and his young wife went to the new state of Oregon and together they taught the Tillamook City school for two years and then both attended the Oregon State Normal School, where they each graduated in 1893, with deserved honors and high-grade standing, receiving the title B.S.D.

They then taught school at Bandon, Ore., one year, after which they visited their old home in Wisconsin, returned to Oregon in 1895, and Mr. Hosmer was elected pastor of the First Secular Church of Oregon, located At Portland. He lectured for that church until June, 1896, when he resigned that position and became the editor of "The Torch of Reason," for the special purpose of building up the first Free Thought university that has ever been established in the world.

Such, in brief is an imperfect sketch of the young editor of that recently established Free Thought journal, "The Torch of Reason," issued each week at Silverton, Ore. It will be readily seen that Mr. Hosmer is a young man that the Free Thought public should be proud of-a young man of high moral character, of superior intellectual ability, of high aims and aspirations, and, what is more than all this, has the courage of his convictions and the earnest determination to accomplish much for the benefit of humanity.

He is just the young man that the Free Thought movement needs; in fact, it is in want of many such young men, and also of such noble young women as is his worthy wife. The Free Thought cause is the noblest and grandest movement the world has ever known. All it needs to revolutionize our imperfect civilization is competent, trustworthy, leaders-such leaders as the anti-slavery movement had in this country. We need young enthusiasts, who are possessed of high character, unswerving fidelity, high aims and aspirations, and who are willing to give their lives to the work of regenerating the world.

Mr. Hosmer seems to be that kind of a man, and we feel sure if the Free Thinkers of this country will stand by him with not only their sympathy but with substantial financial aid, that he will not only make "The Torch of Reason" in truth and in fact what the grand name of that paper indicates-a real torch of reason that shall light up the whole country and drive out the bats and owls of superstition, that only nourish in the darkness of supernaturalism. And who knows but that our young and enthusiastic leader may succeed in establishing on a firm basis, on the Pacific coast, a Free Thought university that shall become the light of the world?

From the History of the Catholic Sentinel: "In 1913, the Silverton Journal sent a spy into the Benedictine Sisters' convent at Mount Angel, hoping to get a steamy exposé. When the spy couldn't find any scandal to report, the Journal's editor, J.E. Hosmer, undaunted, made something up. His pamphlet, 'The Escaped Nun from Mount Angel Convent,' or 'The Last Stand of Desperate Despotism,' eventually got him a libel conviction, for which he spent 100 days in jail. He recanted and apologized on his deathbed."