New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-15
A SPIRITUAL DETECTOR.
THE PATENT-oFFlCE DECIDING RELIGIOUS
QUESTIONS,


Is PATENTABLE REFUSED A PATENT.
70 tAe Rditor OF The Trfbune.
sm: Us an Examiner of the United States Patent
rce in yirtue OF his position there, competent or
.onstitutionsl Judge Of religious mattersf Ana
,-obt he 20 be suffered TO decide religious ques-
Hons eyen without appeal to the Commissioner
Mes such a question seem to you superfinousf
Probably. Yet il is o question that mas come up
onite recently in practical FORM and which mas 10
he looked To and settled Gen. Lippitt, now OF
ranbridre. but formerly favorably-known and
successful lawyer in San Francisco. where ne raseo
n regiment of volunteers during the war hled an APP
pIication last June for patent for what he calls
new Psychic Stand and Detector." Thefunctonof
this invention, set forth by the applicant Is that
eS spelling out words and sentences usually called
tpirituaD communications, through an alphabet not
only invisible to the operator but the very location
of which he cannot know y and thus if the operator
resort to imposture to detect him in 80 doing The
application was rejected in O communication
without date received Sept 8; and the refusal was
twice reiterated In reply to rgumentave letters OF
the applicant protesting against the reasons assigned
for rejection. The device was admitted TO De
noyep and so far patentable. The reason gwen Tor
rejection in the first letter, u.s. 1.-The office cannot
concede the truth Of spiritualism as, though m
dividua scientists may, applicant says havegven
the phenomena some attention, scientific men as
body or in any great numbers have never conceded
their reality" 1t is added. perhaps with intention
10 soften the refusal that the Office is disposed to
believe that as q Game Table. or means Of amuse-
ment, the device might be more fayorably viewed"
But Ina that case q new specification is demanded,
m which "all allusion to the Of the device by
mediums should be avoided"
When pressedlby the applicant on the ground that
the Investigation which his invention seeks to alu
lis a legitimate one, whether the object OF those
pursuing it he to demonstrate the existence OF an
occult natural force TO obtain experimental PROOF
of the existence of the soul after DEATH or finally 10
show that the phenomena are all caused py lLnpoS'
ture,n the Examiner says. under date OF Sept 10
Thus FAR these alleged facts have almost entreiy
ahunned the cool scrutiny of intellect alone and
furthermore. much trouble ard sorrow have been
caused the delicate or young by the excitement
,aturally pertaining to the investigation Of such
tremendous 'pretensons"-wh reasons, together
with the fact that the phenomena are uncertain,
variable and inconstant,' have led the Office TO
adhere to ts refusal to grant patent for the inven
zion, except under the restrictions indicated"
In his final letter September "a, the Examiner de-
plares the non-patentabiity of the invention, not
alone on the ground of lack Of utility but as having
tendency TO the production OF injurious results IN
society. under any aspect in which the device may
this decision of his is not under the rule, deemed
appealable"-to the Commissioners, he must mean;
Cor he admits that 10y payment of ten dollars the
eaae NAV be taken TO the Board Of Examiners
ta-Chiefn Gen. Lipptt. in his replies asserts the
importance of his invention rejects the proposal TO
have it regarded toy, sends the required Fee APP
peals to the Board: and so the matter stands. In
all this the Commissioner himself does not appear,
except in formally transmitting the decisions of his
Examiner in tho matter of the application for
Patent for improvement on Game Tables"
Nor does the sole responsible person give his name
Let US suppose il to be Smith.
Here then, we have the case. Millions Of persons
throughout the civilized world (but their rights
would be.the same if they were thousands only be-
heye that under certain conditions and in virtue Of
certain ntemundane laws, the denizens of the next
world NAV communicate with the inhabitants OF
this; and they regard the power thus to comuiuni-
cate as the most eectual check to the materialisn
Of the age. The applicant. without deciding whether
such communications due to q natural mundane
force or TO mposture proofs OF life to come
proposes to eliminate element from the inquiry
20 that the student of these phenomena may secure
himself against wilful deception the part of the
Psychic or Medium Thereupon the Examiner de-
slares that any device intended to afford such Sc
surity is not useless only but injurious TO society.
Unless we are unreasonable enough to sup
pose Mr.. Examiner Smith an imbecile, we can
come but to one conclusiOn-namey, that he re-
CARDS any one who is studying the question of the
experimental evidences of immortality as engaged
In a mischievous inquiry. Considering the present
religious condition lOf the civilized world that is
certainly q very remarkable opinion.
The members of the Evangelical Alliance during
their recent session admitted and deeply depored the
increase and wide range of Materialism, aud sought
From 9TH mt
we have corroborative testimony to the effect;
ms from an official report religious worship, made
December 6, 1853, to the Registrar General of
England. There read:
'There is sect, originated lately, oahed Secular
ists their chief tenet being that the fact OF future
life Din their view susceptible Of some degree Of
doubt while the fact and necessities OF present life
matters Of direct sensation it is prudent TO attend
eusyey 10 the concerns OF that existence which
san not wasting energies in preparation
FOR remote merely possible, contingencies This is
creed which probably with most oIactness indicates
the faith which, virtually though not professedy Is he'd
ey Ae Of working population" page 7s)
And the writer adds speaking specially of artisans
and other workmen:
1T is sadly that this vast. intelligent, and
srowingly important section OF countrymen
thoroughly esranged from our religious institutions in
their presentaspect"
AS to another influential class not in England and
on the European COatinent only but in
country Bishop who is held in deseryedly high
timation by the orthodox body to which he belongs
stated 10 me his conviction that evidences Of infide
Atty are daily multiplying among intelligent men
adding that he had lately heard Professor of Har
ward College express the opinion that tbreo-fourths
Of our chief scientific men were unbelievers.
Now l. and millions MORE lamenting this prevalent
skepticism, and believing that there is no human
hat hiuY futf tata