The Worthington advance., 1879-05-22
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.

w Orld, It seems, think thatas MIR. ik:
has become a spiritualist he is unfit for
the position Of School Superintendent |
and should he removed. The Sun ia
vors his retention, while the Tribune |
and Times are non-committal as to his
although the Times says the
fact that a man is a Spiritualist is not
evidence that he is unfit to discharge
any public duty, since there is nothing
in the belief that makes it unreasonable
in itself or not in entire consonance
with the prevailing religious faith of
the times.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press, the St.
Paul Globe, and the Minneapolis Tri-
bune have also devoted considerable
space to the consideration of Riddles
position, if not of his book, all of them
showing a lamentable lack of acquaint-
ance with the subject of Spiritualism
and throwing the usual sop to the
church and social Cerberus. The Pio-
neer Press, for example, with charac-
site policy. receives a communication
taking issue with it's views on the SUBJ
ject, which it declines to publish, but
makes one extract and replies to that.
1t says:
On general principles, however, we
think it safe to assume that a man who
labors under the DIT lusion that he has
been receiving communications from
spirits of the other world, is a little
cracked.
A day or two later, however, the Pi-
oneer Press says:
Spiritism, to be sure, assumes immor-
tality and the existence of Il world of
spirits, which are cardinal doctrines of
every religion; it also avows tile posi-
bility OF PERSONAL communication be-
tween the living and the departed, which
few will presume to deny.
Is this an appeal from Phillip drunk
to Phillip sober, or vice versa? Was
tie Pioneer Press in earnest in saying
that those who believe in spirit COM
munication ''are little cracked" or
was it in earnest in saying that ''few
will presume to deny" such communi.
cation? Was the Pioneer Press IL lit
tie cr;.rke:l' when it made this latter
! admission or w;ls it not?
Let us look Il little at the list of the
| 'cracked," or those who believe that
| they have received communications
from the spirit world.
Take the Bible record which the
churches profess to believe. Among
the ''cracked'" as there recorded, were
Abraham, Isaac, jacob, Moses, Job,
Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah,
iavid, and, in New Testament
times, Christ, the prince of all of them,
who lived III constant communication
with spirits; John the Baptist. Simeon,
Peter and all the rest of the disciples;
Pa il and all the apostles; and, in fact,
all the early Christians, with scarcely
a single exception.
Following OH down to latter times,
vast majority Of the ''s;,ints'' of the
church received communications from
spirits. Joan of Arc was in daily CON-
mnnication with spirits who inspired
her to save France. Roger Bacon, from
whom Lord Bacon took the ideas of his
great work, lived in constant commu-
nication with spirits. Emanuel Swe-
denborg received his voluminous works
from the spirit-world.
Among the more prominent persons
who in our day believe that they have
received communications from spirits
and are therefore "a little cracked. y
are the Emperor of Germany, the Gar
of Russia, Queen Victoria, the Prince
of Wales, the Princess Alice who is a
medium, the late Emperor Napoleon,
and, among scientists, Professors Wal.
lace, Varley, Zollner, Fechner, Schei-
Der and Buttlerof; Fichte, the great
Metaplysician, etc. Among others are
Aksakoff, minister Of the Car, Victor
Hugo, Gerald Massey, Mrs. Brc WI ing
and host Of literary lights.
In our own country, the name of the
"cracked" is legion. VIM. Loyll Gar.
rison, John Pierpont, Horace Greeley,
Robt. Dale Owen, Judge Edmunds, b.
F. Wade, Senator Talmadge, Prof.
Hare, DR.. Child, Prof. Buchanan, DR.,
PEBBLES, Hudson Tuttle. Judge Tilden,
] Judge McAllister, U. $. Minister to
China Jewell, Secretary of War McCra.
ry, Prof Stowe who is a medium, Rev.
elias. Beccher, Rev. DR.. Watson, of
Memphis, and host of the finest intel
lects and purest characters III the coun.
try, were and are firm believers in the
fact that they were and are in commu.
nication with departed spirits.
| Moreover, we assert that thousands
and tens of thousands Of tile church
members Of t,-day, who are too timid
t. arow III" fact. are living liz the con.
>taEt ir lief that they are cunllnunicat.
lHy vii II ;Inii *,:;'t TREND, On the oti,
rt :'i'',' AMI ur:' ~ All J: ts,.ts and pu;
oNS :~::!'i,!.ai:-:s.
| Nc :::i" t'irH: "" Facts, not as a pro.
|a";''!di:!. ';''i b'r"'l>'' they are tt,ct
'l:'l lnr :t,:2:' y" t'i1 X that ne wslarers
at least rI':~~i: , ;,e f:!! :,li'! not lAudr,
to popular ;;ej1tce basel upon popu
| lar iync! d,:ce and clerical rule.
! FiiIS or Il LIRkR.iL
fD1roN ADVANCE: In tie article
which you copied from the Picnce,
! Press in defense Of Liberal aud Practi
Cal C;H istianty, 1 wish to say u few
words, rs [ fully endorse tie writer's
sentiments as far us religion is concern
ed, but not altogether his proposed pol
icy to remedy the evil. TO undertake
to liberal;Ze the Orthodox church he
will tird no easy matter, however hu
initiating it may be to be run over and
denounced by set of superstitious big
| OTIS Nevertheless we shoull ho ,r,