The Worthington advance., 1879-01-09
THE VIEWS 0FAlv EN1HLLI0ENTMAN

EDITOR ADVANCE: For several years
ADVANCE LII return for the money
which have paid on. subscription I
have regularly received, your paper and
I consider that I have received the
worth of my money, 50 that there is no
further obligation on either side. say
this much, Mr.. Editor, because wish
to make it apparent to you that do
not claim to have any right, directly
or indirectly, to interfere in matter
which is your own exclusive business
the manner of conducting your own
paper. But it is as a.well-wisher Of the
ADVANCED that / wish to enter my pro-
test against its being diverted from the
legitimate objects of the class Of jour-
mails to which it belongs, and made the
exponent and disseminator Of views and
ideas which do not properly come with
III its province. The history of jour-
nalism clearly shows that when Sec
ular paper takes up and persists i'll any
pet hobby, no matter of what 'ology.
ism or 'idee,' it may consist, it is al
ways injurious ana frequently fatal to
ular ism which for some time past has
been made the special feature Of the
ADVANCE has its known and recogniz-
ed publications, and those eaders who
desire that kind of literature should be
obliged to seek it where it properly be-
longs and not have it served up to them
through the columns of a weekly news
paper to the annoyance and dissatisfac-
ton OF large portion of its readers.
From personal knowledge, can testify
that some of the latest numbers Of the
ADVANCE have in this respect, been
the cause Of much regret to many of its
friends and OF satisfaction to its enc
mics. Your talents and usefulness us
il journalist are recognized and apprc-
ciated by large majority of the people
of Mobiles county and if you will ex-
clude the obnoxious subject here refer
red to from its columns and devote the
space to matters of general interest the
best interests of the ADVANCE will un-
doubtedly be subserved. p.
WELLS, Dec. 81, 1878.
Accompanying the above communi-
cation was money order to pay for a
years subscription in advance. We
wish to commend the spirit of this real
ly intelligent friend Of the paper, for
while differing from us upon some of
the views we hold, and Object ing in a
gentlemanly way to some Of the matter
which appears in our columns. y. he does
not undertake to punish US by will
drawing his support.
In reply to our friend, we will say
that we throw our columns open to the
public for the discussion of any legiti-
mate subject whatever, whether relig-
ious, scientific, philosophical, political,
Or what not. Many have availed them
selves Of this privilege, and We have
published communications pro and con
upon a variety of subjects. No harm
can possibly come from this. Jefferson,
said that ''error is never dangerous
when truth is left free 10 combat it,
The friend who writes the ab v. let-
ter, we know, appreciates this rs much
as any reader Of the ADVANCE, and it
would please us greatly, if, instead OF
desiring to see certain subjects exclud-
ed, he would combat what he thinks is
all error through our columns. No
ore o. the Mt m 'rons correspondents OF
10 ADVANCE could do so with more
ability and intelligence than himself.
Our columns are open. will our friend
avail himself Of the privilege to write?
Although our correspondent does not
mention the subject directly, our read
ers cannot fail to see that he refers to
the articles we have been publishing
upon the tabood subject of Spiritual
ism. But our friend will please re-
member that we publish articles on both
sides, and give the opponents Of this
new-old ism full swing, requiring only
that they use proper language and avoid
personalities. Can we do better than
this? Would our friend object if We
did as Hee-fourths Of the secular jour
nails do, viz: publish, but one side and
that against Spiritualism? Is it not
the only proper and fair thing for /;
public journal to do, to give both sides
a hearing, and thus arrive at truth by
free and full investigation?
Our friend will nmember that the
Spiritualists claim from 10000, 900 tc
$4,000, 600 adherents in America and rs
many more in Europe, and that II ese
millions are testifying to the facts the,
have witnessed with us much earnest
ness and suber certainty as the Apostles
and early Christians manifested in tes
tifying to spirit manifestations i'm theil
day. Shall we. because the churches
and the materialists taboo the subject
join with the dogmatic and bigoted
and ignore one Of the greatest claim:
of the age?
If spirit communication is a fuct
that fact is just as legitimate a subject
for consideration and discussion az
Astronomy, Geology, or any science
which deals with facts. If pl,1ioso
ply or religion is based upon this fact
then that philosophy or religion is just
as proper and as legitimate subject
for consideration in public journal, a:
any other philosophy or religion. l
the subject is unpopular with certain
classes, that is no reason why it SHOULD
not he discussed, and that it is unpop
ular ought not deter a public journal
especially one protesting to be indie
pendent from discussing it.
AS to those articles which we hav
copied from tie Cincinnati Enquirer
N. Y. Sun, Chicago Times. and othe
papers, we haye before said that it i
Just as prelse: for weekly newspape
to publish such articles us it is for
daily to do so. The secular jonrnal
which ignore such facts because dog
matte clergy and dogmatic scientist
pronounce against them, we think III
cowardly and time-serving. Truth ca