The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-04-09
Jhe Democratic Adrutate.
Extraordinary Prophecy.

On the 9th of March the Baltimore Her.
uld published what purported to be an ex-
traordinary prophecy obtained expressly
for that paper by its New York correspon-
dent. This so-called prophecy, the Herald
says, created such widespread comment
and such ",cAolesale demand for the pa
per-. that, in order to crafty the general
wish, it was republished on the Sd of April
Other papers have Published it also, and
we hear it has occasioned some consterna-
ton among such as are credulous enough
to attach any importance to it. The pro-
phecy begins by sayiug-"A Professor
Grimmer thinks the four great planets,
Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, are
going to play havoc with US this year.
From 1881 to 1887 will be one universal
carnival of death There will be plague,
pestileuce and famine, aud ne part of the
earth will escape The air and the water
will be poisonous; the flesh of animals
and fish will be unfit for food there will
be earthquakes, tempests and connections
on land and sea; thousands will become
insane from fear, and millions will perish
from off the earth, and great deal more
of the same sort.
1t might be thought strange that so abb
surd and extravagant conception as this
should find any one to believe it. Il is
not at all strange that any one should have
strung together predictions Of such dire
calamities, when it is remembered that
the first business of the conductor of
penny daily is to make it SELL The
key to this extraordinary prophecy may be
found 10 the words VIC have italicised
above-"a tcAoIcsGJe demand for tie pa
per. To occasion that wholesale demand
is the probable origin of the prophecy.
The love of gain had much more to do
with it than the influence Of Jupiter,
Uranus, Neptune and Saturn. Greed Of
gain viii cause men to prostitute their tai
ents aud everything else to the business of
money getting. The sensational press must
make its issues 'go, no matter what hap
pens no matter what number Of creduloas
people may be terrified by fear and almost
bereft Of their senses. Persons Of easy
creduiity DO not stop to question such
marvcls or to inquire into their origin or
improbability. This wonderful revelation
was obtained expressly fer the Herald by
It's New ork correspondent. Aud where
did the correspondent &C; il? What
highly favored mortal did this corrospon-
den, stumble upon, who had been priv
legged, beyond his fellow men, to look With
the vision Of seer into the future ?
Why. oae Professor Grimmer. Fir name
for sensation mcngeT, for srirumer
prophecy never was put forth to brighten
the eredu'ous aud Supplemented Prof.
Grimmer--the pscudonym for the creation
Of he phrenetic brain Of some haTam-
seaTum penny.a-liaer-the author Of this
n,oestrum ko,TeadaD, which makes chill
dreas hair to stand on eud. Aud all this
dire mishap to fow from astral influence
as if the pretensions of astrolosy had not
long since been relegaled to the realms OF
mad men faneies aud the dreams offools.
Il is the province Of the press to entertain
as well as to instruct its readers; but when
it departs from its legitimate sphere aud
imposes upon their eredulity and alarms
their fears BY the publication Of monstrous
prophecies aud soul-harrowiDg predictions,
its course deserves reprehensioa. Il IS 10
excuse for such newspaper management to
say that publications like this are too ex
travaeant and absurd for intelligent belief
There are many persons who are credulous
enough 70 believe stories even more alb
surd than this pretended prophecy, to
whom they would prove to be source Of
alarm aud unhappiness Coupled With
eredulily there IS love Of the marvellous
IN many minds that renders them easy
victims to anything weird, unusual or
startling, and while the publication Of such
matter may occasion "a wholesale demand
for the paper, such result wiz hardly con-
peusate for the mental distress and apPre-
hension it may prodaee in the minds Of
credulous readers.