The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-05-31
ANOTHER INFAMOUS Law.


with all the space we give to it we find
it difficult to keep up with the nu,ner-
GUS movements and enactments of the
church bigots to deprive others of the
same rights which they enjoy them.
selves.
Tie last Ohio Legislature passed a
law compelling "mediums - to pay a
license of $500 before they could exer-
else their vocation. AS mediums are
the ministers" :" Of the Spiritualists,
this has called forth Il great deal of in
dignant protest. We are glad to see
the Bellefontaine (Ohio) Examiner
speak out III language very similar to
that which the ADVANCE has used for
years, against iniquities Of this kind.
It Says:
.'TIIE RUSSELL BILL.'
In utter ignorance of the extent to
which the new philosophy Of Spiritual
ism is accepted and beli> we'd liz bv the
people Of Ohio, Il bill was passed 10y the
late Republican, Legislature of the State
which will add at least 10000 votes to
the Democratic majority in October.
1t is known us "tle Russell law" and
provides thai in cities ''0f the first
grade of the first class" throughout the
State. !: license nf $500 must be paid by
''astrologists, fortune-.elltrs. mediums,
scers, etc.," (D who propose to con.
tinue their voca ions. This is to lie.
grade Spiritualisln to the level of fraud,
aud to insult the Heightened millions
throughout the country who would not
exchange the consultations they derive
from it. or the hopes with which it
bleSses them, for all the world beside
Spirittalism is not a superstition based
upon fable or Il myth, but il philosorhy
Of fact, born ot knowledge and expert
eEc", and resting upon the evidences of
the SENSES. The Rev. J. d. Shaw. Of
the Waco (Ttxas) Independent Pulpit,
says truly of SpiritmalislD, that it - in
culcates Il very pure and exalted system
OF morals" and that it ''inspires men
with noble aspilati ions in regard to the
future, and not with degrading fears.'
Nevertheless, by all act of the said ig
norant and bigoted Legislature, the
ministers "f Spiritualism are required
to pay Il yearly tax each Of $500.
But what will the twenty thousand
hVpicllCdu ANl'll ~ 'ldIlStS . VI VIC " tSLclu
Reserve say tu this sort of legislation?
This is an aspect of the subject which
the ignorant lawmakers did not con-
slider. Blinded hy bigotry, they have
perrttrattu q folly that will react upon
their party with telling effect ut the
polls. They have, ''y this enactment,
enemies Of religious liberty. and of the
(r.,t inv, ,f Il,
tinately associated with human happi-
ness than any other. Ignored by press
and pulpit. for reasons well understood,
the numerical strength ot the Spiritual
lists III the country was an unknown
quantity to the trainers and supporters
"f this Infamous Law. Neither was
Their intelligence. rcspec'abiiity, and
political Influence, even Sc much rs
dreamed "t. AS 10 the u.rrlts If the
phenomena placed under bar. the
authors Of tie law were. of course,
us ignorant as Il drove of mules
The law is not only designed to degrade
all Spiritualisls to the level either of
moun!e|'aI,kS and swi ,dleys, or the
;nstrablp dupes of such, hut to stand
bet the ci!lZ"n ;.nd his right to in
yes; iyate manifestations which have
| challenged the attention Of the whole
civilized world, and which to-day are
accepted Ivy milliols of enlightened
| men AMI women rs furnishing proof
positive OF the Immortality of the soul
The B n,ncr ct Light newspaper. the
lea'|i;g organ ot Spiritualism in the
United States. appeals 10 the Spiritu w.
lists of Ohio, asking them t., ''cnme out
in their fh'l strength 1T the polls, and
| make such Il numerical drMonstratirn
against tse offending party us it will
be compelled To respect"
Our Object in this article is not te
vindicat. Spirit u"lsn,-tlat is not our
hnSim SS--but us Il Democrat to protest
against an alarming legislative invasion
of the rights OF citiZ"ns us guaranteed
Ivy the Constitution of the Uni ed
States. The Russell lac IN question Is
u direct Jlcc IN the .fuce tn re'iyirus lib
erty, N"d tn f,'ce''o7n Of conscience, oDin
IN" ond Investigation. Biyotry. as 1t is
encountered in sociul life. shouli be borne
rs l,nti ntly Us possible; but ,chcn it is
attempted to gire it the .fo1m and 1orc'
| IF lar the alarm should be scund'd, n"'
| the wro"g stompcd out ,cith scorn and
Indignation.
This IS good advice. We most de-.
vomtly hope that not only the 30 COO
Republican Spiritualists of the Reserve
but the tens of thouSa Ids in Soutl,ern
Ohio and other parts Of the State will
unite and 1T the next election bury the
Republican party of Ohio so deep that
it will lave to crawl ON it's knees before
it regains power in OHIO. AS we have
often said. niae-tenths of tins kind of
infamous legislation comes from the
preacher ridden, chnrch-rid,len Repub
lican party. And we repeat what We
have so often declared, that on this
rock the once-grand old party is going
to pieces. Le, it be splintered to frag.
ments in every State where it thus
yields to bigots and fanatics.
| yUCA7AN.
The Scientific American recently
published Il very interesting article o,
the discoveries of DR.. Plongeon in Yu
catan. 1t says, lit has been discovered
that there is almost an absolute iden
tity between the language, the manner:
and customs of these prehistoric Yu
catanese and those Of Chaldea, Egypt
uindcstan, Persia, Burmal, and Siam.
Also that Masonry existed with TIT
same symbols, and that mesmcrism ex-
listed among them six thousand year!
ago. This wonld afford Donneliy an
other argument in favor of the sunkel
continent of Atlantis, which gave it.
civilization both east and west.
The article concludes with this re
markable statement:
The Maya language, still spoken il
Yucatan, was also known in man!
parts Of the East. The last words q
Jesus of Nazareth. Elio, Elio, lam,
so,bachthdni, are said to be pure May:
words, and to mean, Nov, now
sink; darkness comes over my face.
| From the narrative IT. vvonl6 soa,,, tho