Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-17
"MAfERIALIsM, >
Some Recent Press Opinions upon the
Suhiect

Some Recent Press Opinions upon the
Subject.
A medical pretender was recently ar
rested in Brooklyn on charge of fraud, it
appearing that he had enjoyed very ex-
tensive patronage from all classes, whom
he had deceived and swindled. 1t was the
old story of human credulity, renewed in
every passing generation. The capacity
for accepting whatever is spurious in heal.
ing arts and in religion has never been
measured. But in this more realistic age,
when all theories and all beliefs are chal.
lenged, it does not appear that this capa-
city for accepting what is spurious IN the
place of what is true has been much
abridged. The most ignorant of medical
pretenders never was more secure IN his
patronage. The grosser forms OF deception
were never more prominent than now.
The capacity for detecting shams and
frauds is given only to the few. The
greater number take everything on trust.
An illustration of this capacity has recently
been furnished by former journalist on this
coast, who was evidently the victim one of
the grossest forms OF deception ever practised
on simple and credulous people. After
the deception had been exposed by a num-
Der of witnesses, this man, clinging to his
delusion, resorts to the public journals to
defend his belief and the parties who had
imposed upon him, taking care at the same
time to berate those who had taken any
interest in exposing the fraud. The psy-
Geological condition of mind which has
this amazing receptivity for shams and
outrageous frauds is one of the curious
problems of the day. The outlines Of dis
ordered mental action are sometimes very
obscure But in this instance there is very
little obscuIity. In large number of cases
of mental alteration there is a sound judg-
ment in respect to many things, and un-
soundness with respect to many others.
Nearly all persons who have the capacity
for credulity become sooner or later the
victims of this morbid condition. 1t grows
upon them. They come to have faith in
whoever "loveth and maketh lie. "-[San
Francisco Bulletin.
We have but little sympathy for inno-
cent victims of so utterly unreasonable
and transparent humbug as we know
this ching to be. If there was no
other evidence of the fraud of spiritualism
than the kind of women who practice it,
and the men who aid them, this would of
itself be sufficient to stamp the whole
business with crime. The wisdom OF ages
has never been able to draw aside the cur
tains that guard the mysteries of the future
world, or move upon their imponderable
hinges the gates that guard its eternal 81
lence. Listening angels at the keyhole of
heavens entrance have not been able to
bear down to gossiping priest or inquiring
,~%a
the man of culture and the lady of refine
ment, father and mother, will climb to the
third-story of a vile tenement, mingle with
a bad smelling mob of vulgar men and
women in dirty room, dimly lighted, to
meet their dead child, fresh from the COM
partnership of purified ones. The mother
will take upon her knees, and fold to her
embrace in tears and love, the father bend.
ing over with kisses, little harlot,
coached by an older strumpet, to imper-
senate the material essence of their dead
daughter. 1t ia careless guardianship,
unworthy of eternal vigilance, that would
permit the pure spirit of dead innocence to
leave heavens dormisory for a night-lark
among the spiritusliets Of San Francisco.
Naturalization in such society would be
most dangerous experiment for the
spirit of an honest girl. There is
but one kindly excuse for the men
and women who we know are deluded by
these most burgling knaves, and who have
become;their dupes, and that is insanity"
When the man or woman allows himself or
herself to begin to believe in the super
natural, that moment they begin to drag
the intellectual anchor through immoral
hell in ha tJ1ra or
in the happening of events that cannot be
explained by any known law of nature, be-
comes the slave and victim of superstitious
decisions at war with common sense. The
only charitable Interpretation to be put
upon their illusion is to credit them
with mind distraught. In comparison
with these spiritualists and all their tricks,
played in dark rooms with sliding. panels,
masks and false faces, the ski!lful presti.
digitator, practicing his artful jugglery of
cheating necromancy in the open light, is
infinitely the higher intellectual display
the thimble-rigger, or the three-card monte
dealer, is upon the higher moral plane.
Hence, we say, the Chronicle has rendered
humanity good service In exposing these
knavish adopts and credulous idiots who
practice and are practiced upon by Spirit
ualists and spiritualism.-[Th The Argonaut.
The Monitor publishes an article calling
attention to a pretended spirit communica-
ton, alleged, by Mind and Matters Phil
adelphia Spiritualist paper-to have been
received recently from q Catholic girl in
spirit land who, in life, resided in Santa
Barbara. 1t is given as showing the bitter
hatred which these "infidel and impudent
charlatans have of the Catholic Church,
which is ever the implacable foe of infidel77
i'll which they attempt to influence young
Catholics who, from curiosity, sometimes
attend their witch circles and peruse their
mendacious journals. This pretended
communication from the spirit land pur-
ports to be from Catherine McKais, and
the substance OF the matter if that she had
been brought up Catholic, and had in
life devoted her time chiefly in instruct
ing young children in the foolish
ness of that religious belief" and
she had now returned to confess that
her whole life thus employed was "worse
than useless to humanity, "hopingsthat this
confession of her error would be the means
of saving others from similar course of
life. The editor of Mind and Matter, a
man named Roberts, as is stated, Endorsed
this evident fraudulent communication as
genuine, and says: Here was devout
and sincere Catholic girl, who devoted her
time to ipstilling into the minds of little
children the bigoted ideas that constitute
the teachings of Catholic Christianity.
Catherine McKais has truthfully testified
that Catholicism and Christianity are de.
fusion and a snare to the feet of those who
walk in the paths in which she mistakenly
walked" etc. 1t will be remembered that
Mind and Matter is the paper which pub
lished Mr.. Parsons and other communica-
tions defending the fraudulent Mrs. Rey-
nnlds' naturalization nerformances. The