Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-02-16
WALTER G. CHANDLER, PUBLISHER
SensatiOnaIlsm.

executing anu SENSATIONAL. 1uedIeTS, uline
museums, circuses, dancing bears. med
icine men, spiritualistic mediums, faith
cure apostles, christian science lecturers
an vulgar reyivalists draw the crowd
as the magnet draws the iron. From
the earliest times, manias of various
kinds have attacked the people like
pestilence, and the authority of the law
which is common sense and reason, has
alone been able to check these strange
manifestations. The history Of demon
ology reveals much that serves to throw
light on certain peculiar manifestations
of the present day, that would otherwise
seem unaccountable and unnatural.
The same exhibitions are here now,
though we no longer believe in their
demon origin. In the 14th century,
what is called the dancing mania, !
ran through Prussia and the Neither
lands. Amid the festivities Of a mid
summer. day at Aix-la, Chapelle, a
troop Of men and women from the
country, rushed into the city and began
to dance in the churches and squares.
Apparently unconscious of spectators
they violently danced till they sank
down exhausted. In this state they saw
spirits Of divers shapes. Incredulous
spectators who came to scoif, seized by
an irresistible impulse, remained to
dance The epidemic spread like wild
fire, till the mass Of all the people in
the cities and towns were jogging like
10 many deryishes, and many fell dead
in their ecstatic dance. This was a
religious mania they danced TO St.
John, but when it got abroad
that the authorities had decreed banish-
ment of all SO attacked, the enthusiasts
concluded that the road to salvation lay
some other way.
In the fifteenth century ono Of the
nuns in convent in Cambria bit an
other nun. 1t became Immediately an
epidemic Each nun bit every other
nun and the ''biting mania spread
from convent TO convent through France
and Germany. For four years the
nuns bit each other right and left, but
the police came with scourges and
whipped them from their converts anC
restored their equilibrium. In Salem
strange spells and contortions fell upor
certain Of the inhabitants, and The
eminent clergymen said ut is a specia
effort OF the devil TO gain victory oyel
the saints, and gave their spiritua
sanction to the execution Of ninetcer
witches, doing the Lords service there
by. The passion Of limitation lead
the world into great follics
But these things were years ago
Very well, and what do we see now
Manias equally absurd, showing tina
the multitude are still under the domin
ion Of the supernatural and are still
dupes of clever sharpers or wild thee
rists and fanatics. Let man come
into town, long haired and loud mouthet
and with great show Of mya tory, ptol
his tent and cry out his medicines; le
a spiritualist come and offer the public
direct communication with the unseel
world by means Of mumeries and rap.
in table drawers; let a faith cure discipl,
vend the healing Of his hands, Will
PRAYER; let the christian scientist ofel
your immaterial entity, healing for thC
immaterial broken bones of your i'm
material leg; let . man who confesses
himself naturally a person of low asso.
citation and instincts, but who finds that
ready tongue and some dramatic
power will stand him in good stead in q
certain field, come ar o.ler TO show
YOU the way to heaven, with the priv
ilege Of shaking his hand after each
sermon; let any one g these things
come into town and half the people
lose their heads at once. There acere
manias, there are manias. The major
ity of people don't stop TO question, is
this thing reasonable? Is this man
worthy Of confidence Most lives run
on in ruts and whatever breaks the
monotony, is eagerly sought after.
Such things have demoralizing ef
on a community, and only when ps5lia
sentiment shall set itself against sg>..
sensational performances win the moral
tone Of the masses be elevated