Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-15
SPIRlTU UALISM,
tixtey Picks its Principles to
Pieces.

Nv NOhipihotiOn VI uiOTdt WTeCkS
and half-crazed idiots, who hang JUST
over the borders Of knavery and along
the edges Of irresponsibiIity, who are
known as "spiritualists," bnt who
call themselves by all sorts of absurd
ly grote>que names, have been disap-
pointed of a sensation at the
temple where these immoral
and destructive exhibitions have re-
Gently been made. When more homes
shall have been wrecked, and more
women shall have them dragged
down from their respectable social
positions, more families destroyed,
more persons made lunatic, more
crimes committed, and more deviltry
accomplished in the name of this
sham science, it will be time for the
law to seize and punish the individ-
uals who are making his charlatan-
ism criminal industry. Popular
philosophy" is this business named
by some of its popular adopts it is
esteemed az "a religion" by others,
who yet linger reluctantly along the
border-'in inc between belief in the
teaching Of the Christ an faith
and open infidelity. Not con-
tent to give themselves the
freedom of free-thinkers and the in
diligence Of an absolute denial of all
Christian faith and precept, they
make profession of retaining some
lingering traces of belief in the inn
mortality Of the soul and of future
state, and not satisfied with the
mysticism that hovers around depart.
ing sou 8 and clouds the unknown
land, they undertake to follow the
spirits of the dead in their wander
ings through the spirit realm; they
undertake to solve the unsolvable rid
die that has for all ages defied the
wisdom of mortals; they un6er-
take to draw aside the cur
tains that close around the tomb
and tighten up the shadows
of the unknown land that lies beyond
the grave. If in this vain and bias
phemous endeavor to ex pose the mys-
teries of the unknown, they did not
violate all rules of common sense and
murder all that was rational if they
did not commit the meanest and most
vulgar Of crimes; if they did not
make OF their tricks and ju glery,
their legerdemain and lying devices,
their slate writing and cabinet tricks,
their naturalization and picture
drawing, their giving of advice in the
mining and money market; if they
did not foretell for coin and sell
every trick they have skill to execute,
for gain; if their male leaders were
not charlatans and frauds. swindlers
and robbers, and their female me-
diums women of questionable virtue,
the intelligent world might indulge
itself in curious observance of the
phenomenon, and the Scientific world
stop to consider what seems strange,
because unexplained; but to this
mixed mob of male end female nom
descripts, who meet and hold their
seances in dark and dirty rooms, who
marshal their materialized spirits
through sliding panels and out from
cabinets constructed with all sorts Of
mechanical devices, AID rare
ly done till the admission fee
has been received, and never
in the open light of day, what
wonder is it that rational world
laughs at their pretensions of "phil-
osophy" and sneers at their claim of
religion? The world could well af-
ford to regard with disdain and con-
tempt this last and most modern
effort of charlatanism, if only the un-
witted and unwise were engaged in it !;
but when it is found to be conven-
lent field of industy for the practice of
criminal devices for robbing the cred
ulous, the ignorant and the simple, it
becomes matter Of public concern
and should interest 60, ,ernmental
authority in devising laws to punish
the knaves and protect the fools. We
look about us and see no men, or
women, Of intellectual capacity, un-
blemished reputation, and high moral
character, who have thrown over this
widespread humbuggery the protec-
ton OF their names; in the scientific
world no high authority has permitted
himself to give to modern spiritualism
the sanction Of his endorsement; no
church, nor reputable branch of any
church, has found in it anything to
commend. The doctrines Of Sweden
borg and the belief of what is known
as the Christian Church" are tainted
with none of the corruptions of
this new phase of jugglery. So
far as We can observe, among
the men and women who are
engaged in the business of giving
seances, writing on states or slips Of
paper communications from spirit
land, we find none whom we can alb
solve from mercenery considerations,
who are not persons of weak and de-
ranged intellect. There are honest
and good men and women who style
themselves ''spiritualisls," who are
caught with the curious and explic-
able things that surround this domain
of mystery, and because they cannot
understand the causes that give re-
suits which they have not the ability
to explain, they are asked to
believe that they are in intelli-
gent intercourse with the spirits
of the dead. In all the ages there has
been no honest school of philosophy
and no responsible individual having
the audacity to claim a glimpse be-
yond the tomb; on its threshold the
wisest men and the most gifted intel
lects have paused; beyond its portals
science and philosophy have not pre-
sumed to endeavor to explore. The
most profound and pious Of early
fathers and theologians have not
dared to define the exact conditions
of future life. Confucius, Buddha,
and Mahomet have only drawn upon
their Oriental imaginations for
conception Of the heavenly habita-
ton, and the delights attain
able by the worshippers and followers
of their faith. In honest differences
OF opinion, those who regard Christ as
the Son of God, and look upon our
scriptures, old and new, as the divine
ly inspired word, have accepted their
teachings. 1t has been left to this
later time and tn this ,nOb Of str mid