San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-17
THE SPOOKY REALM.
sPIRITUALISM-IT PHENOMENA,
THEORY AND TEACHINGS.
Mediums and Their Powers-Spirit
Ons-Spiritualism
in San Antonio.

This is broad world, and thanks
70 its broadness, every man and every
idiot can hold or propagate his pet
theory-true or false, which In the
eternal fitness OF things will survive
or sink, according to it's worth or
worthIessness. Thus be it that man
OF silly aud unsound ideas can enjoy
and peacefully propagate them with
the same impunity as the wise and
brainy may hold and inculcate theirs,
no matter how good, how true and
how unimpeachable. 1t has always
beenthat the good will recognize the
good and triumph in the end, and
thus the tendency has been to let ev-
cry school of thought, establish as
best eau, its claims. for time alone
can tell which school can SAFELY stand
the test of the survival of the fiGIest.
So, among the various schools of
thought and thinkers, we have spir-
itualism and its adherents, quietly
fostering and iDcu lcating their differ
ent views among their fellow people,
until either spiritualism has been
stamped as an eternal truth, or cur
tailed by some compromise, or per
liviOn, appearing to Lne people but rs
pet hobby i'll the past history OF
man. Let the future have in store
for spiritualIsm what it may, but let
it suffice that it now exists. and as we
find il today, let US discuss it, and
unpopular though it is, let us do it
justice.
Spiritualism is the phenomena of
clairvoyancs, clairaudience, auto
matte writing, independent slate
writing, rapping and table tipping.
While spiril ualism, to some extent,
has existed in all ages, modern spirit
uslism reaches back but as far as lS43
or whereabouts, when the two Fox
children, in the state of New York,
aged seven aud eleven years created
considerable notice by their numer-
GUS fests, styled spirit manifestations.
Since then IL has spread all over this
country, over Europe and through the
Australian colOnit g, gaining large
number of adherents.
Spirltualists contend that spiritual
ism is based upon facts which are
proven by the phenomenon of spirit
return, In or TIN ouyh the manifesto
tations are different 6, according to the
gift of the medium
The theory of spirltualism lie
that the spirits, during the manIfes-
tstions OF the medium, phsycologize
the medium and thus hold commun-
ion with those on earth.
Such being the theory of spiritual
ism, the teachings naturally must be
that there is future life, and that
those who have depar ted into the
world beyond The grave, can converse
through q medium, to those upon
earth. The teaching or doctrine,
further more asserts. that there are.
in the future life, better facilities for
advancement, and that after we have
departed from this world and take
up our abode in the next, we are the
same creatures there that we were
here, only that the facilities for our
advancement are far more improved.
Spiritualism, like every thing else
that gives room for speculation, is
divided into several classes, and we
have the phenomenal spiritual
ist, who tests and searches out of a
morbid curiosity; the scientific spirit
ualist who seeks to establish his be-
lief on scientific investigation. and the
christian spiritualist who bases his
belief in spiritualism on the Bible, and
holds that Jesus Christ was the great
est spiritual medium that ever lived.
OF this latter kind is DR.. ]. NJ.
PEBBLES, who has recently spent Dme
time in our city and has finally To-
Gated here. DIR. PEBBLES has lectured
for thirty years upon ."the spiritualist
platform, and travelled around the
world twice and was known to the
splritualist as the "SpirItuaiist Pill
grim" DIR. PEBBLES is also noted for
having three times attempted to draw
the spiritulists of America in one
grand body. However, he failed in
every attempt, owing to the fact that
he wished to make the great con
sOlidation of spiritualism upon the
basis of christian spiritualists, which
proved unacceptable 10 the great
est portion of American spiritualists
who are unchristian. We mention
this to show the diversity of opinion
as to spiritualism, even among the ad.
herents themselves.
From the theory and teachings Of
spirituslism, that spirits can mold
communion with those ON earth, only
through the medium, who, conse
quently alone is the channel of spirit
ual aud worldly communion, it car
be seen of what Importance the med
ium is to spiritualists. Without thil
important channel they could hold
no conversations with their departed
friends or relatives and spiritualisn
without mediums would gradual,