Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-07
CAN YOU PRODUCE A GHOST /?
A CHALLENGE TO SHIRITUALISTS BY
THE PSYCHICAL SOCIETY.

The Investigators Promise Perfect Fair
ness-J. W. Fletcher, of the Spiritual
Research Society, Will Reply - Not
Favorably Received by the Spiritualists.
NEW YORK, Oct. 6.-The Rev. T. Ernest
Allen, Pastor of the First Unitarian Church
of Providence, r. l., and Secretary of the
American Psychical Society, recently
organized among the clergy of various de-
nominations, physicians, scientists and
others, including Rev. R. Heber Newton,
of this city, and Revs. Minot Savage and
DR.. Edward Everett Hale, of Boston, has
sent the following letter to prominent
New York spiritualist as a reioinder to
many attacks on the purposes of the society
that have appeared IN the spiritualistic
press:
Talk with the average Spiritualist and
you will find that his chief grievance against
the world is that it will not investigate the
phenomena upon which he bases his belief.
He glows with righteous Indignation
when descanting upon the bigotry of
the ministers who preach against Spiritual
ism without knowing anything about it.
One would think then that when an associa-
tion like the American Psychical Society is
organized for the express purpose of insti-
tuting IA scientific investigation of modern
Spritualism that then there would be re-
ism would help on the work by Offering the
society facilities for study and by con-
tributing money to support it. The
have welcomed Spiritualists as we'll
as others to membership. Yet
the first word upon the subject published in
a leading spiritualistic journal was an edi-
torial headed: War Against Spiritualism.'
Under date of June last an announcement
inviting all persons interested to become
members was sent for publication to over
600 religious newspapers, including all or
most of the spiritualistic organs. Have
the SpiritualiStS responded? Next to none
They notice the names of a few clergy
men connected with the society, and-since,
of course, no good thing can come out of
Nazareth-straightway they assume that the
whole movement was got up as partisan
attack upon spiritualism. So far as the prin-
ciple is concerned, do not see but it is Just
as inconsistent for SpirituaIists to condemn
our society without hearing as for minis
tiers TO dismiss psychical phenomena as the
work of the devil without careful study of
the matter. This is all wrong. There will
be time enough to condemn the society
when it has proved by its reports that it
does not wish to find the truth. Until then
fair play demands that it should be given
the benefit of the doubt.
Upon which horn of the dilemma do
Spiritualfsts wish the sceptics of this coun-
try to impale them? That they are afraid of
the investigation, or that in their own opin-
ion, themselves having all the truth, they
are utterly lacking in that missionary zeal
which delights to educate others? They
will draw the one conclusion or the other, if
Spiritualists stand aloof with their hands in
their pockets casting suspicious glances at
us. An investigation is here; it has
already begun; nothing shall stop it! The
society wants to find the truth. Where
are the Spiritualists who are ready to meet
us in a sympathetic spirit, as they wish us to
meet them in approaching their phenomena,
to listen to our plans and to help US forward
in work of deep concern to the whole hu-
man race? Where are they and what are
in their true light the phenomena to which
they pin their falth?"
Mr.. S. W Fletcher, of the Spiritual Re
search Society, said yesterday that he had
heard of the Allen letter, and he intended to
answer it.