The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-26
Spiritist Jugglery.


Spiritist Jugglery.
The exposure of so-called spiritualistic
manifestations at the theatre, by Salt
Lake artist in slight of hand performan
ces, brings up the subject of mediums and
spirits and the phenomena which they
produce. Although the explanations
given by the gentleman who reproduced
the manifestations given at the seance
on the same stage were not as explanatory
in all instances as might have been desir-
able, it was demonstrated that the pre-
tended spiritual exhibitions were only
such as could be produced by natural
means, defying the detection of ordinary
observers.
We do not say that this satisfactorily ac-
counts for all the queer things that occur
at spiritist gatherings. There are some
! phenomena which are claimed by believers
to be the result of spiritual interference
with material things that are not mere
jugs 1eA > hiS>S II lH0 SHecbS Oh WAl1ul
deception. But it will be found on close
examination,that there is little profit in
any oft.
That there is much fraud connected with
a great geal of it has been proven beyond
question. The repeated exposures of
Undertaking., stamp it as fraudulent
and designed to mislead. And so with
cabinet tricks and dark seances and the
other fooleries by which money is drawn
from the dupes entrapped.
But there are people who may not be
fairly accused of Intentional deception,
who are as firmly convinced of the facts
OF spiritual phenomena as any believer
in religion is of the truth of his creed.
And the evidences in their case have not
always been produced by professional
mediums or other living persons than
themselves.
What they have witnessed, however,
when tried in the crucible of just criti-
cism, leaves but meagre residue of I'M
explainable appearances, and carries with
it little if any intelligence that is unat-
tainable without it. The amount of good
resulting is inf1nitesimal when compared
with the evils it causes. And the sum of
this worlds actual knowledge cannot be
truthfully said to have been increased by
these SO called occult phenomena. Take
away the absolute fraud and the ridicu-
lous nonsense attached to them, and the
rest is scarcely worthy of serious atten-
ton
If there is anything really spiritual in
the table rapping, planchette writing
and mediumistic utterances which have
fascinated SO many people, is it natural
to think it comes from the departed
worthless who are supposed to be
summoned at will by the "mediums?"
Are they ready to respond, at every fifty
cent seance, to the beck and call of per-
sons who cannot be placed in the rank
either of the cultured, the highly in
telligent or the morally pure? Is it with
in the bounds of probability that the
grand souls who have moved the world in
the highest spheres of human effort, can
be made to dance attendance and play
tricks on the stage and write messages
between two states, at the behest of some
trumpery travelling Snowman or off
colored female, like clowns at circus,
or puppets in punch and-judy exhibi-
ton?
Belief in the reality OF life after death,
in the power of the departed to exercise
an influence upon the living, in their
personal presence near or afar off, and
other hypothesis of metaphysical or
philosophical character are worthy of
consideration, and sincere opinions on
them are entitled to respect. But these
merry andrew antics, bel-ringing, tam
demonstrating, rope-tying and furni-
ture-moving performances are unworthy
of serious thought as evidences of spirit
life and force, and ought to be dis
countenanced by truth-loving and rea-
souable people in all classes of society.
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