The record-union., 1897-12-19
SPIRITUALISM AND SANITY.


| SPIRITUALISM AND SANITY.
| The Appellate Division of the Su-
preme Court of New York has handed
down an opinion in a recent case that
viii meet with antagonism on the part
of many spiritualists. The case is in
| terestirg and opens up broad field for
debate between radical spiritualists
and non believers.
The children of Mrs. Beach applied
to have their mothers mental condi-
| ton iPquired into, to determine wheth-
er she was capable of conducting her
! own business affairs and to care for
her person. The charge was that she
was incompetent. because she alleged
that she received communications from
the spirits of her deceased husband.
father aid mother, directing her what
to do IL business matters, whom she
should marry and how she should dis
pose of her property, and how she
should conduct herself, and upon these
supposed communications she acted.
1t was shown that Mrs. Beach, on
trip to Europe, had fallen under the
influence of one Henry Rogers, an
| apostle of spiritualism, and whom she
| married, by spirit direction, as she
claimed. In support of the contention
that the woman was incompetent many
of her letters written in her own de-
fense were introduced
The court decided that the examina-
ton Of Mrs. Beach should be had. 1t
held that belief in spiritualism may be
entirely consistent with good bus6ess
instincts and sound judgment. The
mere fact that one believes in spirit
ualism Will not justify the inference
that such person is incompetent to
manage himself or his affairs. But.
says the court:
! When it appears that, in addition to a
belief IN spiritualism, a person has be-
| come SO convinced of the reality of
communications from the dead that the
control of his person and the DISPOSE
tfon Of his property are governed by
the advice and directions contained in
persons and that a person under such
influence is about to dispose of his
property or to contract a marriage or
other relations which appear to be lIn-
wise or unusual according to the ac-
cepted standards, and that the assumed
communications from such deceased
! persons have come through the me-
diumship Of the person who is to bene-
oAx
disposition of property, it seems to me
that a case is presented which calls
for an investigation of the competency
| Of such person
1t is not the abstract belief in spir-
ltuaIlsm that raises the presumption of
| incolnpetency, but the fact that such
| person has surrendered his will to
the control of such influences rather
| than to the exercise of sound judg-
ment. And when it appears that those
lnnuences are being used to procure
disposition Of property to others than
her children or those to whom it would
naturally go, case is presented which
at least requires an investigation by the
tribunal provided to determine cues
tions of this character.
In other words the chief judicial tri-
bunal Of New York holds that it can
not recognize as sane action that
which proceeds by alleged direction
from supernatural sources. It cannot
possibly admit that there is recogniz-
able in law a direction from or through
| spirits Of the dead advising or com
pelllnS action concerning temporal af-
fairs, sirce that direction, however con-
WINGED the subject may be of the entire
truth end reality of the communica-
tions, is not susceptible to the restraint
! or the Jurisdiction Of the court.
The court does not say as much in so
many words, but clearly that Is what
| Is implied; that while one like Mrs
Beach may not be insane in the usual
meaning of the word, in this world tri-
bunals OF men cannot with safety to
society permit the direction of mundane
| affairs to be given that claims to rise
superior TO the laws OF the land
The decision it may be assumed will
be bitterly assailed by such spiritualists
as believe that spirit direction" is con-
sistent with sane belief. and that IL is
or should be entirely in harmony with
| lifes activities.
When the mind eontemplates the de-