The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-23
Are We Progressing?
10 tho Editor Of The News;

Are We Progressing?
To tho Editor Of The News;
Sir--Over 1900 years ago occurred the
trial of a man whose only oriire was that
Of going about doing good. healing the
sick teaching the truth and comforting
the sorrowing. Tho witnesses prepared
for the occasion did not agree. No evil
dence Of crime or rong-doing WAS founu
against Him. and even lie before whom
the case was tried, said: II lind no fault
in Him. I" Yet lie was adiudged" Probably
guilty, and crucifed. But the truths
He taught still lives. Today we witness
the spectacle OF n quiet respected Christ
ian man, arrested and obliged to go
through the farce oi trial, and adiudRed
probably guilty" of wholly unproven
charge, his only crine that he devotes
his time lrying to alleviate suffering and
uplitt ana help his fellow men. He is
accused of practicing medicine without
license. this man who does not believe
that drugs have any intelligence or
powers To neal, but believes and teaches
that right living and right thinking alone
secure health. Ihe charge Is wholly un.
proven from the fact that the hired wit
| nesses, who went to secur3 evidence
| against him admitted that they went
with lie upon their lips and that they
! were not sick, so he could not give them
| any substance To heal them" The only
| thing these men could adduce rs evidence
that Mr.. Taft practiced medicine, was
| that he prayed for thom and told one of
| them TO soak his feet" Ore minister
| prayed earnestly the other day. and it is
To be presumed with faith that his
| petition would be granted, for the recov-
cry from sickness of one oflhis parishol
ers, and she recovered. de is paid To do
this work. Is he practicing medicinep L
gave cake Of soap TO tramp. and ad-
yised him, from purely sanitary point of
view, TO wash before eating. / presume
had l seen his feet, | might have advised
him to soak them, upon similar grounds
Was practicing medicneg or did the fact
that l gave my advice without remunera-
tlon Sd change tho nature of the fact iii;
| was not practicipg mtdicineg But had 1
asked said tramp TO split some k1ndling
to pay for IL and prayed for him, would
the offence have then become OF so grave
a character that | should have been sui
ject to arrest upon the charge OF practic-
in1 medicine? ask for information, as
] do not wish to violate this laws of this
free (?) country" Not word was
testified rs To harm done by the gentle
man who went through the farce OF
trial that Friday.
# was not even claimed that his
prayers injured tho witness, and OF
course. as Inc was not sick, they could
not heal him, even &c his prayers come
under tho heed OF su distance: nor was it
proven that soaking the witness feet was
attended with any fatal result only he
the plaintiff, had "no license" TO pray
with, or advise Deople, 50 hc was pro-
nounood probably guilty, " and will be
put to tho trouble ana expense af another
trial.
DR. Swarts when asked bv lady
who was present at tho trial, why Mr.
Taft was prosecuted whined out in his
littls high-pitcnod voice, Tho poor must
be- protected. Protected from whatf
From prayers, or from having to soak
their footl
Webster defines medicine as ANY sub
stance administered I'm tho treatment of
disease" Who shall decide whether
prayers como under the heaG of substance
or not? l have heard some which did
not seem to have much'of anything to
them.
Mr.. Taft is not nccdsed OF having killed
any one by his prayers which, is more
than can be- said OF some licensed practi-
;ioners who seem 20 think their diploma
empowers them 10 Kill ab lih.
Could this case have poen more un.
Justly dealt with by ancient jew or
Roman
But Truth is Immortal and though
every scientist in small Rhode Island
should he prosecuted and compelled to de
sist from teaching us using it, IL win still
20 on.
Among the $40 600 people the United
States alone, who are using this Truth
todAy, may he rVckoned doctors lawyers.
aud ministers and many OF our broadest
and most enlightened minds arc invests
eating the laws which govern this in.
visible. silent priuciple. which we are
beginning partially to understand. And
the narrow bigoted little souls who
would cruelty the Truth. nrc daily be
coming less iB number - Is perhaps
sntc TO assume that We arr progressing.
the recent trial tn The contrary notwith-
......