The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-22
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE WINS.
Henry L. Call Defends it Before the
New 70 rk Senate

Albany, March Ex-senator Henry J.
COggeshau of Oneida county was the
center of one of the most remarkable
demonstrations this afternoon that ever
took place in the senate chamber. The
other participants were fully 500 wO-
men, and the occasion was q hearing
before the committee on public health
on bill introduced by Senator Cogge-
shall prohibiting any one not regularly
licensed as physician from practicing
the healing art. The women who crowd
ed into the senate chamber and chOked
up the entrances were either Christian
Science healers themselves or were pre-
pared to testify to miraculous cures eff
fected by them. 1t was remarked by all
observers that they were the handsOm-
est, best dressed, and healthiest look
ing lot of women that have been seen
in Albany for many day.
Speeches in opposition to the bill and
extOlling the virtues of Christian Sci
ence were made by Judge P. G. Tall
mann of Brooklyn, Henry L.Call of New
York, Dr. G. D. Cochran, Mark S. L.
Hubben and Henry w. Bolts of Buffalo
and Miss Laura Lathrop. Ex-senator
Mcmillan of Buffalo sent a letter saying
that his wife had been an invalid for
Science, and was now able to run up
and down stairs Amuch faster than he
could. Judge Hatch of Brooklyn sent
testimony. One of the speakers re-
Quested that all those present who had
been cured or benefited by Christian
Science should rise or hold up their
hands. Nearly every woman in the
room got up. Some of them climbed on
the senator's chairs and waved their
handkerchief.
This demonstration over, Senator Cog
geshau took the floor and made one of
the peculiarly amiable and graceful
speeches for which he is famed. He
said that he was not a crusader against
Christian Science. Science of all kinds
had always appealed to him, and he
well remembered the days when he had
listened to the teachings of Christiani-
~ at his mothers knee. He considered
that the committee was under great
obligations to him for bringing together
in the senate chamber so fine a looking
lot of women. Barring his wife, he said,
they We're the best looking representa-
tiVes of the sex that he had ever seen.
He wound up by saying that he had in
tended that his bill should apply only
to those persons who practiced what
they called massage It would be en-
tirely agreeable to him to have the bill
so amended as to exempt specifically
from it's provisions the practitioners of
Christian Science healing. Turning to
DIR. Brush, the chairman of the commit
tee, he inquired whether such an amend
mend would meet with the committee
approval
The great crowd of women leaned for
ward in their seats and listened in
tently for DR.. Brush's reply. After con
ferring with the other members of the
committee DR.. Brush said that there
was no objection to the amendment.
Then the Pent up enthusiasm broke
forth. Once more the women stood up
in the chairs, waved their handker-
Chiefs and cheered and cheered. Their
cheers could be heard all over the floor
of the capitol building on which the
senate chamber is located. Then few
of the women nearest to Senator Cog
geshaII rushed up to him, beaming with
gratitude, and shook his hand. This
was the signal for general movement,
and in a twinkling Senator GoggeshaI
was the center of an animated garden
of much beffOwered hats. He was push
ed and hauled hither and thither, and
all of the women tried to shake hands
with him at once. 1t was nearly an
hour before the demonstration was over
and Senator Coggeshall was permitted
to escape Then the women stood around
in little knots and praised his courtesy
and kindness. One of them said to
four or five enthusiastic friends:
Senator Coggeshall will never know
how much we think Of him until we
have made him the next candidate for
governor of New York