The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-26

THE WESTMINSTER MEETING
HOUSE.
(Continued)
The whole town had been fooled with
circulars and booklets printed on all col
ors Of paper, advising everybody TO learn
the Science OF Hypnotlsm." They said
that anybody could learn, that the faculty
was inherent in us ALL and that with this
power at ones command you can per-
form greater wonders than the oriental
magiclans OF olden times !. Parents can re-
strain their wayward children: husbands
can control their wives and wives can
control their husbands. Why do believe
they'd claim that Jesus Christ performed
his miracles by the power OF hypnotism II
they were not afraid OF public sentiment
putting II down as saerilege.
They have tho audacity in these circu-
lars TO claim that Mohammed. Napoleon
Bonaparte. Peter the Great, Talleyrand.
and Bismark. and / suppose by that that
they mean most everybody that has ever
succeeded, used hypnotism to succeed by,
and IL II hadn't been for that they'd
been ignominius failures and have skunk
away into a corner and sucked their
thumbs
To prove their claim, they use argu-
ments like these: THE man who has sold
you a house. or even a box OF cigars, or
a book against your own inclinations has
plainly succeeded by control OF mind"
Now that's n perversion OF the truth. II
you was not in need OF house, or a book.
nobody could so far control your mind az
20 make you buy either OF them. You
sometimes purchase an article before you
intend TO because an agent shows you
that it is to your advantage and profit To
buy now. and you often do II. But the
claim II a senseless one that is done by
the control OF the mind Your own brain
reasons out the advantage I'm buying right
away, and the agent has nothing TO do
with your decision beyond his representa-
tion Tof the bargain.
Then they go on TO say: "The man who
Is promoted over your head I'm employ
ment, who wins position TO which you
aspired, who outdoes you I'm business en-
terprise, who captures the affections or
the woman You love--in all these cases he
has done so by by possessing q superior
control OF mind to yours"
Now let US cut that up into pieces and
see how much truth there IS in It.
In the first place they don't give a
woman any choice In selecting a husband
III you are the favored one: IL you are the
man whom she thinks she loves we'll
enough to become your wife, why you
can't have her and she can't have YOU
just because some gander-jointed man
comes along with n strong mind and says
Young Lady, | want you and then she
Immediately puts on satisfied smile and
they go off TO the minister's and git mar
ried, and she thanking her lucky stars
all Of the time and forever afterwards
for having escaped the terrible fate OF
marrying the man of here hoice; the man
she really loved
What do you think OF that? Do you
look upon your mother as that kind of
woman? Does your father resemble
that ganderjointed robber? Well IL he
does you can't have much respect 70
him And that sister, whom you love
20 much do you believe that any man
under. the sun can make her out the
weakling that these teachers OF hypno-
tism are claiming she is7 You know bet
ter. IL there Is any occult power that
man possesses that can destroy the
sacredness or woman's love. It's about
time the law stepped in and put a stop
TO its use
Then again. the man who is promoted
over your head in employment who wins
. position 10 which you aspired." YOU
may rest assured he secured that posi-
tion because he was best qualified to fill
ability. you would have secured the posi-
ton. and all OF the mind influence I'm the
world could not have changed the re-
sult Well suppose, just for argument
that the man with less ability did secure
the position through some fabulous
claims that he may have presented to
the heads OF the hrm. But aftershe be-
gan to perform the duties OF the Office
do you for one suppose that he can
keep up the deception and continue TO
make the business manager think he's
fully qualified, when he really Is not?
His labor will show for itself, and the
result will be that the manager will tell
him that no hardly fills the place sue
cessfully. and you will be asked 10 take
his place. Such arguments and proofs
as they produce by which to maintain
their positions are flimsy enough. II you'll
only take the time 10 analyze them.
The long and short OF the ambition r.
70 git six eight dollars out OF our
boys as a beginning and then as much
more as they can induce them to give
afterwards 10 become honorable members
OF their colleges, or schools. or what
ever they call them. BY any name
they're n humbug In my opinion. and
one that should be stepped on as Won
would on a potato bug. for they amt OF
any more account
'Taint to be wondered at that the boys
OF Canterbury got wild over the thing.
when they made such fabulous claims
about how much money they could make;
and lots OF them invested money, and
used up about all OF their time in trying
10 practice what they were trying 30
learn.
Well the day came for the next meet
Ing OF the Canterbury Society. and after
the Secretary read the records OF the
last meeting, Toleration got UP as Chair
man, and addressed them as follows:
Ladies' and gentlemen. and members
OF the Canterbury Anti-Iumbug Society.
Two weeks ago we met here for the pur-
pose OF doing what we could 10 destroy
the influence OF modern ism that was
having bad effect upon our community.
and particularly upon the young people
- the town The rasnilt of the disclnSzlon