The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-08-09

its properties are measurable"
II Will be seen that the language of
the author is not strictly scientific. de-
spite his use of many scientific terms;
indeed, the blcmish on his style is an
occasional colloquialism or sweeping
statement which comes perilously near
flippancy; and 1t is not wise to be flip
pant with facts, especially facts az
mighty as these with which he deals.
For example, here is the peroration to
the first chapter:
Not. then. to the Caesars and Alex
anders; not to the bandits and plumber
eTs who have Redeemed history: neither
to the dreaming Messiahs. whose hai.
lucinations have filled mems minds with
empty fancies-nOt to these should rise
our partheons; but rather 10 those who,
in the pursuit of science and Of truth.
have added 10 the intellectual wealth Of
mankind"
Judging from the structures against the
Christian Church as the cause of the
darkness of the Middle Ages. which pre-
cede this paragraph. one may suppose
that the author Of the Beatitudes and
the Golden Rule is included in the group
of dreaming Messiahs." Prof. Snyder
thinks that if the church had its way
We should be burning Brunos and tor
turing GalileOs now. 1t is probably of
no use to argue with him, for a mind or
this type is a good deal more intolerant
than the average churchman. But the
fair minded thinker must admit that the
oT
the foundation of all the law and the
prophets are today the foundation of all
that is best in our civilization. Man
must, in a truly civilized state. love his
God-his own ideal. not that superim-
posed upon his consciousness by a
stronger power-with all his heart and
soul. and mind and strength, and he
must allow his neighbor the same lib
erty. the same privileges. the same op-
portunities in all respects. which he &c
mands for himself If there is any san
er or more scientific basis for society
than this in Prof. Snyder's opinion, oae
would like him to explain what it Is.
1t is not the plain utterances of Christ
which have been responsible for ali the
cruelty practiced in His name. any mora
than 1t is Pasteur who is responsible if
some science-mad doctor who has
studied under him undertakes to turn
a hospital for poor women and children
into a laboratory for the practice Of
vivisection. When We are plainly TOLD
that the letter kills. the spirit giveG
life, there seems very little excuse for
those who persist in imparting to the
New Testament an intolerance cruelty
and bigotry which it does not authorize
Prof. Snyder should have learned frcl>
Investigating human nature that there is
very little in the way of evil-dojng
whichshas not been cloaked at one time
or another under some sounding
legal, or religious. or even scientific
term. II is not railroads. and dynamos,
and wireless telegraphy. which will give
US the perfection Of civilization in the
end it is the spirit in which We use
these things. They are tools.
The Brain and Soul.
Prof. Snyder is inclined, apparently,
TO think that the brain and soul are ma
chimes, differing only in degree of com
plexity, and he talks airiIy about the
folly of those who think otherwise He
would not consider ii scientific for any
one to say that the machine which print
ed his book, or the stenographer to
whom il may have been dictated, wrote
the book, but it is about as scientific to
try to prove that the spirit of life IS
made OF ponderable, destructible atoms.
Life enters into that combination of
atoms which is suited to its manifesto
tions: but IL has not yet been proved,
and is not likely 10 be, that the com
bination is life itself
A 0ne-Eyed View.
In short, the general style Of this book
reminds one Of one-eyed mans view Of
the world from his blind side; It is all
the view he has; but it does not seem
quite natural 10 a normal person. The
man may not realize that his own nose
is in the way of his seeing farther than
the end of II in a certain direction, but
that is really the case.
However, Prof. Snyder's descriptions of
scientific discoveries are interesting and
accurate enough. and no fault can be
found with his style so long as he does
not attempt to generaIiZe; II is then that
his logic goes lame. There is a good
Suggestion in a chapter which deals with
spirit-rappings and other psychic phe-
nomena. It is this:
The Human Galvanometer.
81 DO not think that the telepaths ar
the spirit-rappers have ever thought of
on a galyanOmeter. II is
the characteristic that they fight shy
OF each and all OF the familiar means by
which the body of human knowledge has.
In a century and half, come TO be some
thing more than Sir Isaac NeWton's peb-
bic on the shores OF time. I have friends
Who surmise that many Christian or
mental scientists do not know what a
is nor how II works. Yet.
IN view OF the indubitable grOssness Of
our senses. and consequently Of the
gross character of the stimuli required
10 excite sensation and produce con-
sciousness. until the galvanometer or
some similar simple mechanism has been
shown TO respond 10 the psychic forces
the latter can hardly be regarded as
other than the childish fancies OF child