The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-14
A LITTLE OF
EVERYTHING
BY RAMBLER.
THE FAITH OF FOOLS.


| once heard a wag say that he had al
ways noticed that fools had less sense than
anybody else. There was not SO much
fooishness in that remark. There is no
law to prevent a man from being fool,
IL he insists upon being one. But there
shoula be a law to prevent a man from be-
ing some sorts of fool. The other day
woman by the name of Helen Wilman
Post was indicted, in Florida for practis
ing scheme to defraud divers persons.
The lady in question set herself up as
science healer-mental science she called
it-and fools from everywhere began to
write to her to INQUIRE how much she
would charge to undertake to do various
impossible things. Mrs. Wilman Post did
not claim to be speclallst-she was
general practitioner and could cure all
sorts of ailments and relieve all kinds OF
troubles. One woman wanted her to get
her son out Of prison, and she undertook
the lob for 81 per month. With another
she agreed 10 make new set or teeth
grow. A Door hapless fellow who had lost
a leg was to have brand new one grow
out from the old stump and bald headed
men were to be re-adorned with a luxurl-
ant growth of hair. And all these won
derS were TO De peFlOTIHeu ny letilH. cCl
tainly wonderful brand of faith
It is not strange that this woman should
undertake thus to swindie the public, but
it is strange that she could find fools
enough to make her business pay. But
the fact is she did. Not only did this
woman do it. but there are some hundreds
of others doing exactly the same thing
every day in all sections of this country.
One, Dowie, found no difficulty IN collect
ing millions of dollars from lot Of crazy
people Mrs Eddy, the saint of Christian
Science, has enlisted the enthusiasm of
hundreds of thousands who do her bid
ding as dutifully as Abraham obeyed the
Lord, Jehovah. 1t is strange, strange!
And most strange of all is that a large
proportion of the followers of these frauds
are people who heretofore stood high So
cially and morally in their communities.
1t is fact that the leader of the Eddyltes
in large Southern city is the wife OF one
Of the most honored citizens in that city.
She was a social leader.
Now there is no particular objection to
men and women turning silly, If they wish
to do so. II that were the end OF it no
one might say word. but just laugh at
their folly If one of them becomes sick
and prefers to have a science healer rath-
er than a physician, why 1t is nobodys
business If they die, it is all right. The
world is much better off without such peo-
pie. But if one of their children becomes
stricken with disease and the parent in
sists upon having a faith remedy rather
than a doctor who has studied diseases,
that alters the case. Here is the place
where the law should step in and declare
that the faith that makes that kind of
fool is dangerous. The child that dies I'M
der such circumstances land very many
dol has been murdered and the parent
should be punished just like any other
murderer In the State of New York last
week a man was convicted for manslaugh-
ter because he compelled his child to fast
seventy-two hours, from the effects of
which it died 1t was a light verdict-it
should have been murder. But it is
step toward justice. If man sets fire to
his house and burns up his child he is
hung for it, but in most Of the States that
same man can have a child i'll with
diptheria, call in a lunatic to pray over
it, let it die without attempting to save
it, and the law is silent. 1t is shame
upon Christian civilization. Even in North
Carolina, when an attempt was made to
stop the murder OF children by Christian
Scientists that powerful organization had
such lobby at the capital OF the State
that nothing was done. We do need law
to check the faith of fools. We owe it
to the helpless little children to prevent
their being slain by the folly of such
parents as refuse to engage the recognized
means of curing disease. I wonder if the
next Legislature of North Carolina will
have the courage to do it's duty in this re-
spect?
vvrSrrcE VERSUS SENTIMENT