The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-11
FULL REPLY To
CHARGES MADE
j
Christian Scientists Give
Their Answer.
WORK OF SCIENTISTS
Boston Authority on Christian Science
Makes Lengthy Reply to Article
Published Sometime Ago by
DR.. Smithwick Explains
Their Belief.

Itleir De1ieI.
To the Editor: In your issue Of
the 3rd appeared an attack on Chris
tian Science by j. w. z. Smithwick,
M. d.
No doubt there are many ideas, be-
gentleman does not believe, and there
is no evidence to indicate why he has
taken it upon himself to single out
Christian Science i.,
criticism. True, he bears the title of
Nj. D., but this of itself is not sut-
fcient cause for the attack, since
Christian Science has appealed to
many intelligent physicians as a su-
perior means of healing sinners, and
sick folks, and most of our physicians
are tolerant, kind and busy, and have
no desire to interfere with the rights
of others.
The gentleman asserts that Mrs
Eddy resides in palatial home, where
she lives in all the luxury that money
can command" and that she employs
lawyers to look after her material
property interests in Boston. 1t is
too bad that our critic did not apply
to a reliable source for his informa-
gossip of other critics before him.
Mrs. Eddy has given all her Boston
property to her church; She does not
own any property i'm Boston at the
present time. Among these donations
was the property OF the Christian
Science Publishing Soci ty including
it's plant, the Christian Science Quar-
terly, Christian Science Journal. and
Christian Science Sentinel, all of which
Ia n
she sells souvenir spoons and photo
graphs has been refuted many times;
she does not sell nor has she ever
sold photographs spoons or souvenirs
of any description.
The following documentary evidence
obtained from the company which
manufacture the souvenir spoons:
the receipts 70, the Mary Baker c..
Eddy souvenir spoon, we have to say
that no portion OF them ever went to
Mrs. Eddy in any form; the spoon is
manufactured for us and we and the
manufacturers receive and retain all
the moneys resulting from the sale of
the spoon"
Mrs. Eddy's sole income at the
present time is from the profits on her
books and the interest on some of her
money Very much to the joy of her
friends, she has accumulated a mod
crate fortune iii the forty years in
which she has so unselfishly rendered
them invaluable service. OF this she
has already given away a very large
percentage. If the gentleman had
known the facts he might have stated
that no worthy student was ever turn
ed away from Mrs Eddy's classes be-
cause he did not have the money. Her
secretary states that her classes al
| fran
ten times a large portion of the class
was made up of INDECENT students.
Later, in their more prosperous years,
most of them have rendered to MIS-.
Eddy the amount of the tuition, but
she has generally, while approaching
their generosity, declined with thanks
to accept their money. She closed her
college in the days of its highest pros
perity and disregarded its profit of an
enormous income.
1t should be noted in this connec-
ton that whatever money has gone
into the Christian Science movement
has been contributed by the Christian
Scientists themselves, and If both par
ties to the contract by which Mrs.
Eddy has in a degree obtained profit
on her invaluable books and a wage
for her inestimable services, are salts
fed a third party ought not to be
COnCeTnSO. ne charge lIldl MI >. Lu-
dy employs doctors to attend her is
also an error which has been many
times refuted Her secretary declares
that during the twenty years and more
of his constant services at her home,
she has not had physician nor re-
sorted to medicine.
In her writings she states the fact
that she never was a SpiritualiSt; that
she never believed in spir. .tualism. Mr..
Huram S. Crafts told me that Mrs.
Eddy. to please others, sometimes at
tended the discussions of spiritualism
given at the place where she boarded,
but that she never even believed in
spirituaiism and always, in her kindly
way, talked against it explaining it's
phenomena in a manner differing from
her belief of spiritualists.
This was in the days when almost
everybody was looking into this
strange ism, and because of her very
earnest desire to know the truth, Mrs
Eddy examined almost every theory
she could find. After investigating
spiritualism she abandoned the sub
ject. I have learned that as far back
as 1862 Mrs. Eddy delivered a lecture
on spiritualism in the City Hall, Port
| land, Me, and it was said by hun
| dreds present to be the most convinc-
ing argument against spiritualism they
had ever listened to.
To disprove the oft refuted unrea-
sonable, and stale allegation that Mrs
Eddy borrowed her ideas from a DR.
Qulmbly, we quot the following docu-
mentary evidence from Christian
science History, published by Judge
oeptimus j. Hanna.
have had the privilege of read