The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-04-23

have been annoyed by their humorous treatment of matters which to him are of the utmost importance. It is there fore not surprising that in controvert- ing the views thus expressed in the Journal, wGlich he considers typical of the ordinary conclusions of the scepti- cal observer, he shows a spirit no less friendly to the doubting point of view than that intended to be shown in the article in question toward the reverse attitude. He takes up the matter at length in the April Journal of the American Society for Psychical Re- search, giving an exposition of his req sons for thinking the spiritistic hypoth esis more believable than any other in a most interesting manner.
 It is manifestly impossible to take up all the points made by Dr. Hyslop, and 1t seems best, therefore, to leave entirely one side of his contention, speaking only of the first part of his argument and reserving his theory re- garding tle suggestiveness of the trivial incidents for future discuss sion. Dr. Hyslop says that the telepa- thy supposed in the Journal argu- ment to be possible solution of the mediums knowledge of the eircum- stances in Dr. Hodgson's life has ab- solutely no scientific evidence what ever for it's existence" This is, of course, true. But it is also true that the majority of scientific investigators are convinced that some form of thought -transference does exist, and that there is no other possible explana- tion of an overwhelming weight of evidence not to be explained by any other theory Consequently, while there are still persons who deny telepa- thy altogether and very large num- Der of persons who deny that it's exist ence has ever been proved, its reality is tacitly acknowledged by the major- lity of writers. no matter how strongly they may feel that half the cases pur- porting to prove the theory are actual ly worthless as testimony and the oth- [ CT half are scarcely susceptible of being subjected to the ordinary tests; al- though this evidence is, as Dr. Hyslop says emphatically not scientifc,1 1t approaches so much more nearly to scientific precision than any which has so far been obtained regarding spirit ism that it may fairly be assumed that the telepathic Hypothesis has certain priori right overthe spiritistic hypoth- i esis.
 But, urges Professor Hyslop, "telepa- ! tI,xy ,xbf5sss A,,. nre,,svo ipntIn9le d ka,,l dead people, but cannot acquire any about the living, is a curious capacity and perilously near being devilish. ? He adds; ''Apropos of this I may ask also how you are going to account for tho trivialities and confusion in such a remarkable faculty But is the in- 1 consistency of the spiritstic theory one whit less than the inconsistency point ed out by pr. Hyslop? Is 1t not rather infinitely harder to accept? In asking this question one has reference to the ordinary interrogator rather than such investigators as Dr. Hyslop who must necessarily be somewhat prejudiced for or against this or that explanation. Dr. I Hyslop goes on to say that any scien- LiiiC ilictA VIII tlSh lQI tllutpGtluHIll eNl- dence that telepathy is a fact before using it as substitute for a spiritistic interpretation of facts related only to the personal identity of deceased per- sons. This seems an extraordinary statement at, ti7e first glance, because it is quite certain that no scientific man." including Dr, Hyslop, has ever i hn . proof, for the spiritistic theory It has
 simply been advanced as a working hypothesis, and as such It must stand
 or fall. If we admit it's satisfactory nature, then we are repolutionizing our psychic ideas as completely as people
 did their material beliefs when they
 finally admitted baat the world was
 round
 Now, it may be that the existence of
 spiritistic communication Is as potent
 a truth as the roundness of the world;
 it is possible that in time 1t may be as
 far beyond question as this particular
 physical fact. But 1t Is not yet. And
 just as the ancient geographers had a perfect right to advance their theories erroneous as they were afterwards
 proved to be-so the psychic student has a right to aoTance what seems tc
 him the simpler, less revolutionary ex- Iplanation of certain extraordinary facts
 and to hold to it until such time as the
 more radical theory shall be shown tt
 be so clearly superior to the easier ont
 that 1t is no longer possible for him tC
 cling to it unless he is either hopeless 1 ly prejudiced or dishonest. And, what
 veer may be said, an explanation whicl does not involve belief in the nearnes:
 to -spiritually-of those wht ihave gone before is to the majority O
 us so infinitely preferable as we'll as S, infinitely more plausible that it mus
 be held fast to until stronger proc
 than that yet obtained is furnished fo
 the contrary theory.-Providence Jour
 nal.
 l