Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-20
CITES FALSE ANALoGlEs AS
SAMPLE OF OCCULTlST'S LOGIC

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1S.-[Editor
Herald: Preconceptions on matters
occult 1t seems. cannot only warp
the judgment on things seen or other
wise experienced, but can even make
one see what is not there. For ex-
ample, W. f. p. finds in my letter
sweeping condemnation" and 1denial
of facts testified to by the brightest and
ablest minds of the age" Charges me
also with assuming that because Eu-
sapia Paladino has been detected in
an effort to deceive, therefore all she
does is trickery.'
Now 1 suppose w. +. P. is honest
in all this; yet as a matter of fact, my
letter contains absolutely no such
condemnation" denial of fact" or
assumption" My letter voices no as
sumption or opinion on the facts of
spiritualistic phenomena in general or
of Paladino's stunts in particular q
have an opinion and may state it some
time. but have not done so in my let
teri: but my letter does criticise the
logic" of spiritualists in citing as
proof of genuineness the Gas YETI un-
exposed tricks of a medium whose title
to credit has been vitlated by proved
fraudulent practices Are spiritualists
so lost to reason as not to recognize
that even the "exposed" tricks of Eu
sapia were not always "fly-blown,"
but passed muster as genuine with nu-
merous bright and able" observers
for years before they were at last
bowled-out?
Let each believe as he pleases-or
must-for according to mans mental
makeup, so he will either accept or
reject the evidence presented; but dl-
rectly he begins to state WHY the evil
dence should be believed, then, If his
logic is not sound, it will become the
legitimate target for all and sundry
So much for w. F. P.'s fact. Now for
his logic:
Illustration by parallel or analogy is
seldom-perhaps never-perfect; but 1t
should be at least approximately close
and Apostle to justify it's use. Let us
compare w. f. P.'s analogies with
mine and see where the logic of the sit
uation lies:
The analogy between Eusapia Pala-
dino and my "gold-ring" street faker
lies in the fact that they both offer
something which in the common eX-
perience, is hard of belief-something
they have no right to expect us to
credit unless they can at least come
before us with clean hands. Anything
that invalidates their cEedit for hon
esty tends to invalidate their abnor-
nal clams but the detection Of fraud
In and as part and parcel of those
claims is fatal, if not to the fact, at
least to the proof. The world is not
hound to believe "the incredible" un-
less the source is unimpeachably hon
est. any more than court of law Is
hound to accept the word of per-
jured witness.
w, f. P.'s analogy Of the man who
is detected passing counterfeit com
is no analogy, because "all the coin
he ever passed" has no necessary con-
nection. All the coin OUT OF THE
SAME PACKET might have. Same
with the little boys lies; all he told on
the same subject, and with the same
motive evident, would be equally open
TO suspicion, at all events. Changed in
this way, these cases would line up
with my street faker. But as presented
nv w. f. p, his Illustrations are puerile,
and go far to prove my case as to
cat least SOME) occultists' logic. If
thew can be satisfied with such rea-
soning, ii is hard to escape the infer
ence that they wish to be deceived.
Sniritualism-were 1t ever so true
will never prove it's case by fraudulent
mediums who have been found out, but
still have some tricks up their sleeve
which no one has yet been smart
enough to expose. If spiritualism ever
makes out a case it will be through
mediums who though they may some
times fail, win never Intentionally de-
ceiVe. VAL STONE