The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-13
The Retreat Of Splritualism.

readers. NJ. W. H.
The Retreat Of s%pirituailsm.
A clear. vigorous account Of the modern
spiritualistic movement from ls4s, when
the ~-rappings' by the Fox sisters at
Hydesville, n. Y. were heard around the
world. as 1t were, up to this present may
be found in the $50 page book by FREE
MONT RIDER entitled (too yellowly) Are
The Dead Aiire' (B. W. Dodge Il Coz. An
unbiased account? So the author and
his publishers assert in an obliging mo
tice" given gratis to reviewers to save
them trouble. We learn also from this mo-
tice' that Mr.. Riders book is r. W. Dodge
\ Co.'S most important work Of non-fic-
ton this spring. However, it is really
a very good compendium chronicle
rather than a criticism, and in 80 far prob
ably enough impartial. There is no deny
ing that MIR. Rider in most cases presents
at "a fair full length the arguments Of the
sceptics as well as those of the faithful.
Otherwise, to be frank, we should not
describe it a. "a very good compendium"
But quite unbiased? Well, 80 far as the
whole is concerned, we will leave that to
the quite unbiased reader. We would
simply note that a passing remark here
and there is open at all events to the
charge of airiness. For instance, what
does Mr.. Rider mean by asserting that
@the greatest scientists Of Europe are
converts to spiritualism-? Without I'M
edence among these gentlemen, We may
safely say that Of the generally recognized
leaders in the several branches Of the
exact sciences" no more than a quite
small minority has given any sort Of sup
port to spirituaiism, and that even of
these few several, ii we adhere t the ordi-
nary meanings OF words. should rather
be described tamely as advocates Of the
open mind than as Converts Spir-
i~tualists are beginning to make 30 much
play, oddly enough, with @the argument
from authority that a careful diction in
this respect is particularly incumbent
upon n would-be impartial exponent.
However, it is evident that science has
shown a good deal more interest in these
phenomena OF late than it used to do.
Must we infer from this. as appears to be
a quite common view. that %spiritualism
has therefore become more scientifically
respectable? We find ourselves forced
toward an opposite opinion. CHANGING
back over the record Of the last fifty
years we perceive as the outcome of this
scientific interest a steadily growing
decentralization. so to speak, of this
mysterious field. Many phenomena which
not SO long ago were generally described
as spiritualistic. and Of which the reality
is still maintained by spiritualists to
whom we would not grudge the epithet
enlightened" are. however, no longer
ascribed by s~piitualists Of that kind to
supernatural or other world agency. Such
ascrption, which We may here remark we
take to be an essential mark OF spirit
ualism.- properly 30 called-for the word
is nowadays very loosely ap~plied-has
surely Of late undergone a distinct shrink
age and narrowing down. This change
may be understood either as a retreat
toward a last stronghold likely in its turn
to capitulate under the same pressure, or
on the contrary as a concentration Of the
forces upon the true line Of march, where
upon a swift advance in the near future
may he expected. However that may be,
the abandonment OF several lines once
firmly held appears to be really the out
standing feature OF the contemporary
stu hon
or this abandonment two chief causes
appear: % The advent OF more skilled
and exact observers has led 10 the dis
covery and proof OF fraud in many hith-
erto ~portentous appearing phenomena;
t?) the same influence has rejected as
improbable and super1uous q SUPER
natural explanation OF several curious
manifestations in which as yet no fraud
has been detected.
To the first OF these causes. the discoy-
cry Of fraud. Mr.. Rider devotes some very
interesting pages. The record OF pro-
fessional mediumship," he admits, lis a
disheartening one. The Fox sisters, who
started the furore in this country in the
early '4os, confessed afterward that their
spirit rappings we're made by movements
Of the knee joints. Paladino. most amous
OF all physical mediums was detected by
the committee Of the Society for Psychical
Research in the most transparent fraud.
The pretensions of Nine. Blayatskv
founder OF the cult known as the Theo-
sophical Society. with thousands of adj
herents, we're utterly riddled by DR.. Rich
ard Hodgson.'
DR.. Hodgson. it may be remarked.
turned out to be ultimately il restrictedly
n -spirituallst' himself. -Slade, who
completely mystified zollner and other
savants Of Germany. met a much merited
Waterloo at the hands Of the Seybert
commission OF the University Of Pennsyl-
vania," We must here observe, with
EsgSrd 10 ue-iiEggiaeHtIrosn-s+4sor+tv
that Prof. Zollner and his mystifed 1880
oiates, Profs, Weber. Fechner and Scbeib-
ner, were at least the peers, IL IL Is neces-
sary to enter upon such comparisons. In
scientific standing Of Sir William Crookes
and Sir Oliver Lodge. Mr.. Rider contin-
ues: sin short, NJ. F%lammarion. the French
astronomer and psychological Ian ardent
spiritlalistl. says: During u period of
more than forty years I believe I have
received at my home nearly all OF them
IN and women Of divers nationalities
and from every quarter Of the globe,
One may lay II down as a principle that
all professional mediums cheat" The
celebrated ~coniurer Mr.. j.. n. Maskelyne