The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-25
THE OPEN FORUM.
In Which Readers of The Herald Express Their
Views on Current Topics

I And then follows the concluding sen-
| tence, OF which the whole masmificent
grafton preceding is the sublime and
fitting climax:
In execution Of the order of the San
ate, the body will now proceed to the new
iohainoer. HENRY W. BLAIR.
Suspects Barry's "Brovn,.,.,
Editor of The Washington Herald:
ferhaps you have not inyestiaared
some matters in q way To recogni,.
the real trend OF a certain line of
articles that often appear in vour
paper 1 particularly invite attention
10 the article in this mornings Herald
by John d. Barry. on The Brownies"
Ihat may seem to the outsider to he a
mere harmless. playful fancy regard
ing mental processes. But to one who
4 mlI'ar with the occult, from the
point OF view of the Christian. II :.
very serious and dangerous hin
In short. II Is simply spiritualism in
uIssuise. The popular notion of
splritua ism is that it is only a weird
OF trlckery, or, at most, a mere
experimentation with psychical. phe.
nonena. But those who have been
through the mill and have escaped
mo" tnat 1t. is just what the Scrip
aures state-intercourse with evil
Spirits The Bible teaches. ard m.ny
people know from experienc. H., ~
atmosphere is infested with evil .n,r,t.
VINO exercise hypnotic influence over
people, and approach them with aug
gestion, In thoughts These ar. ~.
brownies of which Barry write. 40
playfully.
Spiritualists think they communicat.
WIN tne spirits Of departed people. In
ieantS tney communicate with deceiyinr
spirits tallen angels who impersonats
people who have died "Psycbic research'.
aims to scientifically investigate the nbe-
honeha OF occultisn, thinking to deal
with secret powers Of human mentality
In rednty, II Is the same intercourse with
oeceivinS spirits of a higher order thar
manifest through the ignorant trance me-
dunn.
In theosophy there is another nhase a,
tne same thing. There are spirits of
higher and lower degrees. Just a. with
people. Theosophists denounce crude
spiritualism as dealing with .elementaI,',
uower orders of spirits), but do the same
tnlng themselves. only with the hixher
orders What, in common spiritualism il
presented as the spirits Of dead people is
IN theosophy the guidance of astral
teacners- BUT the processes are similar
and the end the same.
Many people are being misled bv vba,
Is claimed to be the growing ..spiritu-
aity OF this age. But in reality. il Il
growing spiritism intercourse with
familiar spirits) and not at all the spirit
uallty which is taught In the Bible. and
which Is characteristic of genuine
Christianity. The present-day situation
is fast reproducing the condition that ex-
listed In the world just prior to the flood.
when deceiving spirits (xnown as Nephi-
hm) infested the earth and largely con-
trolled the conduct of men. This situa-
tlon Is foretold in the Bible, and those
who are wise will search out the matter
and beware. 1t is unfortunate that edi-
tors and publishers are usually unin-
formed in these things, and admit to
their pages articles that do great harm
to susceptible people. Such articles do
not of course, come out in the open
with the false teachings, but cunningly
weave the false among some real and
some only apparent truth. Such ID the
way with all the cults of deception thar
are so active today in making proselytes
for such Is their work: they do not go
into the unpleasant slums to rescue the
lost. but seek to mislead church people.
NJ. E. SLOAN
Colored Men Buried in Arlington.
Editor of The Washington Herald:
In The Herald of April 20 apears a
notice to the effect that the body of
Lieut.. Beverly Perea, u. S. A. brought
from Cambridge. Mass, was the first
colored officer to be buried in the
Arlington National Cemetery.
This statement Is not correct, as tho
bodies OF both DR.. Alexander T. Au-
gusta, surgeon. Seventh U. S. c. In
fantry, surgeon in chief of Freedman's
Hospital. and for many years a prac-
ticing physician in this city, and Cap,
o. s. B. Wall. of this city. have been
buried in the Arlington National Gem
etery. for many years. both being
buried in the officers section, with
monuments standing over their graves;
the former officers grave is close to
the gate and the latter not far re-
moved therefrom.
In addition to these two officers of
whose burial I have personal knowI-
edge (and there may be others Of
whom I have no knowledge) there are
hundreds of colored soldiers buried
in Arlington.
The records at Arlington will con-
firm the facts stated
Believing that II is the purpose Of
your paper to publish only facts,
am calling your attention to this mat.
ter that IL may be corrected.
HAMILTON 8. SMITH