The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-08-10
Doctor Frank
CRANES
Daily Article
Copyright. iS7o)
The Road TO En-Dor.
Cut Of Hocus Pocits.
Produces Morbidity.
DdngerOlts.
DANGEROUS.

And now comes Conan Doyle. Who
has won his way 90 a world throne
| by the best detective stories ever
written, and. after tho manner OF
mad kings. porverts his place and
power. Having entertained n million
minds. he would unhinge Thousands.
And Sir Oliver Lodge. wearing a
coat OF science. and talking the
jargon OF facts and proofs and real
things. TO further tho wild yagariea
Of unbalanced minda
And Maetcrilnck. from his vantage
of philosophy and mysticism. where
myriads have thirsuiy drunk tho
pure stream OF ideaiirm and whole
som. dreams. pattera nonsense about
getting the soul essence In a bottle
and getting wireless messages from
limbo.
And among the commons there
runs. like septic rat. the little
OuiJa board. which the crack Drained
manipulate with awe. and the myHti.
fled bystander says; There may
be something In H."
All this In not new. In fact. IL II
about tho oldest foolcry known
among men. older than any ortho.
doxy. antedating every creed. church
or system Of philosophy. Is the cult
Of the great god Hocun Pocus.
Scoroorcrs were pccplng In Nine.
ych, and wizards muttering before
ever Greek sage taught I'm the
Porch or tho poripatetics discourBcd
In the garden.
Oldest ana newest Of credulitieS'
For Usday, IN tho back streets of
New York and London. men and
women crawl like sick flies 10 have
their palms read by Cheiro. and listen
To tho trance babblinga OF Alice. the
Egyptian Queen. and discover the
future by the relative proxcinities OF
the ace Of spades and the ten OF
diamonds 20 the Jack OF hearts.
IL might all be amusing II II did
not have It's tragic side. II II were n
nero matter OF opinion one should
DO allowed TO believe In n witch II
he likes. as wen as 70 put his faith
IN Budda or Mahornet-
but the thing IL as poison as aico
hoi. as dangerous as any habitform-
Ing drug. Its consequences are
never useful. often distressing. al.
ways dangerous and sometimes fatal.
For It's constant product In morbid.
ity. Morbldity means mind sick.
ness II one should be prevented
from spreading typhoid germs TO In.
juro mems bodies. should those be
spared who spread insanity germs 90
aickcn mems soulsy
IL In silly 10 treat this question
ms new ground IN science. II iu the
oldest ground In the world. No mat.
ter has ever been Investigated.
studied and searched out with more
cnrn.s,nens and care. And not n
pcnny's worth Of value has ever been
uncovered In IL
Real thought stands for soundness
Of mind. for Wilderness. for intcliec-
tuai integrity. II has no part or
parcel with any sort OF spiritual
legcrdemain.
IL Is entirely consistent with the
most rigid science.
IL stands for Faith: but not OF
biindfold Faith. cropping among
nrcctres. and tho fcvcrod creations
OF the Imagination. but n Faith tha;
Is clear eyed as paIlas Athcne. and
as warm and human al Jesus.
Keep away from tho whole sooth.
saying tribe' For. says kiplinE:
'oh. the road to En-dor ls the oldcs,
road
And the craxiest road Of ALI
Straight II runs 10 the witch's abode.
AA II did In the days OF Saul.
And nothing has changed Of tho
sorrow In store
For such as 30 down on the road 10
En- -dori'