The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 8, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1828, 8 August 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 8, 1906.

Tii u local interest taken in the cjpiestion of the reality or unreality of what is known as spiritualism is accounted for by tho presence of a clover lady who claims to bo ablo to convoy messages from tho spirits or tbo departed to their friends who are still in the iiesh. Opinions differ as to whether such messages really' emanate from their alleged sources, and tho discussion of tho subject that is now going on in these columns has so far not been very

decisive. Indeed it would border almost on the miraculous if decisive proof wore forthcoming, on ono side of the argumont at anyrate, for to sub • staatiate tho claims of spiritists more than ordinary proof is demanded. For instance, if one asserts that he can walk a mile in half an hour, it needs no strain of credulity to accept the statement, for we know that it can be done; but if it is assorted that a

thousand miles can be accomplished in sixty seconds, extraordinary proof is necessary to impress belief upon a reasonable mind, This is just the point which spiritualists usually tail to grasp, and unless they pay attention to it we fear that the space which I we are willing to place at their dis-

posal will ho wasted and wo shall ho reluctantly compelled to closo down the discussion. Tho fund,ions of a nowspapor do not oxtond to it discussion of more beliefs on ethical quostioiiH; hut Micro is an aspect of spiritism which couioa within tho purview of ;t secular journal when that aspect involves tho apparent dorangomont of well known natural laws, and affects tho stability of accepted scion!ilic truth. Them) tilings it is tho duty of ovoiy oulightenud journal to defend until tho proofs aro forthcoming that will ho sufficient to destroy them. Therefore, when spiritists claim tho powor by occult means to upset tho laws of gravitation, to perform feats of mystery, and to make accepted truths appoar to ho the grossest fallacies, truth itself demands a fair and dispassionate investigation. Naturally, therefore, wo ask, What aro tho proofs '{ and tho only answora forthcoming aro tho statements of professional and other “mediums” who profess to know nothing of what they say—statements that aro invariably vague though insinuating, and aro usually adaptable to a varioty of commonplace circumstances which sensitive, credulous people easily assimilato to thoir own experiences. That is the sum total of modiumistic phenomena of what is called tho “ clairvoyant ” order, and it amounts to nothing by way of convincing proof; but there is a department of spiritism called “ Materialisation ” not so oasily explained, and for which it is assorted that scientists have givon their support. Now, while it is true that such scientists as Sir William Crooks and Alfred Bussell Wallaco have expressed qualified sympathy with tho spiritist belief, scientific mon as a body havo never afforded it tho smallest support, nor uttered a word for or against it, and until they do that tho namo of science should not be misused as an argument in its favor, and this is frequently done by thoso •who want to convince others that spiritism is a reality. It should be understood that science does not lend its aid or aquiescence to anything that does not bear the ordeal of discussion at one or other of the Scientific Associations, and spiritism has never yet been honored with a place on the agenda sheet of any one of those bodies. Sir William Crooks has mentioned it from the Presidential chair of tho British Association as a subject that might be investigated: hut there the matter rests as far as scientific approval is concerned. On tho other hand, Dr W. B. Carpenter in au article contributed to the "Nineteenth Century” some thirty years ago, dealt fully with the wholo question of spiritist phenomena and Sir AV. Crooks’ attitude towards it, and his conclusions are convincingly these, that so-called spiritualism is arrant nonsense, and that even a scientist of Sir AVilliam's ropute can be misled by clevor trickery. AVe have all soon conjurors do extraordinarily mystifying things, and if they claimed that they were aided by departed spirits there would be as much reason for accepting the statement as if it woro made by a professional medium ; but the truth of the statement would not be established for all that, and yet we aro asked to accept spiritism as a truth on similar proof. By all means let those who desire to accept it do so ; but the sound investigator will desire something more tangible,