"CHILDISHLY CREDULOUS."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9569, 16 August 1909, Page 4

"CHILDISHLY CREDULOUS."

The "New Zealaiid Times" declares that the spirit medium—Mi Charles Bailey, now in Wellington—has the good fortune to appear "before audiences who are childishly credulous." The paper in question may be right, but we cannot help reflecting that the ranks of spiritualists contain a great many men of far greater erudition, and possessed of much stronger mental and spiritual powers than any member on the staff of our contemporary We do not say this with the object of slighting any individual, but it is, of course, a fact so indisputable that it is worthy of some attention at the present moment, when ordinary individuals are hurling epithets at, and manifesting great scorn for that which mpn of great attainments have and do believe in. We certainly shall not proceed very far in any inquiry, nor derive any benefit therefrom, if wo aproach the question in a dogmatic and abusive spirit, and rely upon a profound store of ignorance for "facts." The main questions of interest in the controversy now going on are, it seems to us, how far the phenomena of spiritualism, and to what extent the phenomena of the Bailey seances may be believed in? The fir«t question is wide and deep, anJ lends itself to endless controversy and discussion, but the second, providing Mr Bailey and his friends are wil ing to submit to searching tests, should be tasiiy answered. If Mr Bailey, for instance, in tne full glare of the noon-day sun, and surrounded by sceptics, would produce some "appo'-ts" from India he would certainly "astonish the natives" of this country, whatever the effect might be on his Hindoo friends. The suggestion, however, that Bailey should produce a copy of the Melbourne "Argus" of the same date as his seance is a good one. That indeed would be an "apport" difficult to explain away.