SCOTCH! HOTCH! POTCH!

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 25, 3 September 1920, Page 10

SCOTCH! HOTCH! POTCH!

(Contributed by the "Groper.")

"A pagan kissing for a step, of Pan, The vrild-gircA-.' hv>f p-f-i on the loamy down, Exceeds our modern i-hinker who tums back, The strata. . . . granite, limeA- t;?, coal and elay, Concluding coldly with, "Here's law, where's God?" — Elizabeth Barrett Brownuig. The quest of the Eternal has been the quest of Ihe choieest spirits cf the races of men in all climes and in all ages. That orie of the world's teachers has succeeded in e&tablishing a uni cfu-sa Jy accepted creed signifies but little. Ihe reward of virtue, knowledge and devttir-n is by implied necessity antecede.it- to death, li all meri coukl but realise this and mahe the bost of things in this beautiful and wonderfiil earth there * ould l.e ro i eed for a fat-ure heaven. Tne f ic t that inan does oot in all cases attain the end for which lie was given existence- uiat on occasions iie becomes less than a 1 rute — is no argument against the ideal, but str . rg. ly argues for it; "For raan doth not live by bread only but by every \v rj that prooeedeth out of the mouth of God." It will be perceived that we beVove man to bi! the better of having "a star.' This conclusion has been arrived at by a study oi the lives of nien who rave 'clone tbings. The choice of the 'f-tar" is Ihe thing that matters. We are thus .! ligel to conclude that the faith of such gi-ants as Shakespeare and Milton, Newton and Kelvin, i§ no mean thing. But if the ssmple creed of Christ satisfied these d,eparted great ones it does not plea.se Sir Clive,- Bodge and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who have appointed themselves the "Chief Priests of the ' 'New Revelation" spiritualism.

Having thus preamblcd "The Groper" would ask : Is this Spiritualism' beneficial ? The great burden of evidence, inedical and oilierwise is emphatically against it. Spiritualism is not, a "new Rovlation," but an anci,ent heresay revived. Those who have any doubt on this point are adyised to read : "Earth's Earliest Ages," by G. H. Pember, M.A., or the "Radford Lectures for 1913. YVh-ether thfc nwd iumirtilc power uscd eraanates from the sublimimal self, or from dsscarnate demons, the end is the same — Seacliff! Here are a few opinions cuUed -from hundreds : — Bernard Vanghan writes : — "I think a law should be passed forcing Spiritualists to build their own asylums. II is not fair to ask the public to vay rafces for people who sbut their eyes and open a door which th.ey cannot close." Dr Charleg Mercies writes: — "I know from my own medical experieuce that the pur.su it of the calt Ica !s to a morbid frame of mind, and tends to render those who are at all predisposed to insanity an easy piey of the disea.se." Similarly Dr G. M. Robertson, uuperin tendent of the Royal Asylum, Morningside, Edinburgh, writes "I desire to wa-rn those who may possibly inherit latent tendeneies to nervius disorders to have nothing to do with practical inquiries of a spiritualistic na.ire. Inquiries into spiritualism sometimes Je-id t-i insanity in the predisposed." Dr Fobes Winslow : — "I express the conviction that a large proportion of patients in lunatic asylums are cases of possession not madness." Once again, Colonel R. H. Elliott, the eminent medical specialist and chairman of the Occult Committee of the Magic Circle, dkt not hesitate to say the other day that : — "To stop the kind of thing that is going 011 and to get people back to sanity is a naticmal work. Once a person gives way to temptation of thinking thht he sees things lie passes from illusions to the stuge of delusions. That is the danger, and a very distinct- danger." Silly, stupid people who do not stand upon their own feet or think with their own minds argue that if Sir Oliver Lodge and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are the devoted advoeates of spiritualism and make it their proud boast that they can introduce their clients to the spirit world, there inust be some thing in it. "The Groper 's" pcxsition is a simple one. We argue that man is a physical being in a physical world — placed here to do the best he -can with the things he finds at hand. His mental and spiritual nature must find expansion but not at the expense of the surrender of will and personality to an unknown power. This fatal condition is not demanded by any scientific or religious necessity. We would say I

then, leave "spookology" alorie. "The Groper" would sooner be an "Atheist clean," to quote the immortal RooTn, than a dekided "spookite." With gratification we notice iri this weeks' cables Cardinal Logue's denunciation of the horrible destruction of human life so prevalent in Ireland, The prelate says : "No end, however high, no plea, however plausible could justify such an outrage. I will be told that it is an act of war, and that it is lawful to shoot anyone wearing a policeman's uniform. I prefer to call it by the sterner naine of cool and deliberate murder. Anyone who plans, encourages, abets, or even sympathises in such acts participates in the guilt before God." That's the talk Cardinal. We want more of it ! Who can tell me," asked tiie Sunday school teacher, "v/hat became of the swine that had the evil spirits caist into them?" Little Johnny raised his hand : "Please ma'am they was all made into devilled ham . ' ' "You Hamericans say we 'ave no umor," said the loyal Britislier, 'but I'll have you understand, sir, that Hengiish jokes are not- to be laughed at." "What litle boy can toi! me the difference between the ' 'quick" and the "dead," asked the Sunday school teacher. Willie waved liis hand frantically. "Well, Willie?" "Please ma'am the 'quick' are the ones that get out of the way of. automobii.es, and the ones that dou't are dead."

"Now how do you suppose Noah spent the time in the ark during the flood," the Sunday school teacher asked, "Prayin'," suggested Willie. "Fishin'," ventured Dick, "Hump!" grunted Willie contemptuouslv. " 'Twould be fine fishin' wid onty two worms." .