TWELVE PAGES.
The News and Observer.
VOL. XLIX. NO. 59.
Leads aliNorthGarolmaßailiesinNews andCraiMicm
QUASI-PUBLIC
CORPORATIONS
They Largely Escape Just
Share of Public Burdens.
THE GROSS INCOME TAX
Is a Just Method of Placing Taxes on
the Franchise.
EXPECT THE USUAL STOCK ARGUMENTS
"Os Driving Capital Out of the State, Confisca
tion of Wealth, and Anarchistic Opposition
to Wealth,” to Come From Cor
poration Hirelings.
To the Editor: —I am glad to take ad
vantage of your request to give expression
to my view on the subect of the proper
method of taxing the quasi-public corpo
rations in our State. The agitation of
this matter in the last Legislature was
but a preliminary skirmish. A few States
grappled the subject years ago and it
is uncertain yet where the victory lies.
Others, like ourselves, are just joining
the battle: while in still more the taxa
tion of public service and other corpora
tions has not yet been given the promi
nence which it is bound to receive in the
near future.
One would suppose that the varied expe
rience already gained by governments in
respect to this great department of their
business would long ago have resulted in
the correct and accurate establishment
of certain principles, which would be gen
erally adopted and acknowledged as the
basis for practical application. But no
such result has been accomplished. Not
merely is the proper taxation of corpora
tions a vexed and unsettled question, but
the entire scheme of taxation, an essen
tial for the maintenance of all govern
ment, is a patch-work more resembling
’ho structure of a crazy quilt than an
orderly and well conceived pattern.
A student of this subject can find in
his investigations unlimited examples of
the appropriation of private property, un
der the name of taxation, which have
been prompted by greed, or necessity, or
both, in the desire to retain power.
It seems useless, however, profitable
it might be, to attempt a discussion of
■the economic principles which should gov
ern when selecting a proper system of
raising revenue for State purposes. Cer
tain lines have been followed for years
in North Carolina and it will be a slow
process to change them.
In my opinion the vital question before
us is this: Are we to permit the great
changes which have been made in late
years in the industrial development of
this country, come to pass without an ef
fort to adapt ourselves to them in this
important and overshadowing question
of taxation?
Not many States have struggled with
the difficulties which have beset North
Carolina in the efforts to construct a sat
isfactory financial system. The popula
tion of the State being in a great meas
ure rural, the great advance in the organ
ization and growth of corporations has not
been noticed to the same extent as it
has been in some other States. We
have accordingly been content to raise
the chief portion of the State’s revenue
from the general property tax, the anti
quated poll tax, and certain questionable
license taxes. A pretence to collect an
income tax is made, but the result hardly
warrants giving it the dignity of a sepa
rate designation, while the equitable and
all important and fully sustained system
of inheritance taxation is bandied about
by succeeding Legislatures as a trifle.
The time has come when the general
property tax cannot satisfy the demands
of State, as well as county and municipal
government without becoming over-bur
densome . In 1890 the per capita valua
tion of assessed property in the' United
States was SIOB. In North Carolina it
was $145. One State alone had a lower
per capita valuation than North Carolina.
The populations of North Carolina and
Virginia are nearly the same while the to
tal asessed property in Virginia was in
1890 415 million dollars, while in North
Carolina it was 235 million dollars.
One remedy (without going into a dis
cussion of the defects in our machinery
act) is an introduction into our laws
of a just and equitable but very positive
scheme of corporation franchise taxes.
As a matter of course the most prominent
corporations which would be concerned
would be the corporations of a semi-pub
lic nature, and chief among these are the
railroad, telegraph, telephone and ex
press companies.
The president of one of our greatest
railroad companies not long ago in a pub
lic discussion of this question, when the
great value of the franchise of his road
was referred to, is said to have flippantly
replied that these franchises were things
which he could purchase at fifty cents
the dozen. This may be true. Large corpo
rations sometimes have away of accom
plishing their obect in mysterious ways.
All franchises, however, are not so cheap.
We have in mind one short mile of road
which, although the franchise cost its
first owner possibly even less than fifty
cents, is now f , according to the statement
of a prominent railroad man, worth to
its owner in the neighborhood of fifty
thousand dollars. This mile of railroad
is able to control a good part of the
wholesale trade of Wilmington. It is
assessed for taxation at $6,250. To our
mind the difference between the value of
this road to its present owners, and the
cost to actually replace the tangible prop
erty, less a proper allowance for depre
ciation, is the valug of that intangible
thing called franchise and which most
towns and States also, are too prone to
give away for the asking.
In the recent edition of “The Theory
and Practice of Taxation,’ by Mr. David
A. Wells, it is very plainly stated that
“the recognition of franchises, a species
of property as invisible and intangible as
the soul in a man’s body, as a proper ob
ject for taxation is now regarded by
many as beyond any dispute. It is pe
culiarly appropriate as a source of reve
nue for the exclusive use of the State,
inasmuch as the grant of franchises em
anates from the State in its sovereign ca
pacity.” Mr. Wells further illustrates by
quoting from decisions of the Supreme
Court of the United States which very
forcibly uphold the right to tax corporate
franchises. The great difficulty in apply
ing tliis tax is on account of the lack of
any well defined and well settled principle
of appraisal. If this appraisal was made
based upon the value which the public
places upon the property, as evidenced by
the market value of its capital stock,
certificates of indebtedness, bonds or any
other securities, the value of which was
predicated upon the earning capacity of
the property, the duty would be an easy
one. If the life of the franchise was lim
ited to a certain definite number of years
as it should be, the present value of the
property could be easily determined by
a calculation based upon an estimate
of the average yearly profits for a number
of years. During the last General As
sembly an effort was made to adopt the
method in use in a number of States in
regard to railroads, of levying a gradu
ated tax on their gross earnings. This
tax of course was not intended to affect
the general property tax of the railroads,
which they together with every other
citizen of the State, whether individual
or corporate, should pay. But it was of
the nature of a license tax —a tax upon
the capitalization of the right to use the
streets of a city, of the authority to take
property under the right of eminent do
main, or any other specific right or priv
ilege granted by the State. Os these
methods one or the other surely
to be adopted. That it will be accom
plished without strenuous opposition is
hardly to be expected. The “line of least
resistance” along which our tax laws have
been framed is not the line formed by
the railroads and other public corpora
tions, ’but it is the line composed of the
small property owner who cannot afford
to take the action necessary to relieve
himself of his burden.
If these corporations loyally accepted
the yoke of the law, if they would cease
their interfence in political matters, their
applications to Federal judges to nulli
fy State laws by injunctions, when the
matters in controversy ought to be and
could be equitably adjusted by our own
courts, a gr-eat amount of unreasonable
opposition would be averted.
But when the question comes up again
we will have the usual stock arguments
about driving capital from the State, con
fiscation of property, anarchistic opposi
tion to wealth, fee., giving no one credit
for an honest desire to justly arrive at
an equitable solution of a problem which
has vexed mankind since the secession
of the ten tribes of Israel disrupted the
Jewish monarchy.
M. S. WILLARD.
Wilmington, N. C., Nov. 24.
FOE “NATIONAL REFORMS ”
A Suggestion for an Amendment to the Consti
tution.
To the Editor: An editorial article un
der the caption above in your issue of the
15th instant, called attention to, and
quotes a recommendation by the Philadel
phia Times cf an amendment to the Con
stitution of the United States increasing
the length of the term of office of the
President from four to six years and
rendering him ineligible for re-election.
It is not the first time that an amend
ment of the kind has been suggested of
late, and it is encouraging to know that
some, at least, of the people of the North
ern States, recognize a necessity that was
long ago apparent—and was acted upou—
by us of the Confederate States.
The permanent Constitution of the Con
federate States, adopted at Montgomery,
Ala., the Ulh of March, 1861, contains
the following:
“Article I, Section 1. The executive
power shall be vested in a President
of the Confederate States of America. He
and the Vice-President shall hold their
offices for the term of six years: but the
President shall not be re-eligible.”
A provision of the kind quoted above
would put an end effectually to the elec
tioneering campaign for re-nomination
which has characterized the first terms
of many of our Presidents, and enable
the incumbent for the time being to de
vote the whole of his time and attention
to the discharge of the duties of his
office.
One of the first acts of the Confederate
Government was to adopt as its funda
mental law the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, with such slight alterations
as the difference of curcumstances made
necessary, thus, at the outset, disposing
of the flippant statement, so often made,
that the object of the Confederates was
the destruction of the United States Gov
ernment. It was the perversion of that
government to which they took excep
tion, their only wish being to erect and
live under the government their fathers
had erected, leaving to those who dif
fered from them a similar government
construed and administered as they pre
ferred.
Besides the alteration already cited,
there were two or three others equally
desirable, among them an emphatic and
positive prohibition of the foreign slave
trade (Article 1, Section 9), rvhich no
where occurs in the Constitution of the
United States. On the contrary it is ex
presslv allowed until 1808 in the latter in
strument, and its prohibition after, that
date is permissive only. (Article 1, Sec
tion 9).
GRAHAM DAVES.
Newborn, N. C., Nov. 19.
is but an imitation of a donkey’s bray
ing.
Man isn’t the only animal that lives off
his relations. There is the ant-eater.
RALEIGH. NORTH: CAROLINA, SNUDAY MORNING NOVEMBER 25.1900.
If SWITZERLAND
OF AMERICA
Ashe County Very Rich in
Mineral Deposits.
MAGNETIC IRON ORES
They Are Said to be the Richest in
the World.
ELK KNOB’S 30 FEET COPPER VEIN
Between Two Copper Sections There is a Net
Work of Mica Mines Extending Through
Ashe, Watauga, Mitchell and
Yar.cey Counties,
To the Editor:—This county (Ashe), is
in the extrem northwestern part of
North Carolina, in the corner adjoining
Virginia and Tennessee, and is appropri
ately called the Switzerland of America.
Situated right on the summit of the Appa
lachian range of mountains it is 3,000
feet above the sea level, with some points
reaching an altitude of 5,500 feet but yet
possessed of a climate from April to
Christmas unexcelled anywhere in the.
world.
That this country will one day be one
of the mo3t important sections of the
United States is beyond question for
there is a strip of country about 75 miles
in width, beginning with the Iron Moun
tains, in Virginia, running parallel with
the Blue Ridge through North Carolina,
and extending over part of Tennessee,
through Georgia, and a part of Alabama,
which is one continuous bed of ore.
A short description of this I think
would be of interest to men who are in
terested in minerals and will only men
tion veins which have been developed suf
ficiently to determine the quality of the
ores.
Begininng with the Iron Mountains of
Smyth and Grayson counties, Virginia,
with their immense beds of red and brown
hematite iron ores and coming down on
the south side of the mountain the fa
mous marble and limestone quarries of
Grayson county are approached: passing
over the Virginia line into North Caro
lina on both sides of New river, for long
stretches of miles, immense deposits of
the finest magnetic iron ores in the world,
are found. Some work is being done on
these veins now and it is said that from"
300 to 500 cars could be loaded with this
ore by moving no more than a car of
dirt. Five miles further on, in a branch
of the Phoenix Mountain, we find large
deposits of tannic acid iron ores and
looking to bur right, fifteen miles to the
west stands Elk Knob, with its 30-foot
vein of solid copper sulphurettes; then
turning southward we find copper, both
native and sulphurettes. One of these
veins was worked extensively about ten
years ago by the Ore Knob Copper Com
pany, but owing to the then great dis
tance from a railroad and the cheapness
of copper, the works went down; then
further south, over the Blue Ridge, we
have large deposits of manganese, talc,
i and kalin; then gold sets in.
Between these two copper sections we
have a network of mica veins, extending
through Ashe, Watauga, Mitchell and
Yancey counties, interspersed with soap
stone and asbestos. In these counties
we have every kind of mica known to
the trade, amber, green, white, black,
and speckled. It is a well established fact
that North Carolina mica is of the finest
quality known.
The business of your correspondent is
mica mining. This was selected out of
a hundred oth(V things for the reason that
when mica is prepared for market it is
not so bulky and can be drawn by wagons
30 miles to the railroad with small cost
and at a small profit.
We located here because we know this
county, with its vast resources, will at
tract a railroad soon and will not be
always in its present undeveloped stage
and this article is written, hoping that it
will catch the eye of some of our North
ern brothers, who have capital and are
seeking a profitable place of investment
with it, and “hang their harps upon the
for it and persuade them to come down
willows” cf the Old North State, and they
will meet with the outstretched hand of
welcome and with the hearty co-opera
tion of every good citizen of this, God’s
most favored section —the Beautiful
Southland.
Any information desired by any parties
interested will be gladly furnished by the
Carolina Mining Company, Jefferson,
N. C.
C. L. ZOLL.
A Joke That Went Too Fa'r
i ,
(New York Telegraph.)
A very interesting question in law has
arisen in Binghampton which may not
be settled for years and years to come.
Two sisters and a cousin living in the
same house became mothers at the same
time. The husband of one of the matrons
arriving late, it was thought a good joke
by the nurses to place all the infants on
a bed and inform the belated parent that
he was the sire of triplets. He was some
what surprised, and every one laughed
hugely, until the time came to separate
the three and return them to their re
spective mothers. Then it was suddenly
discovered that, as they were of the same
sex, their clothing similar and their ap
pearance, ns is usual at that immature
stage, sufficiently alike, identification
was next to impossible. Now the fathers
and mothers are at war, the nurses have
been discharged and the aid of the au
thorities has been asked. It may be nec
essary to draw lots, but even that will
not be satisfactory. No one will ever
believe that chance restored what the
joke made doubtful. In tlie years to come
none of the three will ever be able to who
they are or what they are. They cannot
prove absolutely one parentage, and the
law will not allow them an undivisible
interest in three.
It is all right to joke within harmless
limits, but when it comes to using new
born infants as the subject, it is going
too far. It isn’t fair to the infants.
DR- ALDERMAN AT TULANE-
He Has Wrought Wonders in His New Field
in Louisiana.
To the Editor: —Dr. Alderman's short
stay in New Orleans has already been
marked by signal success. His name is
on every tongue and he is conceded the
man of the hour.
New Orleans was prepared to like him.
Even before his arrival he was elected
a member of the Boston Club, which cor
responds to the Cosmopolitan of New'
York. The Round Table also opened their
doors to him. The Tulane Alumni, at the
Hotel de Louisiana, gave him one of the
most sumptuous feasts ever spread south
of New York city. The Press Club and
others have tendered him more invita
tions than he can possibly accept. So
ciety is bidding for him, and it is already
rumored that he has been selected as the
King of the next Carnival.
At Tulane University, Dr. Alderman’s
Influence can be felt on every side. In
striking contrast to the stagnating con
servatism which has hitherto character
ized what might have been a great Uni
versity, the most aggressive progression
is evident, and already the pulse beat of
this growing institution is fast spread
ing over a rapidly increasing area.
New buildings have been projected, and
by the dormitory system, which will
shortly be inaugurated, the academic en
rollment will be more than doubled.
Tulane has suddenly been inoculated
with the spirit of the times. Students and
faculty alike have suddenly developed a’
unity of feeling and purpose, or techni
cally speaking a “college spirit,” which
is as amazing in its growth as it is far
reaching in its results.
Twelve months ago the Tulane stu
dent was in total ignorance of the mean
ing of “college spirit.” The latent patriot
ism doubtless existed, but it needed to
be kindled with enthusiasm. This has
h«on ’he work of the leader, and this
work brilliantly accomplished, has won
for him the unbounded confidence and es
teem of all who know him.
In athletics Dr. Alderman has won the
hearts of the boys by his most enthusias
tic stand for the sport which more than
arty other American game inculcates
quickness of thought and fearlessness of
action. He has initiated a system of
coaching and cheering which has con
verted Tulane’s “goose-egg” record of
last year into an unbroken series of vic
tories.
In the recent game with the Louisiana
State University, Tulane’s rival and in
variable conqueror for ten years previ
ous, the tables were turned. Never be
fore has there been such an outburst of
enthusiasm and manifestation of “col
lege spirit” in the city of New Orleans.
Six hundred Tulane students, headed by
a brass band, paraded in front of the
bleachers and rent the air with yells and
cheers which struck terror to the hearts
of their opponents. The cadets were
fairly swept off their feet. With a sys
tem of rushes wonderfully conceived and
brilliantly executed, Tulane ran up the
magnificent score of 29 to 0. Coach Sum
mergill was deservedly accredited w r ith
the achievement, but all realize that Dr.
Alderman was the “power behind the
throne,” the power which brought such
a coach to Tulane and the power which
inspired the students with an enthusiasm
and win-or-die spirit without which all
efforts would have been futile.
North Carolinians will be glad, though
hardly surprised, to know of Dr. Alder
man’s brilliant success in his new field.
PERCY P. WHITAKER.
New Orleans, La.
The Racing at Newton.
(Special to the News and Observer.)
Newton, N. C., Nov. 23.—The hunters
were in much better spirits last night
on account of finding plenty of birds yes
terday.
The second series of the All-Aged
stakes will be run by Senator P., Why
Not, Sioux, Minnie s Girl, Geneva, Peg’s
Girl and Prime Minister, with Earl Jingo
a bye.
At the close of the All-Age stake the
Subscription stake will be run. Only ten
entries are allowed in this stake and
the prizes are as follows. First, $250:
second, $100; third, SSO. The first round
will consist of a two-hour heat; after
wards at the discretion and direction o*
the judges. The dogs entered for this
race and paired are as follows, viz:
“Pink’s Roy,” owned by P. Lorillard, Jr.,
and handled by C. Tucker, with “Sam
T,” owned by Miss Elizabeth Bradley and
handled by S. C. Bradley. “Lena Belle,”
owned by P. Larillard. Jr., and handled
by C. Tucker, with “Datt’s Daisy,” owned
by J. S. Crane, of Ohio and handled by A.
Albrough.
“Dot’s Roy,” owned by Avent and Dur
yea, and handled by J. M. Avent, with
“Minnie Girl,” owned by Delraonte Ken
nels, Geo. Crocker, proprietor, and han
dled by S C Bradley.
“Lady Rachel,” owned by Avent and
Duryea, and handled by J. M. Avent,
with “Geneva,” owned by P. Lorillard,
Jr., and handled by C. Tucloer.
“Sioux,” owned by Avent and Duryea,
and handled by J. M. Avent, with “Peg’s
Girl,” owned by F. L. Jamison, cf Toledo,
Ohio, and handled by J. H. Ja'anson.
These races will not be completed until
Monday in all probability.
A man who risks nothing rtccumulates
a bountiful supply of the same*
1 Only a few of the things we want are
absolutely necessary to our welfare.
"RHEUMATISM ISA
LIE, II FALSE CLAIM"
i
It is Not a Bodily Disease
But it is Sin.
MEDICINE CAN’T DESTROY
Why Not Let Medicine or Nature Des
troy Sin? Asks Christian Science.
A SCIENTIST REPLIES TO DR. MARSHALL
Advocates That if All Men Believed and Prac
tised Christian Science, Diseases and
Death Would Perish From
the Earth.
The following letter, which we publish
by request of Miss Harrison, of Newbern,
is somewhat delayed, but did not reach
us until last week:
Boston, Mass., Nov. 6, 1900.
To the Editor: —In your issue of the sec
ond you report a sermon on the subject
of Christian Science and Faith Cures, by
Rev. Dr. Marshall. He begins by giving
some quotations from Mrs. Eddy's book
which are very good indeed, and that
much of the sermon I heartily endorse.
He adds: “Mrs. Eddy’s book, ‘Science
and Health,’ is not a very readable book,
nor one easily understood.” No science
can be understood without earnest study
and application. Even our Master said:
“Strive to enter in at the strait gate;
for many, I say unto you, will seek to
enter in, and shall not be able.” This
statement implies that it is not easy to
understand and live the truth; and yet
ease and harmony always follow such
practice. An apprentice often chooses a
hard way of doing a thing, which is eas
ily done by a master. Jesus said: “Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart; and
ye shall find rest unto your souls, for
rny yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The Master had served his apprentice
ship well ,and was able to accomplish
v.ith perfect ease that which his disciples
failed to do, and concerning which they
said: “Why could not we cast him out?”
Multitudes of those who are “comparing
spiritual things with spiritual,” have
found “Science and Health,” the Chris
tian Science text-book, easy of compre
hension. Are the people of this denomi
nation better educated than Dr. Mar
shall. and so more equal to the under
standing of this volume? This I do not
assert, but would rather attribute the
difference between those who so easily
take hold of the science of Christ —and
one who evidences his misapprehension
openly, to the fact that some Christians
are more ready to accept the premise of
Christian Science—that God is spirit, love,
life, truth, and for this reason are bet
ter capable of comprehending conclusions
drawn from these definitions of God. It
might be wise for our clergymen to re
frain from the effort to express an opin
ion as to the teachings of Christian
Scieneo until they too have used the
ideas taught in this school wun healing
results. Only the practical mathemati
cian can properly teach mathematics.
Only the practical Christian Scientist can
intelligently teach this science. The ef
fort to apostrophize about any science, or
any subject concerning which knowledge
is not gained from actual experience, is
likely to prove a failure.
In answer to the question how it is pos
sible for a system like this to grow as
it has done into one of the most remarka
ble movements of modern times, Dr. Mar
shall says: “By practicing a system of
mental healing whereby it is claimed
that many who have tried other curative
agencies in vain, have under this sys
tem been restored to health.” So far,
this answer is correct, but is not com
plete. While it is true that people have
been healed of physical troubles through
Christian Science after having exhausted
their faith in other remedies, it is also
true that they have been healed spiritu
ally as well. Sinners have been regener
ated; drunkards have been reformed;
sorrow*, disappointment, and dissatisfac
tion have been replaced with joy, happi
ness and satisfaction, through the con
scious ever-presence of God, as Christian
Scientists are taught to realize. I speak
from personal experience on this point.
Previous to my study of Christian
Science I had become very unhappy—full
of doubts and fears, and sceptical even
of the truths of the Bible. In fact I was
dissatisfied with things in general; but
through Christian Science I have learned
to anchor my hope beyond the veil of
matter, in God, whom I recognize as the
only power and the only influence, and
this has dissolved my doubts and fears
to a very great extent.
My respect is profound for the orthodox
church in which I was reared, and I yet
love that church; bu.t base indeed would
be my ingratitude if I failed to recognize
what God has given me through Christian
Science, hv the faithful, untiring efforts
of ils noble founder, Rev. Mary Baker G.
Eddy.
Dr. Marshall asserts: “For the better
understanding of the question. I will at
tiie same time discuss kindred phenome
na.” If he had said, we will discuss kin
dred phenomena by contrast order iv>
better understand Christian Science, we
might give our approval; for the mani
festation of health as produced by Chris
tian Science has no kindred phenomena.
There is no system of healing the sick
which is in any degree akin to Christian
Science.
It is amusing to the Christian Scientist
to note the effort that is being made by
some people to establish the claim that
the cause of cures in Christian Science
SECTION ONE—Pages 1 to 4.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
is the sain*. riiich seems to cure
under other _ Who knows what
heals in Christ. 4^ except the stu
dent himself, wh. r. certain ideas
to affect curing t\ requires a
great deal of egotist. t a Chris
tian Scientist, “You do vj_ .«y divine
power as you claim, but .^hypnotic
suggestion.”
Dr. Marshall states: “The results so
similar must proceed from a common
cause; and the sequence between cause
and effect is so unalterably fixed by na
ture that when we see a series of effects
agreeing in essential particulars we
know that they must proceed from a
common cause. Interested parties may
deny it, if they will, and disclaim any
connection with other cures, but the
logic of truth and common sense compels
one to believe that in so far as healings
are concerned there is something in com
mon between the patent nostrums, the
electropoise, faith cures, Christian
Science, hoodooism, and all other forms
of extraordinary healings.” I ask, why
add to his list the term “extraordinary
healings?” What would he name ordi
nary healings? Does not the patient who
has been healed by the use of a drug
have the same kind of a “well” look as
the one who has recovered in some other
way? May we not say with as clear
logic and with the same degree of cer
tainty that when a patient is cured by
medicine he is not cured by medicine,
but by the same cause to which Dr. Mar
shall attributes his so-called “extraor
dinary healings? What of the Egyptian
magicians who produced the same phe
nomena to materia! sense which Moses
affected by the use of the rod? To all
physical appearances the effects were th
saine. Would Dr. Marshall say that the
causes were the same? The necroman
cers imitated Moses up to a certain
point, when they failed; then they ad
mitted the superiority of the power
which wrought wonders through Moses,
saying: “This is the finger of God.”
Evil has sought to ape God from the be
ginning of the world to the present time,
and has claimed in all ages, “I can do
anything God can do. I can heal just
like God, indeed, God has nothing to do
with healing. I am doing it through ani
mal magnetism.” Many counterfeits of
any method does not prove there is no
genuine original. Jesus of Nazareth
healed in an “extraordinary” way. He
used no material remedies and restored
the absent to life with whom there was
no personal contact, thereby exhibiting
a purely mental or spiritual power of
healing. Does Mr. Marshall claim that
Jesus too, was a hypnotist, and that he
was reporting a falsehood when he said:
“I speak not of myself, but the Father
that dwelletli in me, he doeth the works?”
I will grant that so far as concerns ex
ternal appearances the results of vari
ous systems of curing the sick may seem
similar, but I insist that Christian
Science heals purely through the Influ
ence of truth, and is .the identical sys
tem which Jesus used nineteen hundred
years ago. Nor are the effects of truth
healing the same as the recuperation
through other means —as any one in
spired with new life through Christian
Science can testify.
I will agree with the doctor’s state
ment: “If it were not true that the nat
ural tendency in all diseases is to recover
the world would have been depopulated
long ago;” and would add, but .the natural
tendency of God’s creation is to express
Himself, and to be co-existent and co
eternal with Himself; otherwise it would
have been annihilated long ago. God is
the power behind the throne which makes
“the natural tendency of man to health.”
And through Christian Science the hin
drances and obstructions, the doubts,
fears and dependencies upon powers less
than God, are put out of the way, and
the patient is brought directly under the
divine influence; so this natural tendency
gains supremacy, and health speedily fol
lows.
It is further stated: “The great ma
jority of sick people would entirely re
cover if left alone.” This would be well
said with the addition of two words—with
God.
Some diseases may be imaginary, as
our friend declares. Some may be more
than imagination, as Christian Science
teaches; but the troubles which are
mountains to our material sense are ut
terly powerless in the sight of God; and
ail diseases, imaginary or otherwise must
dissolve in His presence, even as the
frost before the noon-day's sun.
Our brother asks the question: “Have
we reason to believe from the teaching
of revelation that by any system of faith
that ignores the reality of sickness and
death; that denies the existence of mat
ter, and repudiates even the being of a
personal God, we may so far master our
selyos that disease will become only a
dream and death a fiction? Or, to repeat
the question in another form; does the
Bible give us any reason to expect heal
ings and cures other than those that re
sult from the recuperative energy of na
ture, or grow out of the use of a wise
system of therapeutics, including the rem
edies of materia medica, and those poten
tial but mysterious influences of our own
minds?”
We will allow the Scriptures to answer
this question. Jesus was the greatest
physician the world has ever known. His
system of healing must have been the
best, for bis success was perfect and he
was never known to lose a case. lie also
said: "I am the way.” He did not de
clare, “1 heal sin and sickness by evok
ing the aid of the Father, but you must
depend upon material remedies;” but he
said: “He that belleveth on me, the
works that I do shall he do also; and
greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto the Father.” “And
ihese signs shall follow them that be
lieve,” etc., as much as to say, “He who
understands what I understand, and prac
tices as I practice will be followed by like
results.” If he made any point in his
teaching emphatic it was this, that, we
should be able through hi 3 method to
overcome sin, and sickness, by depending
alone upon the power of God. He said
of a sick woman, that satan had bound
her. Elsewhere, on another occasion he
declared of satan: “When he speaketh
a lie he sDeaketh of his own, for he is a
liar, and the father of it.,” The vocation
(Continued on Second Fage.)