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vol. title: Miscellaneous Scraps from January 1st 1878 vol. period: 1875-1878 pages in vol.: 153 |
Prophetic Impressions
There is a mental sphere within the universe in which the thoughts of invisible intelligences are projected. The unfolded mind can cognize through the interior perceptive faculties the thoughts existing within that sphere. The great events of human progress have been developed through minds impressed with the thoughts of living intelligences who have passed from earth to spirit life. These, although seemingly dead to this world, have, however, an interest in human affairs, particularly in persons and subjects within the sphere of their affections; and those who have large expanded thoughts have the progress and enlightenment of the human race most in their consideration, as the following will show.
We here desire it to be remembered that the inanimate, lifeless body placed in the coffin is not the man or woman—that changes into its original elements, as all things in nature change—that the soul with its intelligence and experiences still lives and lives forever. The soul knows no death; its consciousness is never for a moment in abeyance. With these preliminary observations we present the following prophetic announcement in proof that the intelligences in spirit life have an interest and care for the good of humanity and the world's progress towards purer and better conditions.
The interior perceptive faculties impressed from the mental sphere of thought reveal that in the not far distant future the voice of oppressed humanity in this great Republic of the United States, and eventually in other lands, will ultimate in a complete revolution in remedial measures to annul and revoke the unjust and iniquitous legislation and statutes which selfish and corrupt men have enacted in regard to monopolies and other oppressive abuses. The general mind is only faintly illumined with a knowledge of individual rights and the legal powers of government. Consequently the people have to be enlightened by experience and oppression of their rulers, the only means, it would seem, by which they can be educated to a knowledge of justice and right. Monopolies are always oppressive. And the poor, the laboring and producing classes are oppressed the most. Monopolies are inimical to a republic, as they tend to create aristocracies in the accumulation of wealth and power and position through its influence. The masses of the people in these United States are helpless in the invasion of their rights and the oppression to which they are obliged to submit. The monopolies, the rulers and the aristocracy, all combine in favoring legislation to maintain their positions and to exercise their influence to depress the poor and hold them in servitude. It is no longer as in the past that the poor man or woman in humble circumstances, however intelligent, capable or worthy, can rise above a mediocre condition, unless by unworthy means. The net is tightly drawn by legislation favoring the wealthy, a perverted social system, and customs and sentiments grown out of legislative and judicial actions hostile to the public welfare.
In the mental sphere, thoughts are developing and are gradually unfolding to humanity in the earth-life, eventually to culminate in decisive action to revolutionize the system of legislation so long practiced in National and State legislative bodies for the sole benefit of the legislators and their partizans, to the great detriment of the people in fraud of individual rights and positive injury to the country. Would the representatives of our national councils, if honest and upright men, have given to monster gigantic corporations, not thousands, but millions of acres of the public lands? The franchise to corporations without limitation was sufficient to create an aristocracy of the corporators, without the many millions of dollars guaranteed and paid by the Government. The interior perceptions quickened by the echoes or impressions of the invisible intelligences, prophetically declare that the public lands will and must revert back again, as they were given in fraud and diverted from the purpose for which the Government hold them in trust—that is, for actual settlers, for the increase of population and emigrants. The price fixed by the Government for actual settlers is one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, whereas, the price demanded by the corporators, is, according to location, anywhere between two dollars and fifty dollars, and even upwards, per acre, and constantly advancing as settlements are made in the vicinity of the railways.
It is not difficult to foresee the large aristocracies that would be built up of the many millions of acres of land fraudulently given to the corporators. The word fraud is used, and properly, as no doubt the franchises were obtained with the understanding that an interest would be given, not only in a money subsidy, but in the incorporations to those who favor their passage, and who were instrumental in confirming the grant. Other questions of great public importance in connection with these incorporations granted by legislative bodies are to be considered. An unlimited perpetual charter is inimical to a republic. There is no provision made if the corporation should prove oppressive to the people, become a nuisance and injurious to the community, &c., &c., besides the question of right to bind a future generation. The impressions from the mental sphere are conclusive that an act of incorporation should be limited to a period of thirty years; and if conducted in a proper manner, with its full capital paid up—limiting the amount, in excess of its expenditures, to an interest of ten per cent. per year on the capital—then if found not oppressive to the people, but beneficial, future generations will extend them ad libitum.
Again, the question concerning the free exercise of judgment. Lobbying is an element that has grown to fearful proportions in legislative halls in the United States, and is corruptive, and corruptive only, in its intent and influence. Lobbying and lobbyists ought not to be permitted in any legislative assembly. The members should keep themselves free from suspicion of being influenced by that class of persons. A consideration of some kind is inferred when a member is seen in communication with a lobby member. Legislative assemblies ought to be free from suspicion, and each member ought to act according to his best judgment in determining a question, and with a conscious conviction that he believes that he is in the right, and that his judgment has not been influenced by outside parties having an interest in the matter under consideration. The day of tolerating lobby influences will end with the advent of honest and true men as representatives of the people, and the time is not far distant when such men, in sufficient numbers, will appear upon the stage of action. These have been greatly in the minority for a long series of years, in the national and every State legislative assembly.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Cremating Their Child
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Editor's notes