Polytechnic Association. 633 



Now, granting that there is a psychic force, it is confessedly very 

 delicate. It requires the nicest apparatus to detect it. It seems to 

 me that this experiment with a lever is prima fade evidence of a 

 trick, for it proves too much altogether. 



Mr. Young — I am unwilling to have a matter I have examined so 

 long, dismissed in such a cavalier style. The gentleman speaks of a 

 motion of a table with hands upon it. There are thousands who have 

 seen tables move without any hands, and intelligently answer questions. 

 I have myself seen it repeatedly. 



The President — The question before us is concerning psychic force, 

 and not spiritualism. Mr. Crookes and Mr. Huggins do not take 

 sides with the spiritualists. 



Dr. Ilallock — I would like to state a few facts. The speaker pro- 

 ceeded to describe the power of spirits in raising heavy bodies ; he 

 had seen a table, with several heavy persons on it, lifted entirely from 

 the floor. 



Mr. T. D. Stetson — Have you with your two eyes seen it clear of 

 the floor \ How high was it % 



Dr. Hallock — Bless your soul, yes ! I have seen it clear up there 

 (pointing upward). 1 have seen a man, with twenty gentlemen sitting 

 around, in a parlor seventy feet deep, lifted over and over again, right 

 before our eyes, and finally floated right through the room and laid 

 down upon the table ! 



The President — How long is it since you saw the feats described ? 



Dr. Hallock — I think it is ten years. As much as that. I offer 

 that as a proof of psychic force. 



The President — It proves too much. The energy thus displayed 

 was too tremendous for psychic force. 



Mr. Blanchard — "When a scientific man discovers a new fact, he 

 tries the experiment over and over again, until he finds under what cir- 

 cumstances the same result will always ensue. Then he can bring it 

 before his friends, and show it ; and the same result ensues, no matter 

 whether they are credulous or incredulous. Now, we are called upon 

 to believe strange things, such as we have never seen the like of, on 

 the statement that others have seen them. We know there is in 

 human nature a disposition to exaggerate, and that many will make 

 a story right straight out ; and this is so prevalent in human nature 

 that I don't believe a word of the gentleman's story. (Laughter.) If 

 spirits will perform their experiments here, we shall all be convinced. 



The President — In our free discussions we are sometimes drawn 

 too far away from the original question. We do not want those 



