Watchfulness Required

The need for Christian Scientists to be awake to the subtle manner in which attempts to secure legislation against them are being made, is well illustrated in the recent proceedings before the Kentucky legislature, and we cannot be too emphatic in warning our people to be on guard against such attempts. The policy generally pursued by those who heretofore have sought such legislation has been to incorporate into the laws regulating the practice of medicine some strained and arbitrary definition by which they hope to include every system of healing, and thus include the practice of Christian Science without specifically naming it. We do not mean to be uncharitable, but a reasonable explanation of this course seems to be that by adopting such a plan it is expected that the true intent of the proposed legislation will not be disclosed to Christian Scientists nor to the legislators who otherwise would protest against a manifest violation of individual liberty.

It would seem that in the instance referred to, the plan was successful up to a certain point, but suffered defeat in the end because both Christian Scientists and legislators finally became aware of the purpose of the bill.

Much credit is due to the Christian Scientists of Kentucky who, by their prompt action, made clear to the Senate Judiciary Committee the intent and purpose of the definition of the phrase "practice of medicine" in the bill then under consideration, and to the members of the committee for their generous response when it was pointed out to them.

In consequence of the testimony offered by the Christian Scientists present at the hearing, the committee was also convinced of the healing power of Christian Science and voluntarily proposed an amendment by which Christian Scientists were especially exempted from the operation of the law, which was subsequently enacted.

Our correspondent in writing of the hearing before the committee says,—

"Several witnesses were on hand to give their testimonies of healing in Christian Science, and it was thought best to occupy all the time possible with these testimonies; for, after all is said, we have to fall back on the testimonies of healing in Science as the most convincing evidence of its truth and worth," and in reading this we were reminded of Jesus' words, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"

Christian Scientists are much pleased that Kentucky has taken its place with the steadily increasing number of states in which the practice of Christian Science is specifically or inferentially recognized, but it is not for them alone that a victory has been won; the public at large is equally interested, or should be, whenever an attempt to create or intrench an unjust monopoly is under consideration. M.

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"I say unto thee arise"

April 2, 1904

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