Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 18.pdf/616

 THE LIGHTER SIDE liability to plaintiff by reason of the matters by plaintiff in his said declaration complained of." " (4) Because the said declaration is duplicitous, in this: that plaintiff in his said declaration has attempted to plead more than one, and various and distinct and different causes of action in one and the same count." We think the court erred in overruling this demurrer. The most that can be gathered from the declaration is that the defendants had con ceived some Utopian scheme for the ameliora tion of all the ills, both temporal and spiritual, to which human flesh and soul are heir; had located their new Arcadia near the shores of the Rio Grande, in the county of Dona Ana, in the valley of the Mesilla; had christened this new-found Vale of Tempe the "Land of Shalam"; had sent forth their siren notes, which, sweeter and more seductive than the music that led the intrepid Odysseus to the Isle of Calypso, reached the ears of the plaintiff at his far-off home in Georgia, and induced him to "consecrate his life and labors, and all his worldly effects," etc., to this new gospel of Oahspe. This much is gathered from the pleadings. The evidence adduced in support of the plaintiff's demand is as startling as the declaration is unique. What the declaration leaves as uncertain, the proof makes incom prehensible. If the court below had been in vested with spiritual jurisdiction, it might have been enabled, through an inspired inter preter, to submit to a mortal jury the precise character of plaintiff's demand. We think an examination of the record before us will amply support these conclusions. The first and prin cipal witness offered by plaintiff was himself. He sets out in full the nature of his grievance. He admits, on page 59 of the record, that he made no sacrifice of property to become a member of the organization, but that he "threw up a situation" in which he could make a good living. What induced him to make this sacrifice is set out in his testimony. First in order came some specimen of literature published by the society, community, order, church, or "Faithists, " as they were pleased to call themselves. Over the objections of the defendants, two books were allowed to go to the jury. The first and larger volume is en titled as follows: "Oahspe: a New Bible in the words of Jehovih and his Angel Embassadors.

579

A sacred history of the dominions of the higher and lower heavens on the earth for the past twenty-four thousand years, together with a synopsis of the cosmogony of the universe; the creation of planets; the creation of man; the unseen worlds; the labor and glory of gods and goddesses in the etherean heavens. With the new commandments of Johovih to man of the present day. With revelations from the second resurrection, formed in words in the thirty-third year of the Kosmon era. " In the preface to the book it is said of it that "it blows nobody's horn; it makes no leader. " It is further stated: "When a book gives us infor mation of things we know not of, it should also give us a method of proving that information true. This book covers that ground. " The inspired author of this new revelation was doubtless somewhat familiar with the writings of his early predecessors. He had read of the jealousies that had arisen between Paul and Barnabas, so that he takes occasion in his preface to assure his disciples that these gospels are not intended to establish the fame of any one, — "it blows nobody's horn. " And again having seen innumerable sects spring up as a result of a misconstruction, or rather of a di versified construction of the earlier gospels, we are furnished with the consoling assurance that this book represents the "method of proving that information to be true." With this comfortable and comforting assurance, the wit ness opens this volume of light, and bids us satisfy the hungry longing of our restless spirits by feasting our eyes on its simple truths. This new gospel, in order to prepare our minds for the acceptance and enjoyment of its simple truths, proceeds to dispel the mists of superstition that for nearly two thousand years have obscured our spiritual vision. It gives a plain and un varnished story of the origin of the Christian's Bible. It is this: that once upon a time the world was ruled by a triune composed of Brah ma and Buddha and one Looeamong; that the devil, entering into the presence of Looeamong, tempted him by showing the great power of Buddha and Brahma, and induced him (Looea mong) to take upon himself the name of Kriste, so that it came to pass that the followers of Kriste were called Kristeyans; that Looea mongor Kriste through his commanding general Gabriel, captured the opposing gods, together