The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-02-08
THE SPIRITUALISTS
IN THEIR STATE MEETING.
SPEECHES AND TESTS BY MEN AND woMRN
OF NATIONAL REPUTATION.


The second mid-winter convention of
the Michigan state spiritual association
was held in Longwell's opera house
| Feb 1--3.
The convention opened Friday even
| ing, Hon. l.. V. Moulton of Grand
Rapids, president of the association,
presiding
The association is body corporate
organized eighteen months ago and
comprises twenty. five local societies.
Michigan is the only state having such
AN organization. President Moulton
claims that spiritualism has spread
more rapidly than any other religious
movement, although it has possessed
none OF the usual machinery of propag
J andism, and ii is only about forty-six
years since the movement was inaug
urated. Spiritualsm, he claimed, is the
only scientific religion aud is also a
religious science. 1t proves its doctrines
by actual demonstration and saves all
that Is worth saving of the old theol-
ogies.
! The address of welcome was made
by b. O'Dell of this village. He said il
was "A pleasing duty and one that it was
an honor To perform, To welcome the
hlSllOlS w lut DtdliS anu DOiutS III tnC
people and 10 the cause OF liberty of
speech and of thought, to people who
do not say believe this because we
believe, but because it is true; because
of the light it has shed abroad in the
world. We welcome you in the name
of truth, IN the spirit of higher life
that will be with us, In spirit of higher
humanity that we trust will be the re
suit of this meeting.
In the absence of the vice-president,
Mrs. Abbie +. Sheets of Grand Ledge,
DR.. Schermerhorn of Grand Rapids,
secretary of the association, responded
To the welcoming address. The Doctoris
Il man of fine presence, a ready and in
teresting speaker. He thought spirit
ualism had accomplished grand work
for mankind, if it had done nothing
more than to show that death is not the
hideOus monster it has been painted,
but only passing into a higher life.
Spirituaism teaches individual respOn-
sibiiity, equal and exact justice to all
As ye SOW, SO also shall We reap, and
none can escape.
Prof. Ii. ID. Barrett of Washington,
ID. c., president of the national assOcia-
tion followed with brief talk. He is
Il very eloquent speaker and fine
appearing man. He said he had just
come from meeting held in commem-
oration of the birthday of Tom. Paine.
Spiritualism, he said, was identified
with the womans reform movement,
and he congratulated the assembly that
the lower house of the Colorado legisla-
ture had just passed bill raising the
age at which woman could legally con
sent to her own ruin To twenty-one
years.
The next person on the program was
introduced as an ordained minister of
spirtualism, Annie l.. Robinson of Port
Huron. She thought their orthodox
friends ought To be represented las spirit
ualists were trying to prove the doc
trine they teach, the Immortality of the
race. The audience applauded quota
ton from Tom Payne; "Orthodoxy tries
To- make christians of men, | try 10
make men of christians" The lady used
as text, "He leadeth us by still waters"
Where are the still waters? Where does
the materialist find still waters? Are
still waters found in heaven whose
streets are paved with gold when i've
inhabitants would much rather treas
the streets of earth? We cannot find
still waters until we know the grave
cannot separate, until we know that our
departed dear ones are our near ones
The good book teaches that departed
spirits have returned To earth; II the
pearly gates were ever opened no power
above or below has ever closed them.
There is no hall or vestibule between
this world and the next. Everyone
must face his own record; there is no
escape; deathbed repentance will not
avail There need be no empty chairs
at our iiresides; no empty places 1T our
tables.
At the close of her address, the fair
speaker gave some tests. The
NORTHERNER was favored with her
first clairvoyant view. BY our side she
saw the spirit of a man with whom we
had been very intimate, a man with
black hair, dark eyes, and who was SO
thin and spare that it gave her hun
CRY feeling" This spirit was accompani-
ed by lady whose description was more
indefinite, but she stood by our side,
lust the same We should have been
only too glad to have seen these visitors
, from another world, but we could not,
neither could we say that we recognized
them from the more OF less indefinite
description given. Then, in another
part of the room appeared another
ethereal visitor whose name was Preston
the medium said, but nobody seemed
to remember the poor fellow. Then
the lady saw a man wearing blouse
covered with paint or plaster, and alse
, saw ladder; she did not know the
meaning of the vision; it might refer
to the manner of passing out" TheH
another, lady, came floating down
the aisle; one who, in the earth life,
would not have been there, but she had
gained wisdom ia the spirit world. Her
name, said the seeress, is Mary
MARY Ann" - Eyes, Mary - Ann -
' Andrews" OF course, the name was
familiar one, known to most of the peo
pie present. Then came an old man,
about seventy years of age, clothed with
white apron. "His name is John, y
said the medium, "he has message to
communicate" 81 cannot get the last
name, it is short name, | think a
|, German name, it sounds like Schenck,
, but that is not it, they used to call him
! Uncle John" Somebody suggested