Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
NEARLY HALF A CENTURY
Spiritualists to Celebrate Their Anniversary
i -pe -.,- Tomorrow.
Forty-Seven Years Since the Roches-
ter Rappings-HOw the BE.
xs.s~liefs Hass spread.

The forty-seventh anniversary of the adj
vent of modern spiritualism will be cele-
DRAFTED by the Spiritualists' Society of
Washington, at Metzerott Music Hall, to-
morrow. Sessions will be held at II 80
am. 2 pm and 7:3O pm. Among those
who will participate are Milan C. Edison,
Mrs. A. H. Luther. Miss Maggie Gaule. Mr..
Hcnaer Altemus, Miss B. Julihn, Miss
Hampton. Miss Madden. the Misses Burt.
Emil carelius Christiani, jr., Julius Owen
Burnham and Mr.. Burr:5H
Modern spiritualism may be said to have
Its birth in the phenomena known as the
Rochester Knnckings, the mysterious rap
pings first heard and interpreted by two
girls'in Methodist family, Kate and Mar
grett Fox, in Hydesyille, N. Y, in the
year 1873. Many phases Of so-called phe-
nc mena have been discovered since that
time and been accepted as genuine by large
Plumbers of men and women.
Spiritualist Statistics.
Spiritualists claim that the number of
those who accept their belief has grown
constantly. The following statistics were
given to a Star reporter by an officer Of the
Washington, society:
There are mere than $50 lecturers, includ-
ing test mediums, who give addresses and
spirit communications on the public ros-
tum in the United States alone, and these
dic CONSTANTLY engaged IN tQlS PUBIC Work.
Ihere are more than LOCO mediums who
give private interviews for the phenomena
that occur in their presence, and there
are tErty-lve camp meeting associations,
winch mold summer meetings, opening
about June /, and closing about September
l. There are about 53S local societies in the
United States and ten organized state as
sociations. while the bona fide membership
In round numbers.
1t is claimed, 100. by spiritualists. that
their strength cannot be measured by the
number Of members of spiritualist soci-
cites or professed believers. There are,
they say. thousands of adherents Of ortho-
dox churches, who are believers in spirit
ualism. Taxing these into consideration, an
estimate has been made that there are
and 20.00O.OOO in the world. There are
eight or ten papers and magazines pub
lished in America in the interests of spir-
itualiSm, about the same number In Eng
land, one in Calcutta, India; two in Aus
tralia, one in Holland, while France, Italy,
Germany, Austria and Spain have several.
also Mexico and South America.
Points of Belief.
President H. d. Barrett of the National
Spiritualist Association, headquarters at
COO Pennsylvania avenue southeast, this
city, in explaining the general points of be-
lief, stated to a Star reporter that ma
jority Of spiritualists accept the following:
"1st. The life principal diffused or diff
ferentiated throughout the universe. ID.
Truth as a revelator of this life principal
and the cleaner of wisdom. Sd. The i'm
mortality of every human soul. 4th. Eter-
nal progress and embodiment Of every hui
man soul 9Th. Communion between the
spirit and mortal worlds, demonstrated by
multitudes of facts attested by compe-
tent witnesses in all quarters of the globe.
9Th. Human sympathy as an allevlator OF
human suffering when extended by one to
another in all classes of society. It'll. Love,
the lever by which humanity Is lifted to
higher level of thought and an instrument
in bringing in holier and purer conditions
among men,"
The general objects of all spiritualist as
sociations are to form strong organiza-
tions to establish intelligent cooperation
to insure harmonious relations, to provide
for protection of mediums and speakers, to
promote the general welfare of the cause,
and to secure the blessings of liberty and
protection under the law to all spiritualists
and their posterity.
The Spiritualists' National Association
was formed at Chicago in September. 1873.
and the declaration of principles contained
the statement that I'VE affirm belief in
the continuity of life, and its operation in
accordance with intelligent law, and we
affirm a knowledge of conscious spirit in
dividuality, with power of communicating
under proper conditions, and in accordance
with natural law. with spirits incarnate,
and we affirm q belief that spirit as
sumes new relations in matter after tran
sition, and we affirm belief that the laws
of spirit, progress and evolution, manifest
in this life are not interrupted or suspen-
ded by dissolution of the physical body,
and that advancement comes only by and
through individual effort"