The San Francisco call., 1896-04-27
August Neresheimer Chosen to
Succeed DR.. Buck as Vice.
President.
as LIFE WORTH LIvINGw
Colonel E, T. Blackmer Answers the
Much.Debated Question With
Decided Affirmative.

As predicted In The CALL week ago,
Ernest T. Hargrove was elected yesterday
at New York as president of the Theosoph-
ical Society in America.
When this announcement was made at
the meeting of the local society in Red
Mems Hall, on Post street, last evening, it
was received by the very large audience
with general satisfaction.
The convention was formally opened at
New York in ths concert hall of Madison
square Garden yesterday morning, and all
of the I'M poTtant occurrences of the as
sem blage are given in the following spe-
cial dispatch from New York to THE CALL:
NEW YORK, N. Y, April 26-The second
annual convention of the Theosophical Society
in America began this morning in the concert
hall of Madison-square Garden. The attend
ance was very large, theosophists from all
parts of the United States being present. Act
ing President Dr. j. D. Buck of Cincinnati was
elected permanent chairman.
The committee on resolutions and auditing
were then appointed, after which Claude Falls
Wright read the presidents annual report 1t
recited the fact that despite the international
differences among the theosophists there were
to-day 10S branches in the American society
against 102 last year. The report dealt in
general terms principally with the marked
progress made, and urged continued effort on
the lines laid down by the late President
Judge.
Treasurer August Neresheimer's report
showed receipts during the year of 5000, and
a balance on hand of $1,000.
At the afternoon session the several commit
tees, including the committee on resolutions
reported the first resolution being adopted by
a standing vote. This was eulogistic of the
late William @. Judge and his work
The resolutions pledge the lives of the men,
bers to the completion of the work he under
took. There were several other resolutions,
referring more especially to the work of the
society. These were adopted, and then came
one which excited opposition, and it went over
for further consideration. The clause in the
resolution which caused objection was to the
effect that the society condemned the practice
of viviseetion and hypnotism, the latter being
characterized as a practice OF ignorant per-
sons teaching and experimenting upon other
ignorant people. DR.. A. p. Buchanan of Fort
Wayne began speech of objection when, on
motion, the resolution was referred back to
the committee.
Chairman Buck then called E. L. Rambo to
the chair and he nominated Ernest T. Har-
grove of London, England, for president of the
society. He was enthusiastically elected, the
secretary casting the ballot of the convention
August Neresheimer of Bavaria was next
unanimously elected vice-president and treas
urer, and Claude Falls Wright, A. III. Spencer,
Fl. d. Patterson, DR.. A. P. Buchanan, DR.. ]. D.
Buck and DR.. Jerome Anderson were elected
as an executive committee for the ensuing
year.
At the conclusion of the afternoon session a
proclamation was read and adopted stating in
part that the society joins hands with all re-
ligions and religious bodies whose effort is di-
rected to the publication of mems thoughts
and the lettering OF their ways, and avows its
harmony herewith, and invites to its member
ship all those who, seeking higher life here
after, would learn to know the path to tread in
this.
The evening session was principally devoted
to the delivery of addresses.
Mr.. HargroVe, the newly elected president, is
the son of James S. Hargrove, London So
licitor, and is a member of the same profession.
He has spent considerable time in this coun.
try, lecturing on theosophy.
The meeting of the local society last
evening was an extremely interesting one,
and the hall proved almost inadequate to
accommodate the attendance. DR.. Allen
Griffith, State lecturer for the society,
opened the meeting by lucid explanation
of the objects and beliefs of the order. He
was followed by Colonel E. T. Blackmer
San Diego. the speaker of the evening.
Colonel Blackmer's theme was the much
mooted question, "Is Life Worth Living ?"
He said in part:
This question which I have taken for nv
text is the question of destiny. 1t never took
shape until it was forged in the workshops of
experience. 1t is the outgrowth of thoughtful.
ness, not along material. but intellectual and
spiritual lines. AS usually presented, it re-.
fers to human life with its possibilities.
The speaker then referred to the view
of life which materialistic philosophers.
theologians and authors have taken. This
view in the main was that we experience
the pains and annoyance of this life in
order to reap some great reward in a life
to come.
Theosophy teaches that we live in great
ocean of life; that all universes, worlds, men,
animals, vegetables, minerals, molecules and
atoms, all that is are plunged in this great
ocean. The life of 1t permeates all. Every
manifestation of this life is endowed with the
essential attributes of existence, viz, con-
sciousness, force and substance.
But it is human life with its ceaseless round
of births and deaths, its joys and sorrows, its
pain and bliss, the mystery of which we are
forever trying to solve; and this we are prone
to look upon as something different from the
life in the Kingdoms below. But it is all the
manifestation of the One Life, only we have
reached higher stage in the process of evolu-
ton. There has evolved in and for humanity
an indiyidualized center of life forces, which
has brought it to state of seHconsciousness
This NATURALIZATION began In the kingdom
below, but always falling short of the self
conscious stage until we reach man.
But man is more than animal. When the
stage of self-consciousness is reached in the
human kingdom we find new factor in life
Man not only knows that he exists, but he
knows that he knows. Reasoning from the
past, to limited extent he forecasts the
future. Reasoning upon his origin and destiny
he has formed the conception of g creator
ALI these higher faculties are but the result
of evolution, which Is perfecting and bringing
to fruitage the germ of self-ccnsciousness.
They are all the differing manifestations OF one
universal life. There is no break, no missing
link in the continuity of progress.
Does this power become imperative when 1t
reaches the stage of human progress? Can we
predicate or conceive of any stage or state of
consciousness where progress will cease? Most
certainly not. Admit evolution, and we can
not limit 1t at this side of the universal.
AS units in this great problem of evolution