The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-06-05
CONFERENCE.-THE

To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Theosophical society in America, neld
in New York city, was probably the
held since the organization of the orig
inal society in 1875.
the death of the late president, William
@. Judge, necessitated changes in the
organization; another president, Vice
president and executive committee
were to be chosen, and scheme of
ciety. An opinion was prevalent with
some that in the passing of the great
Theosophist from this plane, the socie-
ty would suffer. But events nave
proven that they We're mistaken in
their conclusions. Never since the So
ciety's inception has there been greater
harmony, zeal and unity of purpose
displayed than now exists; and the at
tempt to regenerate humanity will go
forward with greater zest than ever.
This can be accomplished only by the
effort of each individual member to
purify the thought and action of the
world, and to restore its lost spiritual
strength.
1t was my good fortune to be present
at this convention, and the event will
be marked in my memory with a
white stone" 1t was a marked gather
ing, intellectually and spiritually and
neither hlazonry nor insignia was need
ed to proclaim the fact OF their zeal
sincerity and faith there could be no
question; their intellectual and scholar
ly requirements were apparent, and a
spiritual enthusiasm pervaded the very
atmosphere, creating conditions that
could be felt
The miracle of it all was that scarce
three decades since such a conclave of
spiritually intelligent philosophers
could not have been convened through
out the world. At that time the ma
jority of those who composed this body
had not taken up the burden of this in
carnation, and the then existing physi-
cal conditions and facilities for travel
would have rendered such a gathering
impossible. Men and women from the
Canada frontier to the southern gulf;
from the western Pacific boundary to
the eastern Atlantic coast: from Eng
land Ireland, the Netherlands, Cuba
and Venezuela, at no little sacrifice of
time and money had gathered, simply
for the purpose of asserting and pro-
claiming an astounding heresy-a pa
gan assumption-that There is no reli-
gion higher than truth" and undoubt-
eddy these remarkable persons believed
it, and were trying to conform their
walk and conversation to their belief.
The morning was mostly occupied
with routine business. In the after
noon there was more or less routine
work, and the election of officers.
Those elected were Ernest T. Hargrove
of England as president, e. A. Neve-
sheimer of New York as vice-president
and treasurer, and an executive COM
mittee was also chosen. Every one was
jubilant over the result of the elections
and enthusiasm was at its maximum.
The exercises of the evening were to
me singularly impressive. Music that
seemed to interpret the language of the
spheres, and to express the emotion of
angels was evolved by the magic of
what looked like ordinary Dutch fid-
oilers. A bust of the late president was
unveiled. The Pilgrim whose duty had
led him through the desert and the will
derness-through the streets of Vanity
Fair-through the Valley of the Shad-
ow of Death. upon whose armor rang
changing blows delivered by the fiends
of suspicion. prejudice, ignorance and
hatred-he had walked fearlessly erect
through all. imperturbable to the clam