Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-11-26
BIRTH OF A CHURCH.
How National Association of Spirit
ua1ists Was Started.
Recognized Legal Body of Religion
Worshipers, Incorporated i'm
Warrington According to
Act Of Congress-.
Especial WASHINGTON L.etter.1

<xD1PIRITUALISM is recognized
~ religion, incorporated accord
Il ing to law" says Capt. Milan C.
Edison, one of the organizers of the Ma
| tional association.
The acts of congress covering re-
igious societies have been observed
! and our incorpora ton, HI 1898, sets
forth that The object of said associa-
ton is not for worldly profit, but for
the purpose of religion, to promote re-
igion and morality, to provide for the
or other suita BILE places of worship
where the religion of spirituahsm may
be taught, and to provide for the edu-
cation and licensing of proper persons
as authorized lecturers and preachers
of the religion of spiritualism.'
ut is not generally understood
throughout the land that we are q
recognized legal body of religious wor-
Slippers. But, ever since the incorpora-
ton of the National asoscia ton, our
status has been the same as that OF
other churches, and our preachers re-
! ceiye all the railroad and other cour-
tesies extended to the older esta blished
| churches"
There are two church organizations
in this city, and there are from 5000 to
5000 believers in the creed of spiritual
ism. Like very many of their predeces-
sors in the field of religion there has
been q split or schism; one class believ-
ing that Jesus was divine, and the other
class believing that He was wonderful
medium for the dissemina ton of truth.
Both bodies of believers recognize the
National association, and will continue
to do SO. tits claimed that in this coun-
| try there are now more members of the
Spiritualist creed than of the Unitarian
or Universalist; consequently in num-
bers they are entitled to consideration
as considerable body of citizens.
Capt. Edison says: when I came to
Washington, in 1871, found that large
and successful spiritual meetings mad
been conducted here from about 1861.
During the civil war large meetings
were held in Union League hall, Ninth
and E streets. George A. Bacon con-
Quoted the meetings. He is now clerk
in the civil service commission. Later
equally large meetings were held
in Harmo nial hall, on the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue, near
Sixth street. Upward of 1000 peo-
pie used to attend those meetings,
which were conducted by DR.. John
Mayhem and Col. J. C. Smith. In 1872
that hall was torn down and the society
moved to Lyceum hall, Thirteenth and
E streets. From 1875 to 1885 there was
no society here and the meetings were
kept up by myself as an Individual. 1
took the responsibility of hiring speak
ers, halls, and making collections for
the maintenance of the meetings. Dur
ing all this period felt the necessity
| of the formation of national associa-
ton, and realized that dominant So
ciety must be established here, at the
| capital of the nation, whose prestige
should be such as to authorize it to call
national convention. To this end 1
bent all of my energies, and finally sue
ceeded.
1.-The present first "a ssociatio was Or
ganized and incorporated in 1885 with
John B. Wolff as president, myself as
vice president, and Golf A. Hall as Sec
rotary. Then our society rapidly grew
ia numbers and strength. In October,