Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-29
ALL MUST OBEY HER
Mrs. Tingley Allows No One
To Dispute Her Authority.
HER POLICY EXPLAINED
AIMS AND FEATURES OF THE
UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD.
Why Children Are Separated From
Their Parents-The "Raja Yoga"
Substituted for Home Life.
HER POLICY EXPLAINED
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald

they include men of wealth. influence and
long experience in the affairs of the world.
Her authority has been disputed frequent
": several prominent members of the or
Eanizaton have been expelled for that Of
Tense She does not permit even passive
resistance: she fires everybody who dis
turbs the harmony of her colony, and re-
fuses admission to all persons who will not
obey her wishes and her will. She explain
I'd to me that this arbitrary policy Is aD-
sclutely necessary. in order that the great
humanitarian movement she is conducting
may not be retarded by iusuhordinate and
impractiCdble persons. The mysteries OF
theosophy: the high ideals proclaimed by
the altruists at Point Iona. naturally at
tract cranks and people with theories and
schemes and wheels in their heads. The
plan. purpose and methods OF the Universal
Brotherhood are plainly defined. she said,
and there can be no departure from them
without endangering their success: hence,
all amendments and new ideas must be re-
Jected and INSTRUMENTATION must be sup
pressed.
.. Question of leadership.
''The question OF leadership" Mrs. Ting
ley says frankly has led to much adverse
criticism directed against the Point Iona
institution by its enemies. who have them
selves no practical work to show. 1t has
been said that autoCratic government is
opposed to the prevailing sentiment of the
world but It is not hard to show that the
members Of the Universal brotherhood or
sanitation have actually followed the real
practice of the world. which is the only one
possible however much pretenso may point
in the opposite direction. Wherever men
are gathered together for a common pur-
pose there will be a leader among them,
and they will be actually led by that one.
even though they may give the nominal
leadership to another.
There is a top rung to every ladder.
though we may close our eyes TO that fact,
and the members of the Universal Brother
hood organization have but given their open
adhesion and their open allegiance to that
one among them whom they have declared
10 be best fitted for that position. In its
own affairs the world does actually the
same thing however much IL may hide it
up by claiming popular control and repre-
sentative government. At the back of all
the machinery of government stands the
strong man. whether he is seen or unseen.
This organization has recognized that fact
and acted upon it openly"
Mrs. Tingley IS assisted in the govern
ment of the universal brotherhood of
man." in conducting the affairs of the
Theosophlcal Society of Americ, and in
governing the colony at Point Iona by
cabinet of advisers chosen by herself and
subject to change at her will. She has
complete organization, including a semi
military guard. She directs everything
and absorbs the entire executive. legisla-
tive and judicial powers OF the colony. as
signing In 81 mastery way to her assist
ants and subordinates such duties a. she
considers them best qualified TO perform.
No person in all of the several hundred
thousand members of the brotherhood she
explained 10 me, receives salary. All
service Is voluntary. At the colony here
everything is done by members of the as
ISOLATION. Only two persons among the
entire six hundred receive compensation.
and those are japanese servants employed
TO attend to the wants of visitors and
guests of the Madame Tingley.
One of the rules of the brotherhood pro-
hibits any of It's officers or members from
receiving remuneration. and this. Mrs.
Tingley says, was intended TO effectually
exclude those who would enter from mo-
tives OF self-interest. Nor can any OF its
members hold political offices. 1t Is not
connected with any political party or re-
ligious organization, but is wholly indie
pendent. non-sectarian and humanitarian.
Objects of the Brotherhood.
Its object, generally stated. is to eradicate
evils. to remove the barriers of race, creed
caste and color, which have so long i'm
peded human progress All sincere lovers
OF truth and all who aspire to higher and
better things than the mere pleasures and
interests of a worldly life, and are pre-
pared to do all In their power to make the
brotherhood q living force for the good OF
humanity are invited to join, without re-
gard to their belief in any religious system
or philosophy.
Among other objects. the brotherhood Is
intended to encourage the study of religion,
science philosophy and arts; to investigate
the laws of nature. to help men and wo-
men to realize the nobility of manhood and
womanhood; to educate destitute and home
less children TO become workers for hui
rnanity; to rescue unfortunate women; to
assist discharged convicts; to abolish CAPT
tai punishment; to bring about better
understanding between the savage and civ
iliZed races; to relieve physical suffering
everywhere and TO do work similar to that
for which the Red Cross Society is organ
lied,
Madame Tingley. in explaining TO me the
objects of her organization and the ambi-
ton of her life. repudated with ridicule
the charge so frequently made that she
claims to possess occult powers. She said
that IL was her constant effort to eradicate
evpryt hing that is unnatural. She is neither
els iryuyaut, hypnOtist nor splrltualist she
believes in the Bible as the most important
textbook ever offered to man; she believes in
a Supreme Being, but does not encourage
the proselyting of the believers OF one re-
Neion to another. She says that theosophy
does not critlCise the faith or discourage
the devotion of any believer, nor belittle
the saCredness of any aspiration. no matter
how poorly Il may be expressed She be-
lieves in a universal essence religion, which
ma kes better BuddhistS. better Christians
better jews and better Mohammedans; and
so far from taking away familiar deiIies
she would make each mans God so sacred
and supreme as to be worthy of universal
veueration. She says that every one of the
teachings of her school can be found in
the Bible: every principle propounded by
Jesus Christ is a part OF the doctrine taught
at I.omRland. Philosophy" she said, sis
not Buddhism. nor Brahminism. nor any
other ism. but is inspired by the great
central light from which all religions have
sprung" She believes In the reincarna-
ton OF the soul: in the repeated birth of
the same soul until it has attained so rich
a store of life and great a knowledge
that death Is more possible.
Raising Missionaries
To educate missionaries TO carry these
doctrines into the world and to extend the
knowledge of theosophy. Madame Tingley
has organized what she considers an ideal
educational system. and she hopes it Will
sometime eliminate in university founded
on the same lines and established at the
headquarters Of the Universal Brotherhood.
She has under her care about 2O0, children,
ranging from infants TO the ages of eight
cen and twenty years. They consist "a OF
the children of families who live upon the
grounds; CD the children of believers else
where; go the children of non-belevers
elsewhere, who are required to pay from
al -