1897
National
Spiritualists Association SECTIONS
ONLY OF ..... Proceedings of
the
Annual Convention
Thomas G. Newman's “The
National Convention,” The
Philosophical Journal, October 28, 1887
The National Convention convened on
Oct. 19.
Sec. Woodbury’s report showed that the
membership
had increased 33 per cent during the past six years.
The membership of the affiliated
Societies of
the National Association throughout the country is now increased to
150,000.
Among the speakers and mediums in
attendance were:
H. D. Barrett, Mrs. Cora L. V.
Richmond,
Hon. L. V. Moulton, Dr. G. A. Fuller, Prof. F. P. Evans, Rev. A. J.
Weaver,
Dr. E. A. Smith, Prof. W. C. Bowman, E. W. Emerson, Mrs. Carrie Loring,
J. B. Hatch, Jr., Mrs. May S. Pepper, Mrs. J. H. R. Matteson, E. W.
Sprague,
Mrs. C. A. Sprague, Mrs. Maggie Waite, Miss Maggie Gaule, Rev. T. E.
Allen,
Moses Hull, Mattie Hull, Dr. J. M. Peebles, Mrs. C. Fanny Allyn, F. A.
Wiggin, Dr. C. W. Hidden, Mrs. M. E. Cadwallader, Mrs. Loe F. Prior, W.
H. Bach, Dr. G. B. Ewell, and Mrs. Carrie E. S. Twing.
Next week we hope to give a report
of the proceedings.
Excerpts from the: The
Philosophical
Journal, November 4, 1897 of the (Thomas G. Newman),
“The
National Convention,”
Delegates and Spiritualists
generally from almost
every State and Canada gathered at the hall in Masonic Temple,
Washington,
D. C., at 10 a.m., Oct. 19, 1897.
There were about 150 delegates with
badges of
yellow and white ribbon, lettered N. S. A. [N.S.A.C. today]
The hall was tastily decorated, and the platform was filled with
flowers.
The officers were all present. We gather the following report
from
the Washington dailies:
After an invocation by Mrs. Cora.
L. V. Richmond,
Pres. Barrett made the opening address, outlining the business to be
done,
and appealed to all the delegates to strive for the best results.
He then made the following appointments:
Mrs. Cora L. V. Richmond, Vice
President of
N.S.A., welcomed the delegates to Washington in an appropriate
address
and reminded them of what they owed Spiritualism and themselves and
abjured
them to work so that there would be no just cause for criticism.
She felt certain, she said, that if proper methods were employed,
the cause of Spiritualism would gain recruits throughout the length and
breadth of the land. All that was needed was a proper
exposition
of the great truths which Spiritualism contains.
Pres. Barrett’s Report.
He cited the National Anti-Spiritualists
Association as evidence of the fact that its opponents are becoming
alarmed as to the increase of interest in Spiritualism. Another
evidence
of progress is the strong determination manifest on all sides among
intelligent
Spiritualists to draw the line of demarcation between fraudulent and
genuine
mediums. The fraud must go.
He recommended that the mass
meetings be continued
next year, numbering two per month for the next eight months, and that
grove meetings be held during the months of May, June, July, August and
September of next year.
He recommended that a history of
Modern Spiritualism
from 1848 to the present time be immediately undertaken by the National
Spiritualists’ Association, and that the work should be placed in the
hands
of Mr. Lyman C. Howe, of Fredonia, N. Y.
[Note: Barrett had already written a
large book
in 1895 covering the History of Higher Spiritualism from 1852
to
date:
THE LIFE WORK OF CORA L.V. RICHMOND
- 1895]
Secretary’s Report.
The report of Secretary Woodbury,
showed that
the membership of the Association had increased 33 per cent the past
year.
Six State Associations were formed during this time, a temple was
dedicated
at Norwich, Conn., and several local Associations settled
pastors.
The library here has been increased by several hundred volumes, and the
Veteran Spiritualists’ Union of Massachusetts purchased a home at
Waverly
for poor Spiritualists. The Spiritualists had co-operated with
others to
fight ecclesiastical control of the government, and had opposed
the changing of the constitution.
The Association had determined to
put two missionaries
in the field to offset the work of the Anti-Spiritualists’
Association.
Special Agent Bowman, of California,
rendered
a report of the money he had collected, and the number of meetings and
State Conventions he had attended.
Reports were read recommending the
organization
of Young People’s societies and approving the organization of reading
circles
for the study of spiritual and other literature. In the
discussion
on educational facilities the support of spiritual schools was
advocated.
Dr. Peebles, arguing for better
spiritual ministry,
said “there are those on the spiritual platform who are revolting to
true
Spiritualists.”
The National Spiritualists’ Lyceum
Association
was organized by the Convention, with the following officers: James B.
Hatch, Jr., Massachusetts, National Conductor; Charles W. Stanglen,
Maryland,
Assistant Conductor; Mrs. Mary J. Stevens, District of Columbia,
Guardian;
Mrs. Mattie E. Hull, Massachusetts, Secretary; and W. H. Bach, New
York,
Treasurer.
By cash subscriptions and pledges
from individual
delegates and representatives of branch Associations and societies
$2,695
was raised for the purpose of carrying on the work of the Association
during
the year ending October 1, 1898. The election of officers was
unanimous,
and resulted as follows:
President, Harrison D. Barrett, of
Boston, Mass.; Vice-President,
Mrs. Cora L. V. Richmond, of Washington, D. C.; Secretary, Francis
B. Woodbury, of Washington, D. C.; Treasurer, George S. Clendaniel, of
Washington, D. C.; trustees, C. H. Stockwell, of Tennessee; L. V.
Moulton,
of Michigan; Allen F. Brown, of Texas; H. W. Richardson, of New York,
and
George A. Fuller, of Massachusetts.
At the evening session the closing
scenes of the
Convention were enacted: Addresses were made by Moses Hull, C.
Fannie
Allyn, Frank Walker, L. V. Moulton, F. A. Wiggin and Mrs. Carrie F.
Loring.
Medium tests were made by J. H. Altemus and Miss Maggie Gaule. The
closing address was delivered by Mrs. Cora L. V. Richmond.
For the full report see http://www.spirithistory.com/97nsa.html
