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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1912)
ABDUL BAHA IS COMING ON TOUR IN THE INTEREST OF HIS RELIGION Leader of Religions Movement Which Claims Three Million Followers Soon' to Visit Portland-Votaries Term Him "Prophet of God." "A' BDUL Baha Is coming! "Abdul Baha is coming: All ud and down the length of the Pacific Coast for the past few weeks followers of the great Persian religionist, whom they regard as a prophet of God, have been bearing this message one to the other with shining faces and voices vibrant with love and hope. With the announcement that out of the East there is to come to this ulti mate rim of the West the great teacher, the humble follower of God. who styles himself the "Servant of Hu manity." the leader of a religious movement which claims three millions of followers, men and women who think, students of religious develop ment are putting their ears to the ground and asking "What does this mean?" "Who is this man of the East, this -Slave of the Glory-?" "What Is his message?" If the question be addressed to one of his followers, of whom there are several hundred in Portland, the reply will invariably be: "Abdul Baha is a prophet of God. His message is one of love and peace. He has uplifted the standard of the oneness of faith and the honor of humanity. We, his followers. are gathering around that standard and are trying heart and soul to bring about the union of mankind." They will tell you that Bahaism is not a church, not a sect, not a creed that it is the one great universal re ligion. That It began in Persia almost seventy years ago, the movement being started with the rise of a teacher known as the Bab (the door), a fiery young apostle, whose personal name was All Mohammed, who 68 years ago (1844) created an upheaval in the con servative religious world of Persia, at tacking the ignorance and vice of the clergy and proclaiming a religious and moral revolution. As he gained fol lowers the clergy and government viewed him with alarm and he and his followers were made the victims of persecutions, being thrown into prison and in many cases, put to death with great cruelty. It has been estimated that 20.000. among them many women and children, were put to death during the half dozen years that the Bab was active in spreading his message. Af ter six years Bab became a martyr to the cause he had advocated and was shot to death by a regiment of soldiers in 1850. Not however before he had directed his followers to prepare for One Mightier, of whom he was but the Forerunner. The One Mightier after two years of xile proclaimed himself and he be came known as Baha Ullah (the Glory of God). Baha Ullah was a young nobleman, Mlrza Hosein All of Nur, Persia. Be fore the death of Bab he had become known as a great teacher of the Babls. Later his vast estates, were swept away, he was thrown into prison and threatened with death because of his faith. At the intercession of persons of Influence, among them the Russian Ambassador, his punishment was com muted to banishment. He was sent Into exile and was a prisoner from one Moslem country to another until he finally lodged with about 150 follow ers in the Turkish penal colony of Akka In Syria, where after a mission of 40 years he died in 1892. . Into exile and Imprisonment with Baha Ullah went his 8-year-old Bon. Abbas Effendl, sharing the tortures and Imprisonment and becoming his father's chief disciple. For 42 years Abdul Baha was a prisoner in the fortress of Akka. held there by the Sultan of Turkey because his teach ing was bringing enlightenment and freedom of thought to all who came within the contact of its power. On the death of his father Abdul Baha became the leader of the Banal movement. From within prison walls he kept alive the faith, never wavering in his great task. . At the end of 40 years with the fall of the old despotic regime In Turkey and the rise of the Toung Turk party he was released from prison and Is now free to come and go as he wills. Last Autumn he visited England and France and was received by religious and social workers, men high in the political world, writers and poets who hung on his words and marveled at the breadth and the beauty of his mes sage. From the pulpits of the estab lished church, from the platform of the radical City Temple in London, be fore smaU groups of religious students and vast assemblies of common people the Persian teacher spoke, carrying his message of the universal religion, of universal brotherhood and universal peace. . , Everywhere he left a profound Im pression. His wisdom is said to be a marvel to all who have met him. He shows the greatest familiarity with the Bihle and all the holy books of the different religions. He charms men of learning and devotes his life to succor ing the poor and unfortunate. When in London at the request of the Lord . - i j - I i . n VnnfllQn House mayor no . - - and there talked over the conditions of the nation. The great inequalities If mmwrnimmttammmmm ABDUL BAHA, " PROPHET OF GOD," WHO WILL ISIT PORT LAND SOON. erant and in no way to separate mem-i ul ... selves from other people or to de- Intuition Is more correct; she is more ..... . . . I .....a iai Itiol'l cnrp Is nounce those of other beliefs. Bahals are urged to be peaceful and law-abiding citizens and taught to be humani tarian above all else. Baha Ullah held that ones worship should be supple mented by a pure and useful life in the world. Ascetlsm is discouraged. M unri women are urged to marry and monogamy is also taught. In ad dition to purely spiritual teachings Baha Ullah ordered many changes in the manners ana customs ui me ple, through the observance of which v. ... .- - .i in ironpTfii would be helped materially and spiritually. Many of these are laminar to our wrote. u ization. such as forbidding the use or intoxicants as a beverage, opium and kindred drug habits, mendacity, cruelty to animals, slavery, etc. BtLha Ullah was eloquent . against .i MlanAGR and DrO- siuini uincoo aim 1 1'" claimed that honorable work done wltn human kindness was a iorm . ship. To work is to pray. He taugnt that people as a whole do not develop to the full their powers, that they of the nation. The great inequalities ke pnlned fruit trees and must . . : . . tn,A nnvurlV of the TIOOT I . ,-,, oi me i"d . ..... i-- , - " , ... oe maae to owr mvio and the luxury in which the people of The BaBal movement stands strongly wealth dwell oppresses Abdul Baja. the freedom and education of "This should not he,- said he. This woman ftnd Abdul Baha has delivered great contrast in life Is one of the stirring addresses espousing the blots on the civilization of this enlight- enranchisement of women. Speaking ened age. You must turn your atten- educatlon when In London he said: tion more earnestly to the betterment ,g education is of more lm- of the conditions of the poor. Do not be tod than the boy's, for she satisfied until each one with whom you P " n future race. It "e concerned is to you as a member J motner of your family." children. Those without children should. Abdul Baha believes that JVOM osslbl6 maka themselves reponsi be he rich or poor should have a rade. vf h edcl,io o( a child." an art or a profession tvhatw'' Abdul Bahas Interest in woman s this he must serve humanity. Th s a ui an. progress is well service." says the Pers.an teacher. Is worK ano Tendon he was vis acceptable as the highest form of wor- f leaders, among them Mrs. 'ne of the vital characteristics of mV.X Bahaism is Its neluven. Abdul Jf PlcdB,lnthroplo workers. Dur- Baha points out that each of the c" a conversation with a prominent world's great spiritual teach ers has g a convr d t glve her taught the same eternal truth that all J J- believing that the women religions are one at root and that reasons J the TOte. The thi root of all knowledge is the ".aS5. --f believe that humanity knowledge of God." When '"London fj1 Ktimaaity and that it must he was approached by a. "udent of Is a divme n n Dut lt cannot hia-her criticism who asked Abdul Baha rise r.iB"cr rf'rs'houM continue in the church. "J jfSilllulr: t Abdul Baha replied: , , vou d0 if one wing is ..yes. you must not disassociate UItnan the otherr . vourself from it. Know this: the "I""8" lnc"e th, reply, "we must kingdom of God is not in any so- Jhenh' cee weaker wing, other- ciety. If you belong to a society al- tfenBt',4enlligSt will be hampered.- ready do not forsake your brothers, wise the nt replled: "What Tou can be a Bahai-Christian. a To tl.ls . to you that Bab.i-Freem.son a Bahal-Jew. a would 1 wlng?" And Bahai-Mohammedan. JuffraKlst responded. "To would Abdul Baha teaches that faith with- the suffras'" , gratitude." out work, is not acceptable and when bflSl Jald: "The woman asked by an American friend "which is Continuing, reater importance thfbesYway to spread the teachingT' s ejd i th. B greaPter he replied, "by deeds. This way is open to the race ane fc the to all and deeds are understood by all. den. the sreater worlds. The join yourselves with those who work "f "?In,dearJ, " the fruit Js the for the poor, the weak and the unfor- palm whic h car ries grower, tunate. To teach by words requires tree most P"" . lonK i0ur ".kill of a wis. Physician. The The Ab know, h.t for ajong work of teaching is not tor alL" h eater strength and fierce Apropos of the teaching of the faith For hor Fater "renfctn d by and the methods of spreading it both ness th "one" " mo" " this country and th. far East it is hunUr thJh llo been InteresUng to know that lt is a cardin- 'The mere size oi i , al principle of the Bahai teaching that proved to be no m"u" a UPoraJ ?h. teaching shall be "without money ity. The woman has gr.a ter m oral and without price" "Freely ye have courage than the man ne ?rcelved freely give." There is no special gifts which enables hr to go plm clergy, no expense fund, no dues, ern in moment, of crisis and danger. AU men are free to believe as they If necessary she can become a war wish but all are exhorted to unite in nor. vj. !,.,. is faith and to lay aside the prejudice. On anotner o"-" n general and superstitions of past ages quoted " sajing. Taken in ge Th followers are advised to be tol-i women today have a ,U"M"' of religion than men. The woman's -ns nnri her Intelligence is quicker. The day is coming when Woman will claim her superiority to man." Earlv last Spring Abdul Baha came . 1 t " -... Vftpt o t. -1 PhfrflPn and Washington he was received Joy fully Dy nis ioiiowers ana witu greatest respect by those of other faiths. Pulpits of all denominations except the Roman Catholic were thrown open to him ana tne press gave wide publicity to his utterances. Re cently lt became known the. after some months in the East he had de cided to come West, visiting the cities . v. n Tf.it. fnnflt- . He is expected in Portland some time in September and great preparations are being made by his followers for his reception, al though such is his humility and sim plicity that he keeps to himself the exact time of his coming and refuses to be the recipient of any ostentatious reception or to fall in with any set programme. Writing of his impressions a notee minister has the following to say of Abdul Baha and his position in the re ligious world: "The invariable tendency on the part of the followers of a great religious leader" is to attribute to him super natural powers. Abdul Baha emphatic ally disclaims possessing any such, and even deprecates the description of him self as a prophet. He told me he had never spoken a single word implying that he had a right to such an appel lation. 'I am simply a servant of God. he said, 'and I do no. wish to be called anything more than that.' He assured me he had no desire to found another sect- 'The foundation truth of Bana Ullah is the foundation of all re ligions said he. The principles of the prophets of Israel and of Jesus Christ and of other religious teachers have been largely forgotten. BaJm Ullah has renewed them. Baha Ullah seeks to promote and establish friendship and union.- He addresses himself not to a sect but to the whole world V ,e are all branches of one root, blades of grass in one meadow.'" Abdul Baha addresses his audience through an interpreter, speaking in his native language. Persian. Although he understands English perfectly he is reluctant to speak it in Pllc- e wears the flowing Orlenta' raiment generally in light colors, with a light buff fez upon his head wound with a white cloth. He is of middle stature, strongly built and his bearing is sim ple but full of grace and dignity. His countenance is most benign, his blue gray eyes are both soft and penetrat ing. His hair and long beard are neirly white, giving, him a patriarchal appearance. A Portlr.nd woman who visited him in Chicago, said: I have never been in the presence of so im pressive a personality. He radiates . . ...hiitv T saw hun dreds come In and go out of his pres ence and no one. whether Jew or Gen tile, learned or ignorant, rich or poor, went away without having received fome of That peace which he seems . . II. lira, tn erLCll OUeS- aDie to lmpsii. is- - j tionlng soul the very thing- it needs most. The meeting . wim Indescribable experience." ' . . ore contrib- uting Vto and watching with interes ! he establisnment ui wo - center at ".- " . Mashrak-El-Azkar, literally, Damning- Place of Prayer. ntie - land along the lake front will cen ter the movement in this country, with 1 . ....Kii.hmnt for the dis- printing "-"' i v. semination of literature, schools, hos pitals, etc. It IS ntung mai ter should be in Chicago in so much as the movement was given birth in this country in Chicago du"g the World's Fair year when at the Parlia ment of Religious representatives of the movement began me spreading the teachings. ine isi census shows 24 assemblies in this country with a membership of 1 Since that time the membership is said to have more than doubled On the Pacific Coast is ursv i-r.ndnio about ten years ago and four years later followers were found in Portland until now "'""J-" r . . thu hold meet- Eacn sunaay evcu.B ' ----- vl, Inss on the sixth floor of the Eiler building. . in In one of his recem Chicago, delivered in Persian at All Souls- Church, he had the following to say regarding the movement at whose head ne 6iuu. "Inasmuch as the reality of religious . j u- a tt ornr.A is one oi imitations, the existing liBlons must give up the imitations m the reality may enlighter . th. i a 1. mav unite nunmimj- hold fast to the reality, that reality being one, all snail oe agreld; alHthe religions shall then summon pevyc w --m ni manlty; all the divine religons will proclaim equality oi : vine religions will admonish people to virtue. The foundation is one, there is no difference therein. If the eseen tials of religions, therefore be ob served, peace shall be the result, and when we study conditions existing we find they are due only to Imitations which have crept into religions and The differences in the imitations hav. caused these various denominations and sects. Why shouId.tey,,hav,fm'S" sensions? God has created all human ity; He, has provided for all: He pre serves all. and all are submerged in the ocean of his mercy. Inasmuch as we have a kind God why should we i.w nw.A onothnr; De at war wiiu " - This is today the teaching upheld by the Bahais tor Dotn un . the West: "There Is one God: man- . .: . t ... -u.nr-.htn Him. and w in a is uue us give praise for all His great prophets and messengers wuu . His brightness and glory. ..w i th. wnrld. ' said Baha Ullah. "ye are the leaves of one branch and the fruit oi one nee JEWISH LEADERS GOME GR AN D PRESIDENT B'XAI B'RITH IX PORTLAND TOMORROAV. Rabbi Jacob Xleto and Gus Rlngol sky, Grand Orator, to Meet Local Order Tuesday Xlght. The head of the Pacific Coast district of the Independent Order of x nai T3i.k ihA uadjnc. .TAwlsh order in the world," will visit Portland this week. Rabbi Jacob Nieto, tne granu presi dent, accompanied by Gus Ringolsky, the grand orator, will arrive here to morrow, and will address a meeting of the member, of the order on Tuesday .U- Calllncr-TTIrftCh buildlnST. mgm i . " - " - It is expected that hundreds of local members will taKe tnio oppuuiiii, hearing the message from their chief. The committee which has charge of the arrangements and entertainment of the visitors while in the city is com posed of M. Mosessohn, district deputy ..hoifmnn' Rahhl Jonah B. Wise. Sig ryi I T Cnratt TlaviH M. MofieSSOhn - . i . . . i i .i . n f t-nrn lAcnl ana tne prcmucuia j . lodges of the order. Julian Coblentz and George KuDenstein. Both Rabbi Nieto and Mr. Ringolsky .. ianti ff .cnT1 TTrancisco. where they are prominent in religious and nhllilnthroDlc circles. Rabbi Nieto Is the head of one of the largest Jewish congregations in tne ivtat mm " i , . . .lMitsnt Bnefllcer. Mr. Hiuereu niust i - Ringolsky is a prominent attorney, and has gained a splendid reputation in his profession. The visitors will be entertained by members of the local committee and . . 1 Thav Q ra n OW tniirlnaT the Pa- ciflc Northwest in the. Interest of the order, and have neia numerous wen . . maatlnn In Vftncnuver. B. C. Spokane, Seattle and other leading cities. - Fraternal Library WIU Be Cloned. Ben F. Frenflh, librarian, announces that because tomorrow is Labor Day, the Ancient Order of United Workmen library will be closed all day. From Tuesday onward, however, the library will be open as usual afternoons and evenings. . That Everlasting Clothes Question o Suggesting Your Need for a New Fall Suit and Overcoat Our New Fall and Winter Suitings and Overcoatings for Men Have Arrived and We Invite Your Inspection AT OUR POPULAR PRICES i v i K jr-- . 1 l ah. .iMnfJ iillo C. K. JOHN SOX, Tbe Head Designer and Cutter for the Past Ten Yean. and A SPECIAL SALE, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH We are getting together all our last season's goods and will dispose of them at $1 and $2 per yard. These goods formerly cost us from $2.60 to $4.50 per yard. Our aim is to have nothing but new goods in the house. Watch papers for further particulars. OXFORD TAILORS, Inc. C. B. TUKIjAY C. E. JOHNSON Formerly Known as LANE, JOHNSON & TURLAY 143 SEVENTH STREET NEAR CORNER ALDER EUROPE IS PROSPEROUS PORTLAXBEB IMPRESSED WITH FIJTE CONDITION'S 'ABROAD." P. loweneart Returns From Lengthy Trip Canada. Beats America in Advertising. That all RnronB is facine a year of unusual prosperity is the declaration of P. Lowengart, or M. seuer ot o.. who has Just, returned from a nine months' trip through England, France, Germany and other European coun tries. Buring nis trip Air. uuwiibh paid special attention to the crop and fl found that everywhere the conditions are remark ably good. "I left Portlana nine moning s. said Mr. Lowengart yesterday, "and . th.nm,h tn TT.ncrlAnd. where I spent considerable time looking over conditions. 1 iouna ine crop uunuun good in nearly every section and the people In the midst of an era of pros perity. From England I went to the continent, wnere i viaiieu muai ... countries and found conditions as favorable as in England. Crop condi- .tnnD fa crnrwl nn thf industrial OUt- look is very favorable. This was particu larly true oi uermany, wnicn uuuimj seems to be forging ahead at an un- .u.. ..at aala Tha Iflr&Tft CitieS such as Berlin and Munich are grow ing rapidiv. l Deiieve i. wuuiu ue in saying that their growth would compare favorably with the growth of many of the cities of the United States. "One thing I found, which was of unusual interest to me, was the man ner in which Canada is advertising her lands in the old countries. In every English hamlet and In the larger cities a -1 ...... .(nan .an ha HopTi Advertis ing matter telling the people of Canada and her opportunities. The Canadian Pacific and commercial organizations of Canada are doing wonders in boosting the country. They have the United o....... y.anieA nfT the mav when lt - n ivArtiKiTitr. All vou hear back there Is Canada. I have, never seen anything to compare with it in the ad vertising line and I believe it is having a great effect in the matter of im migration. "After my Journey through the for eign countries I was glad of course to get back to the United States and par ticularly that part of Its called Oregon and Portland. I remained tn New York lone- enoueh to learn that business con ditions are good and prospects bright." SISTER BRIDES FLURRIED New Names Forgotten In Signing "Wedding Certificates. One stroke of the peri, figuratively speaking, was. sufficient to complete the ceremony which united in the Donas of matrimony two sisters and two young men. So rapid, however, was the transformation from singie exist ence to married bliss that when eaci; nf the two valine women came to wit ness for the other that she had been duly married, both forgot tnai mo were no longer spinsters, and signed the names which had been theirs but a moment before. The Misses Lena and Helen Wood were married last night at the home of John Almeter, 540 East Ash street, to John Almeter, Jr., and Arthur Wright, respectively. Side by siae the parties stood, one service being suffi cient for the two one knot tied both. All was over so suddenly that when the minister, Rev. D. H. Trimble, re quested each of the brides to witness that her sister had changed her name, the mistake occurred. The extraordinary part about tnt matter was that neither noticed the mistake made by the other until the inquisitive eye of the minister, with due regard to- the letter of the law, first caught sight of the blunder. Mr and Mrs. Almeter, Jr., will make their home on a farm at Terrebonne, Crook County, while the other young couple will reside in Portland. Centralia Convent School Opens. CENTRALIA, Wash., Aug. 31. (Spe cial.) St. Mary's School, a convent lo: cated on Cowlitz Prairie near Toledo, and the oldest educational institution in the county, will reopen September 3. TUG DAY RETURNS $1200 WET WEATHER SERIOUSLY IN TERFERES WITH RESULTS. . Louise Home Workers Reduced From 2 0 0 to 60 by Rain Building to Cost $7000 Contemplated. Charity suffered greatly yesterday from the inclemency of the weather, for the steady downpour in the morning made lt impossible for the majority of ..nl.maaAM .n.luru fna tha Kaur T.lltliSH Home to go out and tag everybody. As a result, though the amount col lected was a large sum, it was by no means what would have been given had the de.y been fine. One thousand dollars has been reportedand about 1200 more Is expected from suburban workers. W. B. MacLaren, superintendent of lh. Dnrdand rnmmntlfl RIlH that Louise Home, said yesterday: "The spirit and the sympathy of the public was with us in raising sufficient to warrant the commencement of building operations for the new home. Everybody who was asked gave willingly, and but for the awful weather I have no doubt w should have raised a large sum. "But what could you expect? With the rain coming aown in oucnon mm, how could anyone go out and stand there for hours at a time In a vain endeavor to tag men and women whose one Idea was to get In out of the wot as rapidly as their legs could carry them?" Asked as to what plans he would take now, MacLaren replied that the. home would cost about $7000, of which approximately $4000 Is in hand. "I think we have the confidence of the public and the business men to such an extent as will justify us in goin ahead with the erection ot tne new home That is a necessity. We must have lt, and all we shall have to do is to borrow the rest of the money and go on paying the Interest and working a little harder until the borrowed cap Ital is paid off." PEOMHTENT OFFICERS OF B'NAl B'BITH WHO WILL VISIT POET LAND THIS WEEK. ! - t ' ii - 11 ' - - - r'f " j I- 4 . Ill II I I . -BTTTTTTT.TTTTaT - , Factories Accept .Our Offers 11. oo NOT IN THE PLUMBING TRUST si. so We have made contracts with some of the largest factories in the United States f ora large percentage of their entire output of plumbing supplies and m order to live up to our contracts, we will sell plumbing supplies at prices never before heard of. We carry a large and complete line of plumbing material and positively sell to all at Wholesale Prices. Contracts taken or plumbers furnished by the day. Special Prices on AH Finishing Goods for This Week " THE TRUST BUSTERS " FRONT. AND GRANT STREETS Take "S" car going south on Third, get off at First and Grant and go one block east.