A peculiar meeting took place yesterday afternoon at 116 - 5th Avenue. It was the first meeting of the Chicago German Spiritualist Society which was founded on November 29th, in a private home on the westside. About 60 persons had gathered and they watched the procedure of the meeting with eager interest. Most of the visitors, men and women, undoubtedly had been prompted to attend by curiosity.

The president of the society, Chr. Eisen, opened the meeting by singing a choral accompanied by organ music, and then followed the reading and explanations of the principles of the society by its secretary, P. Knauer. These principles had been approved by the members previously:

1. Philosophic reflections and an abundance of facts lead us to the assumption that all being, capable of thought and development, possess immortality.

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2. Facts and reason lead us to believe that communication between individuals on this planet and those in other forms of existence is possible.

3. This communication takes place in accordance with natural laws and as soon as conditions of these laws are met by both sides.

4. So-called death signifies a change into another form of existence, which must be on a higher level according to the law of progressive development.

5. The conception of a hell with eternal suffering as punishment for temporary mistakes, and the notion of the personification of evil as taught by theologians are absurdities which are alike repulsive to reason and the sense of justice, and constitute a more glaring and vicious defamation of the highest and all -comprehensive principle of the cosmos than ever has been uttered by the enemies of religion. Such notions are fit only for the barbarian age, where they originated.

6. Every personality must, as a matter of fact, continue with his mental and spiritual development in another form of existence.

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7. From this it is obvious that the so-called spirits. that is personalities without the body of coarse matter, have by no means reached the same degree of development. Although they are all destined to reach the same heights of understanding the process of growth will take place in different ages. Our responsibility, therefore, and the promotion of our highest self-interest is to be found in striving in this life after the highest possible illumination, moral perfection, genuine love for humanity, and the predomination of our nobler tendencies over the lower and materialistic desires. Every advantage that we gain by this is eternal gain for us, and everything we neglect must be rectified in another existence.

8. Likewise does this contain a natural and logical theory of compensation, in the negative as well as in the positive sense. Sooner or later each act returns to us with its consequences. We are eternally responsible for all our acts, and the degree of our momentary well-being and happiness depends almost entirely upon us, irrespective of the possible evolutionary progress in this or in other worlds.

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9. Whenever these viewpoints will be accepted generally, then science and religion, personal interests and love for our neighbors, duties and tendencies will be in complete harmony and will elevate mankind to the highest level of progress and happiness attainable.

Guided by this declaration of principles, Knauer then explained more fully the purpose and the aims of the society in an interesting and captivating manner. He asserted that spiritualism has a promising future, and that it is the ideal of all religious and all philosophies in the world.

Among the audience were quite a number of persons who already were disciples of spiritualism. We could not discover if others accepted this teaching at the meeting yesterday.

From now on a meeting will be held by the Spiritualists every Sunday afternoon at the same place.