MR MAURAIS AND MADAME BLAVATSKY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13421, 23 October 1905, Page 4 (Supplement)

MR MAURAIS AND MADAME BLAVATSKY.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—Though quito unused to ruslung jnto print, I fool too tempted this morning to resist-. Far from joining force! with "An Atheist," I cannot but be amused at t.ho airy way Mr Maurais 'disposes of the subject of Madame Blavntsky. Now. .Madame Blavatskv is tho cornerstone of Western philosophy—a woman revered and blindly followed iiy Theosophists, —and vet '.n Chambers's Biographical Dictionary is, contemptuously almost, disposed of as "a- Russian charlatan who, as the high priestess of Thecsophy, niado many dupes in India and England." The discrepancy is too serious to be treated —or, ratner, shelved—as our Dunedin apostlo of Theosophy has done. Upon Madame Blavatskv depends Annie Besunt, for she stated her accepta' ' Thcosophv upon the word of Madanx atsky. A little book published some years ago. but of which, unfortunately, 1 have not a copy, gave the whole sorry smiabble between Mrs Besant and Mr Judge for the leadership, after Madame Blavatsky's death, and sufficient evidence seemed to bo produced to prove Madame a vulgar fraud, with accomplices in servants (who turned Queen's evidence), with stories of cabinets, sliding panels, and prepared messages; and Madame, confronted with a certain seal supposed to be in the possession of her Mahatiuas, dismissed the inquiry by supposing it to be some "flapdoodle of Oleolt's." I quote from memory, but any reader having a little book called "his Unveiled" might he, nblo'to fill in tho story. Upon Madame and her Malmtmas depend Annie Besant and all the Theosophists in' our midst. Tho Mahatmas wore placcd by tho Russian lady in Thibet, the last" place to bo civilised; but- it is opened up to-day, and where are the MahatmasV So, to ilismiss the question of Madame so airily amuses me m Mr Maurais. A certain type of mind has been caught and inflamed by tho religion of a people whom it would l>o thought degradation tc marry its daughter to, and a grave warning is necessary to those who plan their wholo scheme of living upon Madame Blavatsky or Annie Besant, or—but why mention further names?—against such opposed leaders as Wesley and Booth (to take two notable examples), or Bavnardo, Florence Nightingale. and the hosts of like-minded Christians; and, last and greatest, Theodore Roosevelt, the Christian man who has earned the gratitude of the whole world to-day.—l am, etc.,

Frank May. [We cannot give any further spacc for the continuaneo of this correspondence.— Ed. O.D.T.]