THE papers on the Pacific coast and in the adjoining Territories contain frequent accounts of raids upon "opium dens," and the arrest of parties patronizing these dens to enjoy the luxury of smoking opium. We are not going to find fault with the authorities—it may be all right. But our query is, why are the opium dens so ruthlessly raided while the "whisky dens" are permitted to flourish, literally to "practice and prosper," day and night, seven days in the week? We do not believe that the others are worse than these. Whisky and brandy slay their tens of thousands, yes, hundreds of thousands, openly, and unblushingly. Opium may enjoy the meagre honor of slaying its hundreds. It should be put down if it slays its tens. We do not complain of the discrimination as against opium; we do complain of the discrimination in favor of the demon alcohol, which scatters misery and ruin in every corner of our fair land.
Said one old-time public man to another, "If the people get mad they will kill you." "If they were not mad," the other replied, "they would kill you." It is proof of a sad derangement of the moral faculties of both legislators and people that this terrible scourge is allowed to exist to prey upon the health, the morals, and the property of the nation.
FUTURE PUNISHMENT.
THE Examiner and Chronicle reports a conversation with a Congregational minister of high standing, who said “it would be hard to number those who doubt or disbelieve,” on the subject of future retribution. Too much light has gone forth on the Scriptures within the last quarter of a century for men to retain faith in the church dogma of eternal misery, which is eternal life in sin. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
MANIA FOR HORSE-RACING.
NOTHING leads to unhealthy excitement more than horse-racing. Proof of this is given in the following incident. The Derby race last May was won by a horse belonging to the Duke of Westminster. “He is reported by a London paper to have looked for the winning number with quite a frenzied eagerness, and no sooner was it hoisted, and he recognized the winning horse as his own, than with three steps he was down the staircase and out on the course, waiting to lead the winner in. The duke was trembling with delighted excitement, and so agitated that he forgot to take off his hat in acknowledgment of the ringing cheers with which the victory of his horse was received from all quarters. It could not be on account of the money won, as the duke already has an annual income of four million dollars or over ten thousand dollars a day. It seems incomprehensible that the fact of possessing a horse of great speed should so move a man of sense.”
This shows how dangerous it is to suffer the mind to become absorbed in such chances. Ruin is too often—nearly always—the consequence of such a course. And yet races are made the chief attraction of most “agricultural fairs.” Why will not “the honest granger” reform his habits?
THE PRESIDENCY AND THE CHURCH.
THE Chicago Alliance claims that it is the duty of the Church of this country to exert itself to the utmost to secure the election of Mr. Garfield, on the ground that he is a Christian minister, and the first one ever nominated for Chief Executive. Now we have a very high opinion of Mr. Garfield as a public man or a private citizen. We have been much on the "Western Reserve," and our knowledge of him is such that we cannot sympathize with those who assail his character. But we do see the force of the remarks of the Alliance. We do not believe Mr. Garfield is one whit more of a Christian than Mr. Hayes. And if he is elected we do not believe that his administration of the government will be at all affected by the fact that he has been a minister. We hope it will not. We think he is a conscientious man, a patriot, and a statesman. He would no doubt fulfill his constitutional obligations to the best of his ability, as a statesman, and without any regard to his previous church relations. And every conscientious officer will do the same. If we urge a man's claim to office this year because he is a minister, we need not be surprised if a man is put forward next year because he is an infidel. And whereunto will it grow?
FLATTERY MET.
Dr. Emmons was no friend to the custom of flattering pulpit efforts. An admirer once sent to him the following letter:—
"My Dear Brother:—I have read your sermon on the Atonement, and have wept over it.
"Yours, affectionately, A. B. C."
To which the following reply was promptly sent:—
"Dear Sir:—I have read your letter, and laughed at it.
"Yours, NATHANIEL EMMONS."
MRS. H. T. H. SANBORN
By Mrs. H. T. H. Sanborn
Will Emma B. Taylor of Patrick Springs, Va., send her full address to Eld. I. Sanborn, North Scituate, R. I. Don't fail to give your county.
MRS. H. T. H. SANBORN
Appointments.
OAKLAND. — Services at the Seventh-day Adventist church, corner of Thirteenth and Clay streets, every Sabbath (Saturday), at 11 A. M., and second and fourth Sunday evening in each month, at 7 : 45. Prayer-meeting every Tuesday evening at 7 : 30. Sabbath-school at 9 : 30 o'clock Sabbath morning.
SAN FRANCISCO. — Services at the Seventh-day Adventist church, on Laguna street, between Tyler and Mc Allister, every Sabbath (Saturday), at 11 A. M., and the first and third Sunday evening in each month at 7 : 45. Prayer-meeting every Wednesday evening at 7 : 30. The Hayes Valley cars of Market street and the Lone Mountain cars of the Central railroad, cross Laguna street near the church.
General Meeting at Chico
There will be a general meeting at Chico, Sabbath and first day, July 10 and 11. We hope to see the friends from Red Bluff, and others from the surrounding country present. It would be well to have the district quarterly meeting at this time, providing no other arrangements have been made. Mrs. E. G. White will be present.
STATE QUARTERLY MEETING.
By Stephen Nelson Haskell
The State Quarterly Meeting of the California Tract and Missionary Society will be held in Santa Rosa, on Sabbath and first-day, July 17, 18. A general attendance is expected.
S. N. HASKELL,
President.
Business Department.
By Editor
McDonald's Stylograph or, rapid letter copying book. In this book letters are written and copied at the same time, without the use of pen, ink, press, brush or water; saving the time, labor, and expense of other methods of copying letters. Each book is furnished with stylus and stylographic writing paper, ready for use.
Above are made up of alternate sheets of Ruled Copying and Letter paper.
For those who desire to use their own printed Note and Letter Heads, we make of all copying paper the following size books:—
Letter size, No. 7, 8 1/2 x 11, 500 leaves, paged and indexed, $3.00
Note “ “ 8, 7 x 10, 300 “ “ “ 2.00
“ “ “ 9, 7 x 10, 500 “ “ “ 2.50
Legal Cap, “ 10, 9 x 14, 500 “ “ “ 4.50
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.
RECEIVED FOR SIGNS.
$2.00 EACH. G W Brahe 7-26, Mrs McComb 7-25, J Stevens 7-26, J M Loveland 7-28, V B Cobb 7-26, Mary Davis 7-26, Geo W Ticknor 7-26, Lettie Borer 7-26, Mrs Lyala Russell 7-26, Wm Major 7-26, F H Chapman 7-26.
$1.50 EACH. Alice T Davis 7-26, Mrs M Hotaling 7-26, Chester J Dake 7-26, Isaac Andrus 7-26, Geo Butts 7-26, Wayne Hall 7-26, Mrs C Cate 7-26.
$1.00 EACH. Ellen C Jessup 6-25, Abbie L Frost 7-2, M E Simonton 6-30, Mrs Harvey 7-5, Nancy A Robinson 7-26, O G Hoyt 7-26, Walace Link 7-26, Henry Millet 7-26, Mrs Mary Rogers 7-1.
MISCELLANEOUS. Samuel Lobdell 75c 7-10, Smith Lobdell 75c 7-10, Isaiah Lobdell 75c 7-10, Mrs Florence A Brown 75c 7-10, Mrs J McMulliken 50c 6-41, Mary L Hunt 50c 6-38, Joseph Hayes 25c 6-34, Mrs Fulton 50c 6-38, Jay McCulloch 10.00, 7-26, Joseph Withron 25c 6-34, Aug Schmidt 25c 6-30, Philip Bassert 25c 6-30, Sarah E Taliaferro 10.00, 7-26, R McElroy 10.50, 7-26, Mrs E A Turner 3.15, 7-2, James M Baker 13.00, 7-26, Hattie Tice 1.10, 7-26, J W Withron 2.10, 7-26, Mrs Belle Lemon 1.10, 7-26, Jas Withron 25c 6-34, Wayne Hall 10.00, 7-26, Noah Hodges 15.00, 7-26, J K Housel 1.25, 7-10, Jos S Seaman 25c 6-34, T S Cantril 25c 6-34, C S Stewart 25c 6-34, J F Beans 75c 6-38, Maggie Philis 1.25, 7-26, John Emmerson 7.50, 7-2, A Chamberlain 50c 7-1, Byron Tripp 6.00 7-28, S A Green 3.00 7-10, Mrs Putnam 15.00, 7-1, H G Sloppy 60c 7-2, Mrs M A Purdy 25c 6-38, A K Parker 25c 6-38, Andrew Woods 25c 6-38, Chas Langdon 10.50, 7-26, A M Covey 10.00, 7-26.
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
By Editor
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT OAKLAND, CAL., FOR THE
MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS.
Twelve-Page Edition.—A live Religious Family Paper, containing, in addition to the great variety of original articles, which make it a desirable prophetic journal, Departments devoted to Temperance, The Home Circle, News, The Missionary Work, and the Sabbath-school. PRICE PER YEAR, . . . . . . $2.00
In clubs of ten or more copies to one address, to be used for Missionary work, each . . . . . . . . 1.50
Eight-Page Edition.—Condensed from the above. Per Year, 1.25
In clubs of ten or more, each . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.00
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
—OR—
REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Mich.
MISS ELIZA THAYER, Secretary N. E. Tract Society, So. Lancaster, Mass.
ELDER J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, Ravenswood, Shirley Road, Southampton, England.
WM. LEAVITT, Salem, Oregon.
TOO LATE.
By Editor
We regret that the report of the business proceedings of the Milton, Oregon, camp-meeting is received too late for this week's paper.
POLITICS.
By Editor
WE are not politicians. In this case the pronoun is used to include Seventh-day Adventists generally. They exercise their privilege as citizens to vote whenever they choose to do so; and we are happy to say, they were remarkably united in their loyalty to the government in the time of the late rebellion. This was right; our mission is one of peace; our rights as peaceable citizens have been protected in a praiseworthy manner by the government; we owe allegiance, the claims of which our patriotism, as well as the Scriptures, leads us to recognize. We believe in freedom as opposed to oppression; the Scripture injunction to "Remember those in bonds, as bound with them," not only permitted us, but compelled us to sympathize with the action of our government in breaking every yoke and letting the oppressed go free. Some have blamed us for this, but it is not possible for us to please them in this respect. They regard it only as a political question, overlooking its great importance as a moral question. We care but little for any question on the score of politics, but have a high regard for all moral issues. And we shall never violate our moral convictions, especially when based on such plain injunctions of Scripture, to appease the feelings of those who often appear to be moved more by prejudice than by revelation or the calls of our common humanity.
But this is as far as we can go. We cannot consent to enter the arena of politics, and strive as the world strives for supremacy and power. There is too much heat of passion—too much selfishness and greed of honor, in the politics of this day, as developed in all political parties. A resort to tricks and questionable methods is deemed allowable to a great extent by the party managers; so greatly so that it is difficult for a conscientious Christian to act with them and still keep himself "unspotted from the world." There are honorable exceptions; there are honest men in public life, and honest candidates for office. We respect all such. But our opportunities to judge of the inside workings of political parties have not been small. We entered a political newspaper office in 1832, in our very boyhood. We have acted with both the leading political parties at different times and on different questions of national importance. Our cautions are uttered advisedly. He who expects to dive into the business of politics and come out with a living zeal for the cause of Christ, with a conscience uncontaminated, with heart-searching piety, may expect to take coals into his bosom and not be burned, or to touch pitch and not be defiled.
We have heard of the piety of individuals and the peace of churches being greatly damaged by their entering into politics; but never benefited thereby. A zealous political partisan and a zealous Christian can hardly be found in one person. There is no good reason why the coming campaign should be a heated one, and yet we expect it will be. We deplore its probable effects; we are confident that it will greatly interfere with evangelistic work for months to come. We ask believers to watch and pray, that they be not led into temptation; that the work of God may progress; "that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified."