p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 1. (1/6/1909)

Earlier text: Welcome, Thrice Welcome, Dear Old Signs

Drunkenness and Crime.

By Editor

What are the reasons for such an alarming increase in the nation’s drink bill? “The relation of crime to intemperance is well understood by men who have to deal with those who transgress the laws of the land. In the words of a Philadelphia judge, ‘Rum and blood, I mean the shedding of blood, go hand in hand.’”

“A district attorney in the city of Boston is reported as declaring that ‘Ninety-nine out of every hundred of the crimes in our commonwealth are produced by intoxicating liquors.’”

“Let those in positions of public trust take heed lest through wine and strong drink they forget the law, and pervert judgment.”

“‘Wo unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong.’” “Behind the liquor-dealer stands the mighty destroyer of souls.”

“Often he is forbidden to sell intoxicants to one who is drunk, or who is known to be a confirmed drunkard; but the work of making drunkards of the youth goes steadily forward. Upon the creating of the liquor appetite in the youth the very life of the traffic depends.”

“Should not the liquor-saloons that have wrought so much evil, be entirely abolished?”

“Let the voices of the nation demand of its lawmakers that a stop be put to this infamous traffic.”

These startling sentences have been selected from a new sixteen-page tract recently added to our list. They call attention in a marked way to the evils of the liquor traffic; and the responsibility for the continuance of this awful crime-producing agency is clearly indicated.

We believe that our readers will be well repaid for a careful perusal of this tract. And you have friends who should receive the light contained in its truth-filled pages. Bible Students’ Library, No. 196, price only $1.00 per 100.

Order from the Pacific Press Publishing Assn., Mountain View, Cal.; 61 N. Park St., Portland, Ore.; 1109 E. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.; or from your local tract society.

Christian Science in the Light of Reason and Revelation. By R. A. Underwood.

By R. A. Underwood

“If the claims of Christian Science are founded on the doctrines of Christianity and the facts of science, then every lover of Christianity and science should hail the teachings of Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy with delight, and accept the claims of Christian Science. If it is not founded upon the word of truth, it should be rejected and exposed.”

With this fair and impartial statement the writer of the pamphlet named above opens a very interesting and instructive discussion of the doctrines set forth in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” the text-book for all true believers in Christian Science. In parallel columns many full and complete quotations from this book are compared with quotations from God’s holy word, the only rule of faith for the followers of Jesus Christ.

Such fundamental truths as “The Creation of Man and the Universe,” “The Existence of Sin,” “The Atonement for Sin,” “The Gospel of Salvation,” “The Miracles of Jesus,” “The Existence of Material Matter,” “Sickness and Suffering,” “Death and the Judgment,” are candidly considered in a way that will please every lover of truth and fair play.

Every one who has any question as to the truth or falsity of the doctrines of Christian Science, in fact, every seeker after truth and light, should give this pamphlet a careful reading.

Fifty pages, printed on fine egg-shell paper, with attractive colored cover. Issued as No. 197, Bible Students’ Library. Price, ten cents.

Order now of your state tract society, or Pacific Press Publishing Assn., Mountain View, Cal.; 61 N. Park St., Portland, Ore.; 1109 E. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.; Box 666, Regina, Sask., Canada.

S. S. Supplies

S. S. Supplies.—We still have a good supply of S. S. Record P at 35 cents, for schools of 20 to 90 members; class records at 10 cents; S. S. Quarterlies at five cents each. If you need a Bible, send for our “Select List of Bibles.” Address, Pacific Press Publishing Assn., Mountain View, Cal.

The Week.

Beautiful was the first morning. A soft, warm rain had fallen in the valleys during the week. Upon the far mountains it was snow. When the genial December sun went down, the warm atmosphere of the valleys became rapidly chilled, and the result was a heavy hoar frost, which covered the earth, and gave the green shrubs and dry stalks in the gray dawn the appearance of just having emerged from a slight snow-storm. How bracing was the short walk in the frosty air! Clear, keen, and cold it was, and the sun arose with not a cloud in sight, and its glorious light transmuted the frost crystals into millions of sparkling diamonds. The whole atmosphere soon became athrob with life. From tree to tree on rollicksome wing flew the glad birds, and the old live-oaks were transformed into green music halls, with orchestras and choruses of glad feathered songsters, palpitant with life and joy and praise. Thus opened our week of prayer in California. It seemed that all nature was calling to the praise and seeking of God. How much more ought intelligent man, on account of whose subjection to sin the curse fell upon God’s perfect creation, to praise the Creator of heaven and earth, and to seek from the fulness of the fountain of life and power the grace which will restore in him God’s image! And the week closed as it opened. Morning after morning the same scene, the same clear, bracing air, the same brilliant, star-set heavens, the same clear, shining, waning moon and morning star, greeted us as we walked to our early morning meeting at our office chapel, where a goodly company gathered, whose prayers came up as one, and brought the promised blessing. In the church the first meeting included a social-meeting, and the last a praise-meeting, in which was not one dry, hesitating, long, wearisome, unharmonious testimony. It was indeed a season of refreshing.

January Monthly Signs Reviewed

The Monthly Signs for January is one of the best numbers yet. It is full of life and encouragement for the new year, and it deals with the great and significant occurrences of the day, such as the condition of the nations, Japanese affairs, and the meaning of conditions in San Francisco. Its departments — Current Topics, General, The Watch-Tower, Missions, Temperance, etc. — are well sustained and full of excellent matter. The price is 10 cents. The subscription price per year, $1.00. The Monthly Signs with this journal is $2.00.

The Federal Council of Protestant Churches.

By Editor

ON ANOTHER page will be found a partial report of this great meeting, truly said by the Public Ledger, of Philadelphia, to mark “an important development in the church life of America.” We regret that the report came a little too late to present it all in this issue, the most important part will be given next week. We appeal to our readers to study it, and weigh what may be said regarding it. Behind this “council” of four hundred delegates are the following religious bodies:

The Baptist Churches of the United States. The Free Baptist General Conference. The Christian (The Christian Connection). The Congregational Churches. The Disciples of Christ. The Evangelical Association. The Evangelical Synod of North America. The Friends. The Evangelical Lutheran Church, General Synod. The Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The Primitive Methodist Church. The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America. The Methodist Protestant Church. The African Methodist Episcopal Church. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The General Conference of the Mennonite Church of North America. The Moravian Church. The Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist or Presbyterian Church. The Reformed Presbyterian Church. The United Presbyterian Church. The Protestant Episcopal Church. The Reformed Church in America. The Reformed Church of the U. S. A. The Reformed Episcopal Church. The Seventh-day Baptist Churches. The United Brethren in Christ. The United Evangelical Church.

That is, these bodies are not simply supposed to be in favor of the movement, but the general bodies—conferences, synods, etc.—have indorsed the plan. Of course all the lay members have not. Many of them do not know what is involved in it. We wish to let them know. If it is a good thing, all ought to join it; if it is dangerous, we all ought to know it. Read, ponder, weigh, decide.

Human Nature and Vegetarianism.

Two items come to us from the recent prize-fights, which thoughtful people ought to ponder; the one written by a noted expert and sporting editor, declares: “As for the public, all the public wants to see is one of the fighters battered to insensibility.” How many things there are which indicate that the same bloodthirstiness exists in humanity after centuries of Christian education, that existed in the barbaric days of Rome! These are the natural fruits of the flesh, and without true conversion to Christ Jesus, will ever exist in the natural heart of man. The other item is this: One of the champions declares that after he had tried various kinds of diet, that which gave him the most muscle and the greatest endurance was fruit and nuts. And the greatest of all prize-fighters confirms the statement. The person who eschews flesh from his dietary loses nothing.

Denver Grocers Oppose Sunday-Closing Law

A Denver paper tells us that 500 retail grocers are fighting the Sunday-closing law in that city, and ask the courts to restrain its enforcement, as it is unconstitutional.

Why Do They Do It?

Our old English grammars, Gould Brown's, for instance, define a common noun as “the name of a sort, kind, or class of beings or things; as, Beast, bird, fish, insect,—creatures, persons, children.”

It defines a proper noun as “the name of some particular individual or people or group; as, Adam, Boston, the Hudson, the Romans, the Azores, the Alps.”

These definitions are simple and easily understood, and it is not hard to classify nouns accordingly. But some of our modern grammarians, without sense or reason, it seems to us, note many exceptions which are absurd. For instance, the young pupil is told that the names of the days of the week are common nouns. Why? And echo answers, Why? They are particular, proper names for each day of the week. There is but one of each. So of the months. “Months” is a common noun, but January and June are particular names of particular months. There are various political parties. Democrats and Republicans are names of particular parties. There are various races of men. Americans, Maylays etc., are names of particular races. They are proper nouns. Yet by some latter-day grammarians they are called exceptions and belong to common nouns beginning with a capital. Yet according to rule they naturally fall into the category of proper nouns. Why not call them so?

Fraudulent Sugar Scales

A despatch from New York dated December 3 gives us the information that Richard Parr, special agent of the United States Treasury, states under oath that this government has been cheated out of $3,000,000 by the sugar trust through fraudulent scales. In these scales were concealed steel springs which interfered with accurate weighing. When these steel springs were removed, and lots of sugar reweighed, each lot of sugar was increased on an average of fourteen pounds. It is a practise so small and mean that, as truly remarked, it “would shame small grocers.” But this is only one of the many signs of growing dishonesty in the commercial world.

Religious Liberty and Current Developments

By Editor

The fourth issue of the journal “Liberty” presents the question of religious liberty in the light of present developments in the nation. The contest in Missouri over moral and religious legislation, President Roosevelt’s protest against raising the question of a man’s religion in considering his qualifications for public office, the Johnston Sunday Bill, etc., are considered. Agents do well selling the journal. Order through your tract society.

Benzoate of Soda Prohibited as a Preservative

Warning is sent out from government experiment stations that Benzoate of Soda for the preservation of food is detrimental to health; in fact, is poison to those who partake of it. It will hereafter be placed among the prohibited things in the sale of pure foods. In other words it will be stricken from the list of privileged preservatives.

Life and Health for 1909

“Life and Health” for 1909 will be a sixty-four-page journal, with new departments and improved features throughout. The subscription price has been raised to $1.00 a year. Special rates in quantities. Address your tract society or Life and Health, Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C.

Taft Gives Up Drinking

One splendid item of news comes to us; namely, that at the recent dinner at which Mr. Taft was present, he turned his wine glass down and stated that he had drank for the last time, and he was not going to drink anything again ever. This is good.

The Present Truth on Spiritualism

“The Present Truth,” of London, in its issue of November 26 is a splendid number on Spiritualism and its meaning. It ought to do great good in the British Isles.