KOLO, BASUTOLAND.—Truly this is a dark land. But I am glad to report that already we can see omens of success. Our meetings are well attended, and each week I think the interest increases, for which we are thankful to God, knowing our work is prospered only when we trust all to him.
A few weeks ago a mother brought a little child to us whose leg was burned quite badly. Day after day for more than two weeks my wife dressed the affected leg. The result was that the whole family began to attend meetings. Every Sabbath until last Sabbath, the family came by our home from the meeting, bringing our native interpreter, Murry Kalaka. They wished to learn more from God's Word. The mother said that for a few weeks she had been keeping the Sabbath, and that she loved it. The father also seemed greatly moved, and expressed himself as having a desire to give his heart to God.
We had a good Bible study together on how to come to God and surrender to him, and we all felt that the presence of Jesus was with us.
This morning the father of the little child came in. He seemed sad, and I began to talk to him through our interpreter. I asked why he was not at meeting last Sabbath. Then he told me a part of his errand. He said that a white man whom he had owed a little money came to him on Sabbath morning, and wanted him to do an errand. He told the man it was the Sabbath, and he did not want to go. But the man continued: “You owe me, and if you refuse to do this, I will have you put in jail.” So he went. “Now,” he said, “I am sorry I did; but I did not know what to do. I would not do it again. I have already asked God to forgive me.” He went on to say that his wife could come and join the church now; “but,” he said, “we have some children in Orange River Colony who are not Christians. I must bring them in. I can not come without my children.” This made a deep impression upon my mind.
A heathen father finds Jesus precious to his soul, and is not satisfied to be saved himself alone, but says, “I must bring my children.” O that fathers and mothers in Israel would manifest such zeal in behalf of their children outside the ark of safety! O that they would say, “I must bring my children,” and cease not to cry to God day and night to save the children! Then would we see God work mightily in behalf of the young of the flock.
I feel sure that by the help of God this dear family will soon be established in present truth, and be a bright and shining light in this dark land of the Basuto. While we are forty miles from the nearest railway station, and twenty-five miles from the post-office, yet we feel that the sacrifice is not great, and we trust that by God's help we may be able to bring the light of truth to many a darkened heart.
Truly, God's blessings are great to his servants in foreign lands; and every day we can see more clearly omens of the coming day. Even some of the leading chiefs of Basutoland have expressed themselves as favoring the Sabbath. Surely the time has come for the truth to be echoed from thousands of voices, till all the world has been warned of the impending doom that is following so closely upon the third angel's message. May God help us all, day by day, to work with our might, knowing that the night cometh, when no man can work.
M. E. EMMERSON.
The Ohio Conference
By G. A. Irwin
The forty-seventh annual session of the Ohio Conference was held in the Seventh-day Adventist church in the city of Columbus, Ohio, January 25-29. Not17all the eighty churches in the conference were represented by delegates, but there was a representation numbering one hundred fifty.
The conference was opened on the evening of the twenty-fifth by a sermon by Elder R. G. Patterson. The days were entirely devoted to the hearing of reports and the transaction of the necessary business of the conference, and the evenings were occupied in preaching services, in which the progress of the work and its needs throughout the world were set before the delegates.
The tithe for the past year was $27,184.62, or about two thousand dollars less than for the previous year. The conference officers accounted for this by the stringency of money matters during the latter part of the year. The other funds of the conference seem to have held their own with the previous years, and $7,923.65 was given for foreign missions. The conference during the year supported seven laborers outside of their own field.
The financial report showed that five cents a member had been paid upon the ten-cent-a-week plan. Four new churches — Jefferson, Delta, Ravenna, and a German church in Cleveland — were admitted to the conference.
The needs of the Mount Vernon College were given some consideration, and a resolution was unanimously passed authorizing the board of trustees to transfer the property to the Columbia Union Conference when a corporation is organized to receive it. The medical missionary and sanitarium work also received their due share of consideration.
Elder H. H. Burkholder was unanimously re-elected conference president. Owing to the illness of Brother C. V. Hamer, and his inability to attend to the duties of the office of treasurer, Brother O. D. Stephens was elected secretary and treasurer. The executive committee remains the same as heretofore, with the exception of the addition of the name of Elder C. F. Redfield, who was elected in place of Elder W. E. Bidwell.
The conference delegates voted unanimously to let the General Conference have, free of rent, their large pavilion and dwelling tents for its use during the coming meeting. It was also decided to allow the time of the various workers of the conference who wished to attend the General Conference.
Elder G. B. Thompson, the president of the union conference, and the writer were present from the beginning of the meeting, and rendered what help they could on committees and in the discussion of the various questions that came before the session.
The meeting closed on Thursday night, the twenty-eighth, and the delegates went home full of courage and with a determination to inspire the members of their individual churches with the spirit of the meeting, and thus inaugurate an aggressive missionary movement throughout the entire conference.
G. A. Irwin.
Wisconsin
By C. McREYNOLDS
ELDER C. J. HERRMANN conducted a series of meetings with the church at Moon, Wis., January 20 to February 7. The Lord gave a great victory. Twenty-four persons united with the church, subject to baptism, and twelve others made a start to serve the Lord and obey his truth, and will unite with the church a little later. Still others are deeply interested, and the good work will be carried on after a few days' delay. The ire of the enemy was manifested in a threat to mob, and even to shoot, the elder if he did not take the warning, which was brought to him by letter, to leave the place immediately.
Word has just been received from Mt. Hope, Wis., from Elders F. Stebbeds and M. H. Serns, of a victory in that church, two being added to its membership. Nine were recently added to the church at Sparta through the labors of Elder Serns, and eight were added to the Blue River church through the labors of Elder Stebbeds.
Dr. John Hopkins arrived at the Madison Sanitarium, last Monday, to take charge of that institution as medical superintendent.
C. McREYNOLDS.
The Java Health Retreat
By Ethelbert Thorpe; Lily Thorpe
THIS beautiful retreat is situated in the mountains, three thousand feet above the sea-level and above the city of Surabaya. Although located on a high mountain, we are surrounded by others many thousands of feet higher, on the summits of which frost and ice are to be found. Nearly all of these mountains are volcanoes, many of them extinct, some still very active. Directly in front of us, at some distance, is the deep-blue sea. This is clearly seen only in the rainy season, upon which we have just entered.
The pen would fail to tell of the beauties of Java, of its forests adorned with everlasting green, with their thousands of flowers whose sweet odor never dies; the sea breezes rustling through the banana plantations and over the palm tops; the thundering waterfalls rushing down from the high mountains to the interior of the country, dividing into streamlets, and dispensing blessing to all. The lavish gifts of nature are a delight to behold. Take our own mission tract, for instance, consisting of three and one-half acres. It presents beautiful variegated foliage; tall tropical fruit- and flower-trees, from which hang long evergreen ferns of many varieties; orchids of all colors, pink and green, tiger marked and spotted, giving out a most delightsome fragrance; tall tree ferns waving gracefully in the gentle breezes; beautiful bunches of fragrant lilies everywhere. A streamlet of pure water, direct from the mountains, runs through the entire length of the grounds. The constant running and rippling of the water over the stones and down the hillside has a very soothing and pleasing influence.
The front garden is laid out with many kinds of rose-trees and tropical ferns and plants. Around the verandas of the house, and on them, we have about one hundred beautiful plants, growing in large, different-shaped pots. The verandas, like large rooms, are well furnished, and used for living-rooms. The main building has three large rooms. The bamboo house, a little farther up the hillside, contains four rooms. There is a large stone swimming-bath connected with the main building, and a large bamboo kitchen, storeroom, and servants' room. The house is nicely and conveniently built. We are altering the bath-room, and building a small treatment-room in connection with the large swimming-bath. This beautiful mountain home came to our people through the favoring hand of the Lord, the sum of £166 being paid for the house and land combined. We are thankful for such a place, from which the light of the third angel's message is already radiating.
We spend three or four hours a day treating the sick who come to us, binding up their terrible sores, etc. We go many miles to the surrounding villages to treat the afflicted. The Lord works in a marvelous way in their restoration. A small hospital will be a necessity in the near future. The desperate need of these helpless millions presses upon our hearts. Latest statistics show that the population of the Dutch East Indies has been estimated at about seventy millions, half of whom inhabit Java, and Madura, a large island adjoining Java. Think of it, brethren and sisters: thirty and one-half millions on these two islands to hear the message, the very last message that will ever be sent to this sin-cursed earth. In Java only eight per cent of the people (Javanese) can either read or write. The two millions of souls on Madura are in even worse condition. Only the living preacher, aided by the Holy Spirit, can give this message. God has ways and means that we know not of. There is room for every Seventh-day Adventist to work in Java. What are one hundred thousand souls among thirty millions?
Mohammedanism reigns. The priests of Islaam are doing their deadly work, and human souls are falling into Christless graves. The cry is sounding, 'Come over and help us.'
ETHELBERT THORPE,
LILY THORPE.
Sunday-Law Hearing in Maine
[The recent hearing before a joint committee of the legislature of the State of Maine on a proposed Sunday law for that State was an interesting occasion. The hearing was attended by Brethren C. S. Longacre, S. J. Hersum, George W. Whitney, and W. O. Howe. The committee consisted of fifteen members, picked lawyers of both branches of the legislature. From a letter written by Brother Longacre to the chairman of the Religious Liberty Bureau we take the following report of the hearing.—ED.]
THERE were seven speakers in favor of the bill. The first was the game warden of the State, who introduced the measure. The second was an ex-senator, now a professor in one of the colleges of Maine. He was the spokesman for the clergy, and a very able speaker. In closing, he hurled some thunderbolts at Seventh-day Adventists, saying, with all the scorn he could put into his expressions: “I know that there are some here to-day who keep the seventh day for Sunday. They are an insignificant sect, who think that the seventh day is Sunday. They will speak after I am through, and they will tell you that we have the wrong day. But who knows which is the right day? Who knows how often the day has been lost since the days of Moses? But these people who keep Saturday for Sunday seem to know all about it, and they have a certain day all fenced in; but then that matter has been settled long ago by at least the good people of Maine. The consensus of opinion of the great majority of the best people of this commonwealth18is that the day to be kept is more Sunday, and that day is established by law. But then these people are never satisfied unless they can die martyrs. They court martyrdom, much like Roger Williams. If they want to be fools enough to set their consciences against the consciences of the great majority, they certainly must take the consequences. They pretend to be very meek and modest and pious, and if they would rather shed their blood, let them shed it. Let them burn at the stake. I will gladly gather up their ashes and float them down on the bosom of the river. Most cheerfully I will accord them the honor, and write somewhere with my own hand their epitaph, that they died ‘martyrs.’”
When my turn came, I spoke of the sacred rights of conscience, of how these rights had been trampled upon by the nations of the past, and of how sacredly the fundamental laws of this republic protected these rights—that this was the pride of American patriotism and ideas. I then referred to the ex-senator’s attack, as follows: “Gentlemen, the ex-senator said in your presence here to-day that the minority are not entitled to the rights of conscience, thus giving to the majority in religious matters a legitimate right to trample under their feet the consciences of the minority; moreover, that he would delight to see me and the small sect that I represent burn at the stake, and to float our ashes down the river. Gentlemen, that man is guilty of all the righteous blood that has been shed from Abel down to the present generation. If he is right, then the Jews and the Romans were perfectly justified in putting Christ to death. If he is right, then the millions of martyrs of the medieval times deserved to be put to death; then the Mohammedans, who outnumber the Christians by two hundred thousand, would be perfectly justified in slaying all Sunday observers because they do not keep Friday for Sunday. He also said that we were unpatriotic because we were opposed to existing laws. But, gentlemen, did you ever hear a more unpatriotic, un-American, and unchristian statement come from an American citizen than the ex-senator allowed to come from his lips? I think it was an awful statement to make in the presence of a lawmaking body. He wishes me and my people harm because we dare to be true to our consciences. I do not wish him nor any one any personal harm; yet I do say that a man who will step before a lawmaking body and utter language that is so unpatriotic, so utterly subversive of the fundamental laws upon which our American institutions and government are founded, so utterly hostile to the American idea of civil and religious liberty to all its subjects alike; I repeat, I wish him no personal harm; but such a man ought to weep and repent in sackcloth and ashes until the public feel justified in forgiving such an unkind and unpatriotic expression.” The audience applauded till the chairman called for order.
There were four ministers who spoke in favor of the bill. It was amusing to listen to their flimsy arguments. They had nothing new in stock, and so they repeated the same old arguments. They told how hard it was to get away from the old tradition of the New England sanctity of the sabbath, and how the Lord was sending judgments upon the violators of Sunday by causing many more accidents to happen on Sunday than on any other day. They told how the very best and most religious people of Maine would be grossly offended if they did not pass this proposed law, and how they would incur God’s displeasure.
One of the senators opened the opposition to the bill. He made a very able speech against all Sunday legislation, showing plainly that it was an infringement upon the consciences of the Seventh-day Adventists and others, and that it was a heathen institution which they were grafting by law upon the Christian religion. He gave a brief history of the Sunday laws from the days of Constantin[e]. He told them that it was not the right Sabbath day; that the right day was the seventh and not the first. After he had finished his address, he said, “I do not know why I said what I have said.” He stated that he helped to defeat a Sunday bill two years ago, when it was referred to the judiciary committee, of which he was a member, and he did not know why one should be brought forward again.
Mr. Franklin D. Cummings, of Portland, a staunch friend and champion of religious liberty, made a very able speech against the bill on constitutional grounds. I followed him, and spoke for about an hour. They asked me many questions, and the Lord certainly did help me in speaking and in answering their questions. I do not remember when I had greater freedom and power in speaking. I spoke on the fundamental principles, the historical evidences, and the present-day workings of the Sunday laws, and held their attention for an hour.
Brother Howe and I sat up the night before, drawing up the Memorial, which Brother Howe read and presented to the committee. It seemed to make a good impression.
The bill was further opposed by Elder Hersum and Brother Whitney. When the time came for the rebuttal, there was not a voice raised against us. They were completely silenced, or were afraid that more truth would be developed when our time would come to put in our rebuttal.
No doubt you will be interested in the questions they asked me. The Lord helped me in answering the questions without any hesitation, and the answers seemed to convince them that my positions were sound. The following questions came in quick succession:—
Would you favor some other day? Do you claim that the legislature has no right to compel you to rest on any day? Do you believe in no law at all in behalf of Sunday observance? Do you not believe the majority ought to rule? Do you not believe that improper conduct ought to be punished on Sunday? Do you not believe that the courts have the province to define what a crime is? Would you favor this bill if its title was changed? How would you word the bill in order to make it proper for legislation? Would not an exemption clause meet your desires? Are you aware of the fact that far more stringent laws are already on the statute-books? Why do you argue against a milder form of law then? What do you think we ought to do with the present Sunday laws on the books? Do you not believe in obeying existing laws? Do you believe the people of Maine are dangerous? Do you believe in the ten commandments? Do you believe that it is proper to legislate upon stealing? Why is it proper to legislate on one commandment and not upon another? Is not stealing a sin against God also? In which States did you say that the supreme courts repealed the Sunday laws? What do you think would be the moral effect upon the community if all the Sunday laws should be abolished?
After the hearing, four members of the committee told me that they had been in favor of the bill, but were now opposed to it. Nearly all the members of the committee told me that they had enjoyed the hearing, and appreciated the good points that had been made in opposition to the bill. The senator who asked me nearly all the questions came to me after the hearing and told me that he did not want me to think he was hostile to me because he asked the questions he did; but that he wanted me to canvass the whole subject, and desired to draw out all the information he could. He said, “It is information that we are after.” The chairman of the committee told me that he was almost certain that the bill would die in the committee.
I feel that the Lord gave us this opportunity of presenting the truth to this legislative body in an effectual way, and I am confident that some good will result from this besides the mere defeat of another Sunday bill.
J. A. P. GREEN
By J. A. P. Green
Mexico
I HAD a good time while at Salina Cruz. I never saw young men more determined to give this message than the two Indian lads there. They committed their canvasses very rapidly, learning them while I read them aloud. I was glad of this, as it gave me more time for hard, practical work. I had them canvass each other, some, of the church-members, and myself, correcting any mistakes. Brother Marchisio translated. I gave them instruction for three days; then I took them out into the field, and worked with them several days. [Brother Green is the general agent for Mexico.] The first few days they did very well. Last week's report was rather small. However, they mentioned in their letter, that though their report was small, they were not discouraged. That sounds good.
We never could live as they do while going through the country. Before I left them, they brought me to their sleeping quarters for that night—a dark old hut, with nothing but an earth floor for a mattress. When I left them to go to Merida, they embraced me, and gave me several pats on the back. I did likewise. Then we shook hands heartily. This is the custom in many parts of Mexico.
These coast towns are good territory for the canvasser. I worked about nine hours, and sold all the literature I had, about forty-eight dollars' worth.
From Salina Cruz I went by land and sea to Merida. I lived the simple life on the way, traveling second- and third-class on the railroad. You can have no conception of what this is, unless you see it yourself. I stretched out on the hard boards for my night's rest. I prepared my own meals the most of the time, on an alcohol stove. It is impossible to be a vegetarian here unless one prepares food for himself. When I reached Merida, I was almost19worn out. It was about 6:30 P. M. From the station Brother Marchisio had a peon bring our baggage to a third-class hotel. When I saw my room for the night, I hardly dared to express my thoughts. O, how dark things were! We climbed up a ladder to get to the room—a room without even a lamp. There was a hard-looking cot. It looked filthy in the dark. Brother Marchisio asked, “Can you stand this for a while?” I said, “Yes,” but deep down in my heart I thought differently. I could see the pleasant, sunshiny room, and good bed, with clean linen, which I once enjoyed. But as I thought of my Saviour, who had no place to lay his head, my heart filled with joy that I was carrying the third angel’s message. I do not altogether approve of our workers’ enduring so many hardships, when for just a little more they could get better quarters. I believe their courage would hold out much longer if they would sacrifice in some other way, and get a better bed to sleep in. However, the paper work is hard, with small returns. One must sell much to do anything. I think the book men can do much better.
Merida is a beautiful city. The people are progressive, very kind, and very rich. Yucatan is the richest state in the republic. The Lord has wonderfully blessed my feeble efforts in this place. The first three days I took orders to the amount of seventy dollars a day. I canvassed the business men, and sold nearly every one of them a copy of “The Coming King.” This would be a fine city for missionary work. Some one must come here.