Earlier text: The Fiji IslandsEducational Days
By W. E. H.
The devotion of a day to the presentation of some special feature of our work is becoming an effective means of riveting the attention of the people in our churches upon what is being done in that line, and why, and what more needs to be done. The people desire to know, and have a right to know, what is being done. The leaders in a given work cannot achieve the highest success without keeping the people in an intelligent and sympathetic state of mind. The gospel is essentially democratic in principle, and its advancement calls for the best efforts of all the people all the time. Two educational days were observed in November, one in all the churches of southern California, and one in the church at South Lancaster, Mass., both chiefly in the interests of church-school work. In California, the program and all the material used in it were manifolded and sent to all the churches. One feature was a paper by Prof. H. G. Lucas on “Secondary Education.” He said: “When the young man or woman has finished church-school work at home, the round of education is not complete. Parents should plan, even at a sacrifice, to continue the education in a higher school, of not only one child, but of all the children, for we do not know which one the Lord will choose for a place in his work. He is almost sure to choose one whom we should not select, as in the case of David.” Another feature was a paper on “Our Church-Schools,” by Supt. I. C. Colcord. Among several good things, he said: “God first established an ideal school where the ‘garden of Eden’ was the schoolroom, nature was the lesson book, and the Creator himself was the instructor, and the parents of the human family were the students.” While that was then and not now, God has it in mind, as indicated through his Spirit, for this people to have schools where the Bible is the chief text-book, and where the children are to be instructed in the special truths for this time. How essential it is, then, to start right. As Mr. Roosevelt has said, ‘If you expect to do anything for the average man, you must do it before he is a man.’ Froebel says, ‘At three the boy’s religious nature should be so far developed that he can compose himself at prayers.’ Some effects of the worldly system of education upon the Christian child are:— “1. Seeds of doubt and unbelief are sown in the heart. “2. Sin loses its exceeding sinfulness. “3. Lessons of disobedience are learned. “4. Respect for the Word of God is lost. “5. Spiritual powers are dwarfed. “6. Ambition is aroused to engage in worldly pursuits. “7. It unfits the student to receive the message for this time. “8. Ultimately it will result in the loss of our sons and daughters to the cause of God.” Another topic was, “Support of Our Church-Schools,” prepared by Pastor J. M. Burg: “We need a thorough conversion or awakening to the church-school idea; or, may I say, to the value of Christian education. If God has ever spoken to Seventh-day Adventists relative to the importance of anything that calls for our enthusiastic support, he has emphasized the importance of this movement in the interests of our children. If you have not studied the Testimonies to know what God has said to us on this question, or have not studied into the principles that characterize this Christian-school idea till you are possessed of a burning conviction that such provision for our children is absolutely indispensable, you are not a reliable supporter of church-schools. If you are of this strong conviction, I may be sure that you will send your children to the church-school instead of to the schools of the world, and that you will not allow an ambition to reach the world’s standards to rob your children of the lifelong blessings that the seed sowing in our schools may bring to them. “Then pray for your children and for the teacher. Don’t forget what a sacred trust the teacher has in working for your children. He has them a large part of each week; and no teacher can successfully meet such a responsibility as this, with so many little ones from so many homes, without the help that God gives in answer to prayer. And he needs the support that comes from knowing that you are praying daily for him, and that he has your fullest cooperation. He may find it necessary to discipline your boy or your girl. It would be unusual if some necessity like this did not arise at times. Will you support the teacher in this unpleasant experience? You will if you are wise. Indeed, I may suggest that a discreet teacher will keep close to parents and guardians in dealing with their little ones; and if the parent is as thoughtful as he, there will be little danger of friction between them. If, after all, in your judgment the teacher makes a mistake, advise with him kindly and seek to help him. Do not, above all things, take a course so indiscreet and thoughtless as to suggest a question, or even sustain a question already existing in the mind of the child, relative to the teacher’s motive, his ability, his sincerity, or anything else that would lessen the prestige he must have to make a success of his work. Parents, visit your school and come in close contact with the teacher. You cannot know what is being done by mere hearsay, either from children’s reports or from the word of others. Form your own opinion, and in a way that you may be sure it will stand the test; then be very discreet what use you make of it. “Now I must say a word about financial support. Your teacher should have it. He needs it, and is no less worthy of it than any other spiritual worker. And we shall never adequately support our church-schools until the teachers no longer have to face a question relative to their salaries—whether or not they will be paid regularly what they have earned. The first responsibility in this falls naturally and unavoidably upon the parent who is sending his child to the school. And the parent should never expect help nor accept it till he has done his best. After this, it must be granted. In some cases help will have to be supplied if the parent is to keep his little ones in school. Where, in such cases, shall it come from?—Naturally, from the church, if possible; or at least till the church has done its very best to supply help where help is needed. And then, we shall grant, also, that in the case of some churches, help will have to come from some source if their school lives. However, it should be emphasized that no church should expect assistance nor receive it until it has done all it possibly can do. Every member of such a church, whether or not he has children in school, should be interested in the church enterprise and should help freely. Where is the church to get its help after having lifted all it can? Clearly, here comes the duty of the conference to relieve the situation and not allow a school to die. This is disastrous to both the church and the children. What recourse then has the conference to help in these needy cases?—Clearly enough, all the people. Those individuals who have done all they can and have been helped themselves, may not be called upon to help others. But the larger percentage of the church-members are sufficiently blessed with possessions to be able to help the less fortunate ones. And quite a number are able to help liberally. So appeals will have to be made in all the churches for an offering to create what may be called an ‘emergency fund’ to be applied wherever assistance must be given to save a school from closing its doors.” The strong appeal in Brother Burg’s plan is that no school should be allowed to die, and no child in the church should be left without the full privileges of the school. Every adult member of the church is spiritually responsible for every child in the church, whether that child is his own in the flesh or another’s. Following the exercises, the offering of the day was taken up, to replenish the church-school emergency fund. Recently chosen educational superintendent of the Massachusetts Conference, Mrs. H. E. Osborne entered upon her work, in the orthodox way at Jerusalem, by giving an educational program in the South Lancaster church. The readings were printed in a neat folder including the entire program, and covered these topics: “Separation From the World,” “Source of Recruits,” “Our Line of Advance,” “The Children Have Been Neglected.” Pastor K. C. Russell and Prof. B. F. MacLachlan assisted. The exercises closed with the audience “still interested,” as shown in part by contributions amounting to $23, to be applied on the conference church-school fund. Notice to Church-School Teachers
By W. E. H.
THE recently proposed plan for Junior Volunteers in our church-schools to sell single copies of our educational journal in the vicinity, has worked so well that the publishers were not able to fill all the orders that came in for the October and November numbers. An extra number of the December issue, now ready, has been printed so that all can be supplied. If you will try this plan in real earnest, you can soon work up a regular list of buyers each month. This will result in17 working more educational leaven into the homes, and will aid much in raising funds for missionary or library purposes. Do not fear to invest a little in this work, it will yield a hundred per cent profit, and be an invaluable experience to the children. Place your orders with the local church librarian or with the conference tract society. W. E. H. J. L. SHAW . . . . . General Secretary
W. E. HOWELL . . . . . N. Am. Div. Asst. Secretary Looking After the Finances
Duties of the Church Missionary Secretary—No. 3
Looking After the Finances
It is the duty of the missionary secretary to keep the accounts of the business passing through his hands, and much of the financial prosperity of the society depends upon the way in which this is done. If no careful record is kept of the amounts owing by the members for the Signs and other periodicals, and of the books ordered by them, they are likely to be forgotten, and the burden of paying for them will be left upon the church. No church will run into debt if its missionary secretary brings these matters before the members promptly. If a member should leave the church with an account unpaid, the missionary secretary should bring the matter before the church, and steps should be taken to provide for the debt, that the church may not be burdened nor the tract society suffer loss. Such cases will be rare if the accounts are promptly collected. Orders to the Tract Society
In no cases should orders to the tract society secretary be embodied in letters. A duplicate order-book should be used, so that the missionary secretary will have a copy of each order. Be sure to fill out every order properly. It is very perplexing to receive an order to which no name is attached. In ordering books be sure to designate the binding desired, if there is more than one. Remember that legible penmanship is more desirable than ornamental letters, and strive to make the order plain. Many persons care but little for receipts, but some by sad experience have been taught their value. It often happens that failure to produce a receipt means that the money must be paid again. Receipts then become as valuable as cash. It does not do to place too much confidence in human nature. Forgetfulness is common to all, and business principles always call for business methods. The stub of the receipt-book enables one at any time to see just how much money has been receipted, and from whom received, and often saves much trouble. Quarterly Business Meeting
At the close of each quarter the church should hold a business meeting, at which reports of all branches of the work should be presented in order that the members may be intelligent concerning the standing and progress of the church. At this meeting a statement of the financial standing of the society should be read. With this should also be given a report of the missionary work done during the past quarter. This will inspire confidence in the work of the missionary secretary and in the society itself. It will also awaken a deeper interest. The amounts paid out, with the cash in hand, should equal the receipts for the quarter. Anything the society owes is a liability. An asset is anything the society has on hand which is of value, and all accounts due to it. If the assets exceed the liabilities, the difference is the present worth. If the liabilities exceed the assets, the difference shows the amount of indebtedness. The missionary secretary should always strive to have the assets cover the liabilities, and if possible have no liabilities. If possible, train the church to do business upon a cash basis. The credit system is unsatisfactory and discouraging to every one. It always gives courage to the members to know that the society has a credit with the conference tract society. This cannot be unless the members pay promptly for goods ordered. Some missionary societies go to an extreme in this matter, and cripple the work by refraining from ordering tracts for the members to use, in order that the collections may accumulate so as to show a large credit balance. To keep every one at work, and at the same time keep all bills paid, is the most satisfactory policy. Members should be educated to pay cash with order for all goods for their own use; but in cases where books are taken to be sold, the profits to go to some phase of missionary work, the members cannot always be expected to pay cash for the books obtained. When individuals cannot pay, the missionary secretary should enter in a notebook the name of the person taking the books and the number taken. The member taking them should sign his name to the entry, with the understanding that as soon as the books are sold, the money is to be paid for them, and that he is responsible either to pay for the books signed for or to return them in good condition. The responsibility of liberality rests upon the society as a whole. Upon the missionary secretary the burden of having regular collections taken from the church and from individuals must rest. If those who owe the society for periodicals or books do not pay promptly, they should be visited at their homes and talked with concerning the work. Patient kindness and the love of God in the heart will do more than harsh, reproachful words. People do not like to be dunned for money, but they will, as a general rule, listen to gentle, candid reasoning; and if their interest is awakened1226 in the work, they will feel the burden of its support. If efforts are made, many donations, aside from the regular offerings from the church, may be secured. The isolated members will respond if kindly asked and instructed by letter. Many of them will feel it a privilege to contribute of their means. There is a profit to be made by taking orders for books. On books sold to church-members there is a discount allowed by the tract society. Some missionary secretaries make the mistake of giving the whole of the discount to the individual who makes the purchase. This is an injustice to the tract society, and a poor plan financially. Systematic, persevering efforts in connection with well-laid plans, will give any local society a business management with which it may well be pleased. 1. Tract work:—
a. The package system.
b. The Signs of the Times leaflet package.
c. Mailing literature.
d. Reading-racks.
e. Miscellaneous distribution.
f. Lending or giving to tradesmen and others who call.
2. Periodical work:—
a. Taking subscriptions.
b. Selling from door to door.
c. Selling on streets and in stores on Saturday nights.
d. Placing in racks, depots, and other prominent places.
e. Posting regularly to libraries and reading-rooms.
f. Mailing in connection with missionary correspondence, and to friends and relatives.
g. Taking to hospitals, deaf-and-dumb asylums, and other benevolent institutions, and also to ships.
h. Selling or giving to tradesmen and others who call.
3. Work with our books:—
a. Selling.
b. Lending.
4. Missionary correspondence:—
a. To relatives and friends.
b. To persons whose names will be supplied by the tract society.
5. Christian Help work:—
a. Giving simple treatments.
b. Helping the poor, and teaching them how to help themselves.
c. Dorcas work.
d. Visiting hospitals and sick neighbors, taking papers, texts, and flowers.
e. Collecting for literature for the blind.
6. Holding Bible readings and cottage meetings:—
a. In your own home.
b. Among neighbors and friends who manifest an interest in the tracts and papers circulated.
7. Earning money for missions:—
a. Selling papers and small books and giving the profits.
b. Making missionary gardens.
c. Keeping missionary hens and bees.
d. Doing plain sewing, making articles of fancy work or useful articles of any sort, earning money by any kind of work, etc.
e. Collecting for missions. HOME MISSIONARY DEPARTMENT. Extracts From Letters
By W. R. French
THE following extracts from my mail will serve to show how the message is winning its way among the millions of India, and may encourage those who by their means are supporting the work in this field. While not expressed in the best English, the communications will enable the readers to enter more fully into the feelings of the correspondents. “DEAR SIR: By the mercy of God our Father and his Son our Saviour, we are steadfast in the doctrine of Sabbath-keeping which you have taught us, and now we are desirous of receiving further instruction. With honest heart I have given a parcel of land for the work of the Master. Now, dear sir, we sincerely request that you will not forget the work begun in Rahjara, but will kindly open a school here where our children may receive instruction. For school purposes, we can give a small house.” “DEAR BROTHER FRENCH: After many days, I am obliged to write a few lines to you. I thank my Lord that by his mercy I am recovered from my illness now. I gladly inform you that news and letters came to me day by day from all directions of this field. People very much desire to accept our truths. One of my inquirers of Dinaj Dinajpur, who is a Mohammedan moolvee [priest], wrote me many letters all along. He is very much willing to embrace our religion with his whole family. This man one day got instructed from me when I was in Calcutta. He took one copy of the Bengali Signs of the Times from me that very day. Then after some months he wrote one letter to me at Calcutta. Then few months after again he wrote and addressed me here. I also answered him regularly and sent him our books and tracts. Now he fixed his mind to be a Christian with his whole family. Brother French, what can be done for this family?” “DEAR BROTHER FRENCH: At last our request is this: We, the following persons, understood plainly by the teachings of the Bible that rebaptism is quite necessary for us as we committed sin by breaking the law of God all along. Purna Babu also gave us instruction about baptism, so that we understood fully that rebaptism is necessary for us. Therefore when you will come down here, we want to get baptism then. Hope in time you will fulfil our good intention and oblige.” This request was signed by five men of one village. These are only a few of the interesting extracts from letters which serve to keep the missionary going in the face of discouragements. Pray for the work in this part of God’s vineyard. Publishing Department
By N. Z. Town; W. W. Eastman
N. Z. Town - - - General Secretary W. W. EASTMAN - - - N. Am. Div. Secretary BROTHER W. E. PERRIN, manager of our publishing work in the India mission field, writes as follows:— “Our work this year has been very much better than ever before, and we are pleased to report a small net gain. For the first time my wages have been paid by the printing department, and it was really a surprise to learn that we had more than come out even. The real explanation lies in the fact that we have had something to do. With continually increasing work, we should be able to do even better in the future. We are now printing six papers: Eastern Tidings, Oriental Watchman, Herald of Health, Yuga Lakshan, Nishanat-i-quiyamat, and Kalugi ke Chink. “We feel very grateful for the good results so far this year, and for the commodious quarters in which to carry on our work. Those who have not seen both our old quarters and our new cannot understand how great is the improvement. We appreciate the sacrifices of our brethren and sisters in the home land which have made possible this new place.” Another Widow’s Mite
By E. M. Graham
The following interesting incident is reported to us by Mrs. Geo. L. Sterling:— “Papa is a poor widow whose husband has been dead for several years. She lives on Aitutaki, Cook Islands, in a house covered with corrugated iron, both roof and sides, which leaks badly when it rains, and is very hot when the sun shines down upon it. She is a sickly woman in her old age, having frequent attacks of elephantiasis; but she has a kind heart, and is always willing to lend a hand to any one in time of need. She has three adopted children,—Pipi, about fifteen years of age, Edward, about eight years, and baby Ruth. By this you will better understand her circumstances. “She came down here to cook food this Friday morning, the family here being busy packing oranges. I went back to the cook-house where she was preparing some green bananas to cook, and that was where we had our conversation. “It was decided that the men among our converts here should each give two cases of oranges, to be shipped by the steamer to Auckland to be sold for our church fund. Papa heard about this, and she with her three children, after talking it over, went to the bush where the orange-trees grow and picked a box of oranges to be sold for the benefit of this same fund. One of the native brethren criticized her, saying that this work was for the heads of families; she was a poor widow and ought not to have part in it. She said that it was for the church, and it was God’s work, and she did not want to be left out. She said that her whole heart was in this work. She remembers the time when she kept the true Sabbath of God. When the Sabbath was changed throughout these islands, she followed the others in keeping Sunday; but when God’s servants came teaching the truth and keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, she was one of the first to obey. She said that the greatest desire of her heart was to see this third angel’s message grow. “Some time ago she received eleven shillings. Four she gave to her daughter Pipi, and four shillings to Edward, leaving three shillings for herself. She said she did not want to be selfish and spend it upon herself, but that something within her said, Give it to the Lord, put it in the church fund. She spoke of it to one or two of the other Sabbath-keepers, but they rather discouraged her, because she was poor; but she said this only made the desire stronger. Immediately she went to her house, took the money from her box, and brought it all to Mr. Sterling to apply on the church fund. She said that as long as she had two dresses, one for work and one for church, she had sufficient, and that she was not seeking the things of this world, which will perish with it. I told her that the Lord would surely bless her for her love for his work. I repeated the words in Ps. 37 : 25: ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.’” It is impossible to read of this poor widow’s love for the cause of God and her willingness to sacrifice for it, without wondering if we who have so many privileges love the Lord as she does. We say we do, and perhaps think we do, but after all, it is our actions that tell whether we do or not. There are other Sabbath-keepers just as faithful and self-sacrificing as this widow; but if all were so, this work would very soon be finished. Brethren and sisters, I long to enter my eternal home, and I believe you do, too; but we can never do so until we unite in working for it, for there is a world to be warned first, and much of this work still remains to be done. Shall we not arise, shake off our love of ease, and make the final earnest, united effort that is needed to finish the work?
E. M. Graham. The Pan-American Mass
By C. S. L.
NOTHING has happened for some time that has so stirred the religious world and provoked religious controversy as has the announcement in the Catholic press and in the Pan-American official bulletin that the Pan-American Thanksgiving mass, celebrated in St. Patrick’s Church, Washington, D. C., was to be henceforth “a permanent institution,” and was now recognized as the “official celebration of Thanksgiving day.” As soon as it was announced that President Wilson had accepted the invitation to attend the Pan-American Thanksgiving mass this year, the newspapers were filled with protests from the Protestant churches and the patriotic societies of Washington, D. C. The American Federation of Patriotic Societies, of Washington, D. C., first entered protest by sending to President Wilson a letter, reading in part as follows, and resolution: “WASHINGTON, D. C.,
“Thursday, Nov. 6, 1913.
“To his Excellency Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States.
“SIR: We beg the privilege of calling your attention to a custom in connection with Thanksgiving-day services in the District of Columbia, from which we trust you will feel free to depart.
“During former-President Taft’s administration the local Roman Catholic hierarchy inaugurated a service to which were invited the representatives of Latin-American republics, the President of the United States, his Cabinet, and other national officials, the occasion being styled ‘the Pan-American Thanksgiving mass.’ These services have been held in the St. Patrick’s Church, located at Tenth and G Streets, N. W.
“As you well know, the Thanksgiving-day service is distinctly an American feature, originating with our Protestant colonial forefathers of New England. It is also needless to say to you that the Latin-American republics bear only a political and not a religious relationship with this republic. In our judgment the Pan-American mass occasion was evidently designed to bring to the feet of the Roman hierarchy the leaders of our American republic. And we believe, with all due respect, that the formal invitation hitherto extended to the President of the United States to attend the said Pan-American mass has been official, and doubtless the Roman hierarchy1227 feel that in accepting the invitation and attending the said mass, the President of the United States relates himself to those occasions in an official way.
“‘We respectfully submit this question: Do you believe that for the President of the United States to contribute to this function in this way is in harmony with the principles upon which this government was founded? And, further, while in no wise would we dictate to you in this matter, do you not think it wise, under all the circumstances, to depart from the custom of your immediate predecessors respecting the function mentioned?
“‘With assurances of esteem and best wishes,’ etc.” The following resolution was passed by the American Federation of Patriotic Societies, Saturday evening, Nov. 1, 1913:—
“Whereas, The Thanksgiving proclamation of the President of the United States has been issued in accordance with the time-honored custom, and,—
“Whereas, This custom is an American feature handed down by the fathers of the republic, and,—
“Whereas, The Roman Catholic hierarchy of the District of Columbia has for several years conducted a service on that day, making the said service officially partizan and religious, inviting thereto the ambassadors and ministers of the Latin-American republics resident in Washington, together with the President of the United States and his Cabinet, therefore,—
“Resolved, That the American Federation of Patriotic Societies respectfully tender to President Wilson this resolution as a protest against his following the custom of former-President Taft, who attended these functions officially with his Cabinet.” There was also enclosed the following quotation, to prove that it was regarded as an official affair:—
“The Pan-American Mass at Washington, D. C.
“With the usual impressiveness and solemnity, the Pan-American mass, which has now become a prominent feature in the program of Thanksgiving day at the nation’s capital, was duly celebrated at St. Patrick’s Church, on Thursday, Nov. 28, 1912. This makes the fourth successive year that the Thanksgiving service at St. Patrick’s Church has been consecrated to Pan-America. The ready and appreciative response which has come from the diplomatic representatives of the Americas, as well as from the high officials and dignitaries of the United States, has made these exercises particularly notable, while the dignified and official character which the occasion has now assumed renders them unusually effective and inspiring.”—Bulletin of the Pan-American Union, par. 1, page 1158, issue dated December, 1912. Immediately following this came the resolutions which were passed by the Ministerial Association of the Protestant churches of Washington, D. C. The protest was published in the newspapers. It is as follows:—
“For the last three or four years there has been celebrated in St. Patrick’s Church, in this city, on Thanksgiving day, a solemn high mass, at which the President of the United States and some members of his Cabinet, the Chief Justice and several other justices of the Supreme Court, with a number of senators and members of Congress, have attended as the guests of honor.
“This service is now called in the public press ‘the official celebration of Thanksgiving day,’ and is described in the Bulletin of the Pan-American Union as having an ‘official’ character, and every effort is made by the Roman hierarchy to give this Roman mass the color of an official function—as if it were generally recognized as a national service, and as if the President and his Cabinet by their presence wished it to be so recognized (which we are sure is not the case).
“One of the organs of the Roman Catholic press (the Catholic Citizen of Milwaukee) states that ‘the Pan-American Thanksgiving-day high mass is now a permanent institution at the national capital;’ and says further, ‘One day in the year in which the bountiful Giver of all good things is acknowledged by the nation, as a nation, this expression of gratitude is made in a Catholic church, around a Catholic altar, by means of the one Catholic worship that is worthy of God, the sacrifice of the mass.’” “The attendance of our chief magistrate and members of his Cabinet not once, but year after year, for four or five years, has been made use of to give color to the Roman claim that this service is now the official celebration of Thanksgiving day in our national capital.
“This fact has been understood, both in the United States and in foreign countries, to give the Roman Catholic Church a prestige and a preeminence over all other churches, and has even been believed by people in Brazil and in Italy to show that America is not a Protestant, but a Roman Catholic country.
“We protest against the presumption of the Roman Catholic press in putting forward the claims that the Roman mass is ‘the official celebration of Thanksgiving day’ in the capital of the republic.
“We protest against the attempt to convert our national Thanksgiving day into a Roman Catholic festival, in a service entirely out of harmony with the history and the genius of our country and the spirit and purpose of the day.
“We desire to give voice to the widespread feeling of indignation among the millions of Protestants in America against the efforts of the Roman press and the Roman hierarchy to exploit the attendance of our chief magistrate and some of his Cabinet (which we are convinced has been intended only as an act of courtesy and good will) for the purpose of glorifying the Roman Catholic Church and giving this service an official character, which it does not and cannot possess.”—Herald (Washington, D. C.), Nov. 29, 1913. On the heels of this came thousands of protests from Protestant churches and religious and patriotic societies from all sections of the country. It was reported that three large mail-bags of protests arrived at the White House the day before the President went to the mass. The President refrained from any statement concerning the question, and attended the mass. The Catholic clergy are jubilant over the affair, and regard it as a sweeping triumph over their enemies, whom Monsignor Russell, the pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, compared to a “peanut” trying to “impede an automobile.” But the affair is far from being settled. President Wilson has been severely criticized by some of the ministers of his own (the Presbyterian) church, because he did not attend the Thanksgiving service in his own church, in harmony with his exhortation to all the people to repair to their own appointed places of worship on Thanksgiving day. This affair has done much to increase the high tension of feeling between the opposing religious and political factions in this country. The lines of demarcation are being drawn clearer and stronger. To the student of prophecy, these evidences of coming events are very portentous, while to the casual observer they seem only fortuitous. Religious Liberty Department
By C. S. Longacre
C. S. LONGACRE N. Am. Div. Secretary THE sixth graduation of the Hinsdale (Ill.) Sanitarium Missionary School took place on the evening of November 3, when a class of ten members closed their school work. Some of these have already distinguished themselves as burden-bearers while taking their course, by carrying responsibility and by faithful and successful service. It is expected that every member will engage in active work. Elder Meade MacGuire gave the address. The Walla Walla (Wash.) Sanitarium is reported as still full to its utmost capacity, with a number of patients planning to stay some time. A favorable attitude is shown by the guests toward the spiritual work, which is being carried forward strongly. The management finds that giving much attention to the spiritual interests of the institution is accompanied by financial prosperity, the last month being the best in its history. Two paragraphs are here given from the sanitarium’s news items:— “We think it might be of interest to all the friends of the sanitarium to know that in the past three months, besides paying all running expenses, we have been enabled to pay off two thousand dollars of the debt that has been pressing on us so heavily. Much of this was at eight per cent interest. We feel that this awful burden of debt is what is hindering the work, and we shall be indeed glad when it is all wiped out. The first object of the sanitarium family is to keep the spiritual side up to the standard; the second object is to wipe out the debt. We appreciate the hearty cooperation and enthusiastic words of appreciation and encouragement we receive. “We find that the plan of keeping all the members of the conference in close touch with all that is going on in the sanitarium works most excellently, and when they know what is being done, and that what is done represents the cause rightly, they are more than willing to give it their support. This is as it should be, because the sanitarium belongs to the Adventist people as a whole. The fact1228 that in the past few months quite a large number not of our faith have become interested in the message, and some have actually taken their stand for the truth, inspires us to more active endeavor. It is the aim of the management and family of the sanitarium to make every Seventh-day Adventist feel that he has a direct and personal interest in the institution, and to cause all to feel that things are so conducted here that when any one speaks a good word for the institution, lends it aid in any way, or sends a patient to it, he can feel he is doing direct missionary work, and know that only a favorable impression for the truth will be made. We find that a general interest is being aroused throughout the conference, which is manifested to us in a very practical way.” Medical Missionary Department
W. A. RUBLE, M. D. — General Secretary L. A. HANSEN — Assistant Secretary H. W. MILLER, M. D. — N. Am. Div. Secretary