p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 35. (9/3/1896)

Earlier text: The Story of PITCAIRN ISLAND

Opening of Healdsburg College

The opening of Healdsburg College will take place September 23. Let those who expect to attend or to send students take note of this. The school will be preceded by a faculty institute for a week or ten days, in which the school work will be carefully and prayerfully considered by the trustees and faculty.

California Conference Calls for Fasting and Prayer

CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE has appointed Sabbath, September 19, as a day of fasting and prayer. This fast is voluntary, and it is hoped that it will be kept after the instruction which God has given in his holy word (Joel 2:12-18; Isa. 58:3-11; Matt. 6:17, 18), and that all who take part in it may reap the fruition of God's precious promises. It is not popular to fast in these days; it never will be; but the Bridegroom is yet absent, and his people still fast. See Matt. 9:15.

Bicycle Use and Abuse

DURING the month of July, 1895, 30,018 bicycles entered the Fairmont Park, Philadelphia, during the hours that the park guards were on duty. During the same month and same hours this year there entered 136,553 bicycles. How long before all the world will be on wheels? The bicycle is a good thing, but it is greatly abused. Not a few persons are squandering both money and health in excessive riding and wrong methods of riding, when the wheel might be a blessing. But it is thus with all good things. Selfishness makes a curse of what might be a blessing.

A Bird’s-Eye View of the Progress of Our Work

The Review and Herald of August 18 contains an interesting and instructive illustrated article by the senior editor, entitled, “A Bird’s-eye View of the Progress of Our Work.” It shows in a graphic manner how God has wrought through this people. Illustrations are given of the central publishing house, at Battle Creek, Mich., Pacific Press, Battle Creek College, Union College, near Lincoln, Neb., Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Mich., and the missionary ship Pitcairn. The Review is always of interest, but the issue above referred to is of special interest, with its extra four pages of matter. May the Lord make it to prosper more and more.

SENSIBLE LOS ANGELES.

By Editor

For some time Los Angeles councilmen have been wrestling with a proposed Sunday-closing ordinance, forced upon the council ostensibly and partially in the interest of certain clerks, but really and largely in the supposed interests of religion. The ordinance proposed, introduced by Councilman Munson, reads as follows:—

“Sunday is hereby prescribed a day of rest in the city of Los Angeles, and every person who keeps open, or causes to be kept open, on Sunday any dry goods store, clothing store, general merchandise store, hat store, meat market, grocery store, hardware store, boot and shoe store, barber shop, jewelry store, for the purpose of transacting business therein, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $50, or by imprisonment in the city jail for a term not exceeding fifty days, or may suffer both such fine and imprisonment.”

President of the Council Mr. Leed offered the following amendment, which passed:—

“This law shall not apply to Seventh-day Adventists or any other denomination of people who regularly close their place of business and keep the same closed upon some other day of the week.”

After this bicycle renters were excepted, as were also public light, water, telegraph, and telephone companies. Drug stores, restaurants, and hotels were prohibited selling soda water or cigars. After all this painstaking, this typical Sunday ordinance was, to the surprise of its friends, defeated. The good sense of the majority of the council asserted itself. This ought to be the fate of all such class, religious, and special legislation. We congratulate Los Angeles. May she continue so to walk and prosper.

WHAT OUR READERS MAY EXPECT.

By Editor

Some time ago (June 25) we promised a series of articles from the pen of Elder A. T. Jones, author of the “Two Republics,” “Rights of the People,” etc., “on the present phase and progress of the church and state movement, so rapidly reaching the culminating point.” What the title of these articles will be, or how many there will be, we do not know, as they are not yet in hand, but we expect them soon, as they were promised by the writer. We are sure they will be of vital interest.

The Great Conflict of the Ages is the conflict between righteousness and sin, personified by Christ, the manifestation of the righteousness of God, and Satan, the great adversary. There is no book in the Bible in which these things are more graphically set forth than in the Revelation. We expect soon to begin a series of articles touching on some of the great phases of this interesting and vital subject as portrayed by the prophetic pen. We are sure that these articles will be of profound interest to many.

Articles on United States History.—The SIGNS OF THE TIMES will soon begin an interesting, readable series of articles on United States History, by Prof. Charles Morris, author of several works of an historical nature, especially with reference to the history of this country. In conjunction with these articles, the most of which will be illustrated, will be given interesting side lights, showing the hand of Providence in the molding of the great western republic. We will let these articles speak for themselves.

In addition to the above there will be the intensely practical and profitable articles by Mrs. E. G. White on the various phases of vital godliness and Christian life, articles on the Sabbath, the sanctuary, the coming of the Lord, etc., worth many times the price of the paper. Now is the time to subscribe, if you are not a subscriber; to renew, if your subscription is about to expire; to induce your friends and neighbors to become subscribers if possible. The price is very low—only $1.00 a year. Where can you obtain a paper which will give more or better instruction for a much greater price? We ask our readers to help us increase the circulation of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, not for the paper’s sake merely, but for the Gospel’s sake.

Mixture.

The present condition of politics is rather mixed at best, apart from all other than political considerations. It is, we presume, difficult for the old party men to know exactly where they stand, especially those who have allowed others to do their thinking for them, but who now wish to think for themselves. But the situation is still more mixed when other elements are brought in, as they are by some political papers. For instance, one paper which comes to our table, has a column especially devoted to itself. It fills that column with nearly forty quotations and misquotations from the Bible, thirteen from hymns, religious expressions of its own, exhortations to vote for its favorite candidate, and other political advice, astrological predictions, and advertisements,—a sort of political succotash and hodge-podge. “For those that like that sort of thing, that is about the sort of thing they like.” It is an aggravated indication of what the world is rapidly coming to, but it is neither good politics nor good religion.

The Messenger

The Messenger is a bright, independent religious paper just launched on the journalistic sea in Atlanta, Georgia. Its second issue has come to our table, and is creditable in both matter and make up, neatly printed on good paper. It seems to give all churches the fairest sort of show possible. Price, $2.00 a year.