p. 24 | Review and Herald, Vol. 85, No. 13. (3/26/1908)

Earlier text: The Hearing on the Sunday Bills Before the District Commissioners

In God We Trust on the Coins

In an editorial commenting upon the passage of the bill in the House of Representatives to restore the motto, “In God We Trust,” to the coins, the Washington Post says:—

The fact is that as individuals the people of the United States do trust in God. As a government they don’t do anything of the sort. They trust in their might, in their men, in their ships and guns and money. Our whole policy as a nation has proved this. It is a mockery to put upon the symbols of governmental functions a piece of sentimentality which our whole national conduct proves a bit of pretense and in reality denies. If, as a nation, we actually did put our trust in the Supreme Being, we would abandon our ships of war, we would destroy our bullet molds, we would turn our “swords into plowshares,” and our “spears into pruning-hooks.” And our money would not need to be labeled with the verbal assurances of our piety. Unless those words, “In God We Trust,” constitute a meaningless phrase, we are guilty of a sacrilege in stamping them on the servant of mammon. If the phrase is meaningless, its usage is superfluous. There are, no doubt, a great many people in the country who devoutly own their trust in God who will regret the restoration of the motto to our coins. They believe that it is not religious truth, but religious sentimentality, which will put it back.

This recognition of the difference between the religion of individuals and the religion of the government is worthy of note. The simple truth is that the government has no religion, and ought to have nothing to do with religion. It is ordained to look after things civil.

Sabbath-School Lesson Articles

EACH issue of the REVIEW during the next three months will contain an article on the Sabbath-school lesson for the Sabbath following the week in which the paper is issued. The first of this series of articles appears this week, in the Editorial Department, and is devoted to a consideration of the first lesson of the next quarter. It is hoped that these articles may prove helpful to our readers in their preparation of the lessons for recitation as well as for teaching.

Georgia’s Resources and Advantages

ANY of our people who are thinking of going to Georgia as canvassers or as self-supporting missionaries would do well to communicate with A. L. Manous, 602 Capital Ave., Atlanta, Ga., requesting a copy of the leaflet entitled “Georgia’s Resources and Advantages.”

Sunday Laws and Law-Abiding Citizens

A RELIGIOUS body is not permitted to hold real estate in the State of Maryland without a special act of the legislature, granting this permission, and a bill has accordingly been introduced into the present session of the Maryland Legislature conferring upon the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists the privilege of holding title to property in the State. The Senate Committee, to which this bill was referred, reported adversely, stating as the reason for their opposition to it that the Seventh-day Adventists were not loyal citizens of the State.

Senator Lee, who had the bill in charge, asked Mayor W. G. Platt, of Takoma Park, what he had to say in regard to this charge. In reply the mayor stated: “As a class, the Seventh-day Adventists of Takoma Park are a law-abiding people, uniformly taking such a course as to commend them to the esteem and confidence of the people generally. Their presence here is highly regarded by the people of the place, and their influence in the community tends to the betterment of society.”

When the bill came before the Senate, Senator Lee presented this testimony from Mayor Platt.

Senator Slay, of Kent County, then stated that he desired to give his testimony concerning the Seventh-day Adventists. He was at one time the prosecuting attorney in his county, and in the pursuance of the duties of his office had had some cases against that people for infraction of the Sunday law, and had taken occasion to look up their record carefully. He found them to be among the most law-abiding citizens of the State, and was glad when he was through with the cases against them.

In view of these statements concerning the Seventh-day Adventist people, the bill was passed in the face of the adverse report, with only four senators voting against it.

It is certainly a unique comment upon Sunday laws that a prosecuting attorney, who had charge of cases against Seventh-day Adventists for disregard of Sunday laws, should voluntarily bear testimony to the fact that on investigation, he found them to be among the most law-abiding citizens in the State. There is evidently something wrong about that kind of legislation which will enable religious bigots to put such people as these behind the bars as law-breakers.

Professor Griggs Returns to Headquarters

PROF. FREDERICK GRIGGS is again at headquarters after a ten weeks’ tour of the schools in the South, West, and North.

Correction of Elder Phelps’s Address

IN the advertisement published for Elder H. F. Phelps, Minneapolis, in the REVIEW of February 27, the post-office address was given as Station K. It should have been Station F. Those answering the advertisement will please note the correction.

The Naval Number

COINCIDENT with the arrival of the American battle-ship fleet in San Francisco harbor, the publishers of the Signs of the Times will issue a special number which will be known as the Naval Number, and will bear date of May 13. For a complete description of this special, read the article on page 22, entitled “The United States Navy.”

The Temperance Standard

By Editor

The Temperance Standard is the title of a new semimonthly temperance journal published at Belle, Mo.; subscription price, one dollar a year; sample copies free. This journal is devoted to purity and temperance in the home, State, and nation. We welcome its appearance, and hope it may prove an able exponent of the great cause which it has espoused.

St. Louis Missionary Fund Campaign

DURING the present year the St. Louis (Mo.) branch of the Laymen's Missionary Movement propose to raise the sum of $250,000 in St. Louis alone for foreign missions.

REDUCED FACSIMILE OF MR. MAYBELL'S CARTOON, "CONSECRATED SERVICE"