p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 45. (11/17/1909)

Earlier text: 40 Per Cent Discount Offered to Agents

Have You Ever Read the Bible Through?

By Editor

You do not know what the Book contains if you have not.

Many thousand started to read it through this year, and many of them failed.

Many started the year before and failed. Many of those who failed became discouraged and did not attempt it this year.

Many who have failed this year will not try it next year. They will join the list of failures. It is a long one, and there is a big crowd to go along with. Do you belong in that company?

One failure or two failures or ten failures can not destroy success or character if we do not yield to it. The successful men are the men who have overcome the very disposition to fail, often after many failures.

If you have failed in any good work and there is opportunity for another attempt, try again. Reading the Bible through is a good work, isn't it? In it is the instruction of life.

We have a new plan for our SIGNS Bible Band in the year 1910. All the successful members of 1909 will want to go with us of course.

And we are inclined to believe that the “failures”—better the partially successful—will also. More next week.

The Gentle Suffragettes.

By Editor

We do not know how the suffragettes of England can hope for sympathy when they stoop to such measures as some of their members do, and whom others defend. At a recent election in London at one point one woman poured an acid discoloring fluid into the ballot-boxes, which resulted in making almost illegible a hundred or so ballots; seriously injured one eye of a polling clerk, so that he had to be taken to the hospital; and burned the hands of others. At another polling-booth another suffragette attempted the same thing, but she only managed to burn the fingers of the election officials. In defense of this the other members of the party contend that the government is responsible. No government on the face of the earth, whether it grants women the privilege of the ballot or not, is responsible for any immoral conduct on the part of the women. It seems to us that such methods would weaken the very cause they favor.

Three Articles for Subscribers

By Editor

Please read the three articles on this page, “To Our Subscribers,” “This Is No. 7,” and “Have You Ever Read the Bible Through?” Of course you will read the advertisement on page 2, under the Question Corner department.

Pear Thrips.

By Editor

The SIGNS OF THE TIMES has received copies of Bulletin No. 80 published by the California State Board of Trade on the Pear Thrips, one of the last menaces to pears, prunes, and other fruits. It is written by Mr. Moulton, and is the very best said on the subject up to date. Any fruit growers in California who may desire copies will be furnished. Please enclose postage stamp.

For Missions

For Missions.— During the quarter ending June 30, 1909, the Sabbath-schools of Seventh-day Adventists in the United States and Canada gave to mission fields the sum of $21,569.67. The Sabbath-schools of the world gave during the first six months $51,033.56, or more than $8,000 over the corresponding period of last year. Good. The secretary thinks that United States alone may reach $100,000 for the year. We hope so.

To Our Subscribers

By Editor

Yes, and our would-be subscribers also.

On account of the constant rise in the price of the materials which enter into the making of a paper, the price of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES will be increased to $1.75 Jan. 1, 1910. We regret this, but we can not consistently do otherwise. Nearly all the weeklies and monthlies throughout the country have increased their subscription price during the last two years, some to the extent of 50 per cent. Our increase is only sixteen and two-thirds per cent.

But we wish to protect our old subscribers. All who send us $1.50 for 1910 will receive the balance of this year, from November 24 inclusive to the close of 1910, at the old price, $1.50.

All who renew before Jan. 1, 1910, may renew at the old price. All may extend their subscription one, two, or three years at the old price of $1.50 per year. To those who wish to subscribe for five years in advance, we will do still better. Single subscription for five years, $6.50.

And during this time, the Lord willing, the paper will grow better and better, more important as an exponent of present truth, more needful as a herald of the everlasting Gospel and of the coming King.

Now is the time to subscribe. Now is the time to secure subscriptions from your neighbors.

This Is No. 7

By Editor

Of our special Bible Study Series. The next will be No. 8.

We thought that we printed enough of our first issues to supply additional subscribers who wanted the series, but we did not. Our 8,000 extras have melted away like the hoar frost before a warm sun.

Yet the subscriptions still come, and they all wish to begin with the series.

We propose to do this; listen: We have now covered four topics in general:

THE SCRIPTURES AND THEIR WORTH; PROPHECY AND ITS IMPORTANCE; THE COMING OF THE LORD; MAN, HIS NATURE, HIS DESTINY.

We will in as clear and concise a manner as possible present these four topics in our next issue. No. 8 will give a strong, comprehensive view of the ground already covered. It will not be worth as much as the seven numbers before it, because they contain many other things; but it will be up to date. Those who have read the past issues will wish to read this. Those who read this can go on intelligently in the numbers which follow.

Let subscriptions for our special series come in, then, beginning with No. 8, the synopsis number, the date of which is Nov. 24, 1909.

The Minor Keys.

San Francisco papers have been jubilant over the favorable results of the recent festival. They have been careful not to tell us of the sad results that followed. They are jubilant in telling of the 250-mile automobile race in which one driver drove his car in 3 hours, 59 minutes, and 18 seconds, an average speed of more than 64 miles an hour. They do not tell us, however, of the lives that were snuffed out at the same time. They tell us of the hilarious time enjoyed in drinking and carousing, but they do not tell us of the lost characters and reputations. The true standard by which to measure such a thing is the righteousness of God. The true place and time to estimate such great doings is at the bar of God. Men can only weigh them now by the principles involved. All the exhibition part could have been conducted on a sane basis, but in the excesses of men and women morality oftentimes is thrown to the wind. One society paper remarks: “There will be wounded hearts and possibly wrecked homes left in the wash of the Portola festival wave;” and it closes its note by saying, “Tragedy ever fills the last float in a pageant.”

Justice Peckham

Justice Peckham.—A short time since, the United States Supreme Court lost one of its ablest members in the death of Rufus W. Peckham. He was not of college education, but was learned in the law, having come from a family distinguished in that profession. He was appointed under President Cleveland in 1895 to succeed Justice Howell E. Jackson of Tennessee. The Supreme Court now stands somewhat crippled. Justice Peckham was not nearly as old as Justice Brewer, and had not been classed among those members who were on the verge of retiring of necessity. But Justice Moody, the youngest member, is now sick. Chief Justice Fuller and Justice Harlan are each 76 years of age, Justice Brewer is 72, Justice Holmes 68, Justice McKenna 66, while Justices White and Day are aged 64 and 60 respectively. It is suggested that President Taft may have the appointment of not less than three, and quite possibly five of that body before his term of office expires.

Gen. O. O. Howard

Gen. O. O. Howard.—In the recent death of Gen. O. O. Howard, the last of the old Civil War commanders is gone. He was in the service from Bull Run to the “march to the sea.” He was a sort of national reform “Christian” after the Gordon type, but an evidently conscientious, devoted patriot, temperance worker, and friend of the education of the Negro. Two colleges gave him the honorary degree of LL.D.

Novel Reading

By Editor

The Detroit News-Tribune deplores the effect of the modern novels upon the young, and especially upon young girls. It truthfully says that many modern novels are but the dime novel in character, plot, and influence, put up in bound form at $1.50. We wish that all papers and publicists would lift voice against the pernicious reading.