Recent Events in Washington and Their Significance
By J. S. Washburn
Extracts From a Paper Read Before the Religious Liberty Department
WONDERFUL have been the providences which have led thus far in the establishment of our work in Washington. The purchase of the land upon which this encampment is now pitched, and the erection of these buildings, is one of them. The providences that guided in the purchase of the land on the District line on Carroll Avenue for the building of the publishing house and General Conference offices also indicate God's will that our publishing house and headquarters should be actually within the limits of the District of Columbia, and therefore in the limits of the city of Washington. It seemed impossible for a time, owing to the contest of the heirs against the sale of the trustees to us of that particular property, that we should ever be able to obtain that situation within the District. We felt, however, that this was all-important, and that time would surely demonstrate the fact that it was the Lord's will that our headquarters should be actually within the city limits of the capital, that here the voice of freedom and the protest against persecution and tyrannical laws should be heard, not simply by the State legislature of Maryland, but by the central government of the United States. We patiently waited, however, for a few months, and then it was so arranged that we secured our building site. This was God's wonderful providence. The earnest and liberal response of our people to the appeals for funds to build up our work, free from all indebtedness, here at the head of the nation, has been of God. From Australia, New Zealand, India, Africa, nearly all the nations of Europe, South America, Canada, the islands of the sea, donations have come for the building up of this important work. The Lord has surely moved upon the hearts of his people, and has indicated to them clearly that the building up of our work in Washington interests not only our people living in this country, but the dwellers in every land, that from this high mountain top the message was to be hastened to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. In the last great nation, the cradle of liberty, the third angel's message—God's last appeal to a world in rebellion—logically finds its headquarters. The paramount reason that this is so is that this city represents the American government. The office of the Review and Herald in Washington, D. C., was, and is still, located in a building which is but a minute's walk from the Capitol building itself, and looks into the Senate windows, and is in sight from all parts of the Capitol grounds. But a few months after our headquarters had been removed to this city, a Sunday law passed the House of Representatives. We had made an earnest request for a hearing before the Committee on the District of Columbia of the House of Representatives, and this had been promised, but the very next word that came to us was the report that on the sixth of April, 1904, this Sunday law had passed the House of Representatives, had been twice read in the Senate, and referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia. It seemed that this was about to become a law, and that right at the threshold of our work we should meet serious legal difficulties in our work. We immediately telegraphed to the officers of the Religious Liberty Bureau, asking them to telegraph protests, and secure signatures to a petition against Sunday legislation for the District of Columbia. Personal letters of appeal and protest were written to every member of the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia, and letters were also written to every United States senator. The first vote of the committee on this measure was a tie. The bill was then postponed until time for further consideration. Shortly after this, Congress adjourned, leaving this Sunday law in the committee, it having not been reported to the Senate. Before Congress convened in December, a series of religious liberty tracts was prepared, blank petitions had been sent out to all our people in all the American conferences, the Religious Liberty Bureau had been quite thoroughly organized, and we prepared for the winter's campaign. Thousands of signatures were secured to these petitions from the District of Columbia and from every part of the United States protesting against this measure. These were sent to all the senators and representatives. Several of the senators and representatives were interviewed. We found, among others, Senator Stewart, of Nevada, ready to oppose all Sunday legislation. A visit to the author of a Sunday law which was before the Committee of the House of Representatives, revealed the interesting fact that he himself and the members of Congress had come to know of the existence and the opposition of our people to religious legislation. He said that no Sunday legislation would come up because the seventh-day people were opposing it. For this we were very thankful. When it became evident that it would be impossible to secure Sunday legislation direct, a movement was inaugurated by the ministers of Washington to secure better Sabbath (Sunday) observance. There is no doubt that this was the same thing in another form. Then our “Open Letter” to the ministers of Washington was published in the Washington Post in a very prominent position. This brought the matter directly before the people of this city, and we know that it was very widely read. The article was also republished in other newspapers. A reply to our “Open Letter,” written by Bishop Satterlee, Episcopalian Bishop of Washington, was published in the Washington Post. To this a strong but dignified and Christian rejoinder was made by the editor of the REVIEW. This was published in a prominent place in the Post. The Post opens its columns on Monday morning to correspondence on all subjects of interest to the people of this city. Many letters on the subject of Sabbath observance have appeared on this page, and the truth has been brought most pointedly and practically before the people. This second movement had just run its course, and we had come to the point where we could expect but little more space in the papers to publish the Sabbath29truth, as it has gone overwhelmingly against the Sunday advocates, when an apparently new issue, but in reality the same one, appeared in the effort to secure religious teaching in the public schools. This was inaugurated by one of the prominent ministers of Washington in a sermon preached in his church. A committee of ministers and Washington's prominent men was appointed to formulate something to bring before the School Board, that a text-book on religion might be prepared, and distinctively religious teaching introduced into the public schools of this city. This subject was more widely agitated than any before it; in fact, one of the papers distinctly stated that no subject had so agitated the people in many years as the subject of the teaching of religion in the public schools. A leading attorney declared that if this measure became law, it would be taken to the Supreme Court of the United States. A hearing was granted by the School Board to all those who favored this measure. A little later a hearing was granted to our people alone. We felt that the Spirit of the Lord guided in a very marked manner at this hearing. An earnest and powerful protest was made, yet in the most Christian and dignified manner, and was received with the utmost friendliness and apparent liberality by the School Board. We have been recognized in all this opposition as the leading opposers to this movement. Since this conference began its session, the Board has unanimously decided not to introduce the teaching of religion in the public schools. Thus at every step the Lord has given us wonderful and complete victory. Every effort of the enemy and every opposition that is raised to this work will come to this people as a higher platform from which, as from a high mountain, Zion may say to the cities of Judah, yea, to all the world, “Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come.” How blessed is the privilege of living in this the day of the Lord's power just before the manifestation of his glory!