What Shall Be Done? by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 29, 1868

“What Shall Be Done?”

By James White

MANY of the subscribers for the REVIEW, Reformer, and Instructor, have failed to pay for these papers. They enjoy them, but fail to pay the publisher. What shall be done?

The butchering business is terrible, any way. But of all slaughter, for publishers to put the knife to their lists of subscribers, and cut off a portion, this is the most painful. They call for subscribers, and with great satisfaction enter new names upon their books. And when these get behind, they wait, and wait, and call for their pay, and wait. And, finally, have to use the knife with feelings of sadness.

Oh! this is too bad. The subscribers want the papers, need the papers, and should have the papers. And the publishers need to be sustained by large lists of patrons. But in most cases for want of a little care and energy many papers have to be stopped. I repeat it, to say the least, this is too bad.

Now, delinquent friends, take the advice of an old friend of the cause, and pay up. Don't give up either of the papers named above. Send in the pay for them. Then when you read, you will have the satisfaction of reading your own paper.

The question was asked me yesterday, “What shall we do with delinquents? Shall we cut them off?” My reply was, Hold on. Yes, the brethren at the Office will hold on a reasonable time. I shall plead for you, delinquent friends, and shall plead with you, till you come nobly up to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Those few dollars you owe are just what is needed at this time. Let them come in immediately. Put them all together and they would amount to thousands. Send them in. The publisher must have them.

JAMES WHITE.