Threatening Men in Office

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 27, 1913

Threatening Men in Office

Much is being said to-day about the spirit of terrorism which is being inspired by threats against the life of prominent citizens. Within fifty years three Presidents of the United States have been murdered, one ex-president wounded, and it now is necessary to subject the one occupying this position to constant surveillance by secret service men. Three turbulent mountaineers of New Jersey have been arrested for threatening the life of President Wilson. Recently Mayor Gaynor, of New York, narrowly escaped assassination; and District Attorney Whitman, of that city, has had his life repeatedly threatened. Rosenthal, a noted gambler in New York, was murdered to prevent his disclosures of crime and graft. Zelig was slain to prevent revelations that he purposed to make, which would have involved the police, and thus the list might be indefinitely continued.

This state of affairs is a terrible commentary upon the condition of society at the present time. While this spirit of terrorism should be held in check by legal enactments, and those who participate in it should be punished as criminals, yet it must be confessed that back of all this there is a great lowering of the moral standard in the hearts of men which makes such crimes possible, and with this the state can never hope to cope. We are coming into evil days in the history of this world, into the times when he that would depart from evil also makes himself a prey. How great is the privilege of the child of God to trust himself to the keeping of infinite power!