Tract Campaign Notes by E. R. Palmer

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 20, 1903

Tract Campaign Notes

By E. R. Palmer

Before the special tract campaign began, the Pacific Press was sending out tracts at an average rate of 42,000 pages per day.

Letters from many conference presidents indicate that there is a vigorous response all along the line to the call for a revival of the “old-time tract work.”

During the past two weeks the Review and Herald has received orders for about 100,030 copies of the new tracts, and doubtless the Pacific Press has orders for at least an equal number. Three million two hundred thousand pages in two weeks is a good beginning. Let the good work go on; and may the Lord greatly bless his people.

One very practical conference president has written us that he does not want to see a “revival of the old-time method” of buying thousands of tracts to stack up in the State depositary unsold. Surely that was a bad “method;” but do not be discouraged by it. You can improve upon that way of doing by securing the tracts and scattering them.

Elder R. A. Underwood, president of the Pennsylvania Conference, has written a stirring letter to every church and company in that State, urging immediate organization for active work in distributing literature. Such an appeal ought to arouse every Sabbath keeper in Pennsylvania. We hope to publish Elder Underwood’s suggestions on church work in our next issue.

The Bible says of the righteous that they rest from their labors, but their works follow them. This is true of the old Review and Herald Office. It rests from its labor, but its work still lives in the hearts and hands of God’s people. If every Seventh-day Adventist will do his best to scatter the printed page, the good work can become greater than ever before. Institutions are perishable, but our labor of love is eternal.

When the fire burned the plates of the new tracts, we reproduced the copy for the first one of the series, “We Would See Jesus,” and sent it to the Pacific Press, with the request that they bring it out as soon as possible. In response they took it immediately in hand, made an original cut for the first page, set the type, sent it to press, and posted to us a sample copy in twenty-four hours after the manuscript was received. Who among the people will do as prompt, quick work in distributing the tracts?

E. R. Palmer.