Remarks of Prof. W. W. Prescott.
By Uriah Smith
“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” I would like to be able to look right through bricks and mortar and machines and all appliances, and see plainly righteous principles. I would rather have righteous principles without a brick or a machine or any appliance,—I have more confidence in that than in all the outward without that inward power. Our danger—it is a constant danger, it is an old danger, it is a danger as old as sin—is that we should fix our confidence upon the outward things, and deal with the outward, and lose sight of that which is really involved. The only reason for which any person exists is that he may be a witness for truth, a witness for right principles. When you have two persons working together, the only reason is the same; when you have three, it is the same; and when you have three hundred, it is the same. Now this institution, and every institution among us, ought to stand not simply for an investment, and not simply for what people can see with the outward eye, but it ought to stand as a mighty witness for the righteous principles God has given in the earth. That is the main thing; that is the real thing. You and I know—and we will speak plainly with each other—you and I know that for some years there has been a sort of feeling more or less prevalent throughout the denomination, perhaps centering here, and then extending more or less outside, that there is something wrong about the Review and Herald, until there has come to be almost a kind of slur connected with the name, as though the name “Review and Herald” stood for something wrong. Oftentimes it is very difficult to find out just what is wrong, but some are morally certain that something is wrong. Now I believe that thing ought to come to an end. I believe that as a company of men and women who believe in righteous principles, and are willing to stand for them, there ought to be such a stand made by managers and employees and all who are interested here in this thing, that there shall be a different atmosphere and a different name from this time. Now I say we ought to band together on right grounds for this thing; that local stockholders, local believers, local workers, local managers, ought to band together here, that we will put our shoulders under this thing, and put an end to this slur on the Review and Herald. I would like to know what there is to prevent its being done. It has almost seemed to me as though it was thought that somewhere around the institution, in some dark corner, hidden somewhere, was a great bugaboo that people were seeking to bring out into the light. Now I say, Let us clean out all the dark corners, and let the sunlight in, and let it be known that this institution stands for God and right,—for right principles. There ought to be on the part of managers, associates, and workers a banding together, not to stand for wrong principles, but a banding together that every one, from the janitor of the building to the manager of the institution, so far as his responsibility extends, shall stand continually for right principles, and shall be an example of them in his work. I do not have sympathy—I will say it plainly—with the view that this is a commercial institution from which every one is to get all he can. I do not think it ought to be any more so than in the General Conference. I think there ought to be the same view of the work. Now it is not wicked to do commercial work; but it is wicked to do commercial work on a wicked basis. I am in sympathy with the thought that this institution was established to do the work of the denomination. I hope to see the time when that shall be the case. But now we face a situation—whether we brought it or not, no matter. Here is a large institution, large capital invested, large interests at stake. We cannot turn that over in a day. It is here. If others have made mistakes in the past, it is here. I do not believe we ought to blow up a cyclone, and throw it all into the air. I think we ought to protect what is here, on right principles, and use it to the best advantage, and develop our own work as far as possible, that this institution may be occupied in doing that as much as possible. But we have a situation to face. So let us make what we have turn for the right purpose, and for the best thing we can under the circumstances; and if the best thing we can under the circumstances is to do commercial work, let us do clean commercial work on the right principles, on the right basis, and let us all contribute to the success of the business. And then let us work for a better basis just as fast as we can. It seems to me consistent that with such a company as are gathered here, and the different institutions located here, Battle Creek ought to be a center of spiritual power for this work. It is wrong that it should be any other way. There ought to go forth from Battle Creek a spiritual power that should be felt in this work everywhere. And every one who is here is responsible if that thing is not so. I believe that, and I think we ought to face our responsibility. I think these employees ought to face the responsibility with us. Every one here ought to sense that this is a different situation than it would be if we simply stepped in here to run a business, to do a mechanical work. If we are in earnest about this thing, if we believe what this thing stands for, let us stand up like men and women, and take our places. I think this is just as applicable to every employee in the institution as to the manager. There ought to be in these institutions such a powerful sentiment for right principles as will frown down anything wrong in the institution. So if there is a wrong tendency in the institution, the managers can depend upon every right-minded person in the institution to stand up against it, just as much as the manager, so far as his influence extends. I believe that we ought to take that attitude. Let us not be drifting into the idea that we are here simply to make a living, to get what we can out of this work, and that this institution is here simply to run a business. We are here to represent the truth, and we are here to do earnest, consecrated work, whether in the Review Office, or the Sanitarium, or the church; we are here to see that right influences prevail; that street rumor, and gossip, and talk are put to one side, and that we come up like believers in the truth, and stand for right principles, and that we will not agree or consent with anything that is not just and righteous; but as long as we hold back, and do not undertake this, and half encourage the wrong thing, and wink at it back and forth, we will have this situation to face in Battle Creek. It seems to me that we ought to live to see the day when this sort of slur that rests on these institutions, and on this place, should be wiped out, and this place be looked upon as a center of good influences for the truth. Now, brethren,—every one of us, workers, managers, all,—let us stand on that basis squarely together, and I believe we can change this thing, and have a different atmosphere and a different order of things. It seems to me we should have confidence in God, and confidence in one another as workers together with God, and we should put aside so much of the suspicion, the rumor, the catching up of a report against a brother, and let us come out in the sunlight, and stand squarely with one another and with God. I believe, with God's blessing, there can be a different order brought in. The meeting was then adjourned till 7 P. M., Thursday, Feb. 13, 1902. The rest of the proceedings will appear next week. U. S.