Significant Items

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 16, 1872

Significant Items.

“MOUNT HOOD is throwing out a dense column of smoke, indicative of volcanic action.”—Hartford Courant.

“SIX AND EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLAR DRESSES were among the new articles at A. T. Stewart’s late spring opening.”

“There never was a time when so much was given for the maintenance of the gospel as now, and, we might add, so little true worship.”—Portsmouth (N. H.) Journal.

“The N. Y. Commercial says that ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY MURDERS were committed in that city during 1871, and not one person has been executed for any of them. No wonder that Stokes expects to escape justice.”—Boston Journal.

“Within the past year, one hundred and fifty-one murders were committed in London, while only ninety-six individuals were tried for murder, and not all of them were convicted. . . . If we may add to the deaths by violence, the long list of those by poison, which are never suspected even, we have a terribly suggestive result.”—Boston Daily Globe.

To follow these fearfully suggestive items, we copy the following from an article over the signature of “P.,” in Boston Journal:—

“A New England murder at the former period (1800), in the county of Worcester, Mass., a death blow by a hoe, two men disputing in a field, caused a great excitement throughout the country. Our frequent city, daily murders at the present day are only common occurrences! The cowardly Italian brigand’s knife, and the modern six-barreled pistol to revenge supposed injuries, are resorted to instead of the fair contest or appeal to the laws of the country.”

“Europe continues to laugh, eat, and sleep, precisely as if the volcanoe under it was not ready to burst forth. It has been so often hinted at that no one believes one can possibly occur.”—Boston Journal.

“There has been seen lately what probably never was seen before—Wines peddled on the sidewalks in New York city. All the favorite brands were put up in the most attractive style in five cent bottles for children’s first steps to ruin!”—Temperance Advocate.

“If there is not enough virtue in New York city to frown down, and put a stop to, such an infamous operation, let it meet the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. Our children and youth must be saved, even though cities perish.”—Christian Secretary.

“Louis Muller was sent to the penitentiary yesterday for six months, by justice (?) Bulkley, for having stolen a meerschaum pipe and bartered it for food and medicine for his child which was dying with small-pox.”

“On the same day, Wm. M. Tweed, of New York city, whom no man doubts has robbed that city of millions of dollars, was admitted to bail on a charge of deceit and fraud, and will never go to State Prison.”

“Muller was a poor man. Tweed is a rich one, made so by theft. Call you this justice? Out upon such flimsy pretexts as this. Muller should be freed. Tweed should be imprisoned for life.”—N. Y. Tribune.

While copying the above, my mind reverted to the following: “And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” Isa. 59 : 14.

“The sixteenth century was an epoch of a great separation; the nineteenth must be that of a great union.”—D’Aubigne’s Hist. Ref.

FREE DISCUSSION IN ROME.

“It will be necessary to use once more the old phrase, ‘The world moves.’ Free discussion has been inaugurated under the very shadow of the Vatican; nay, the pope himself has specially authorized a debate between leading Catholics and Protestants, on the remote, to be sure, but still important, question: ‘Was St. Peter ever at Rome?’ involving, of course, the apostolic founding of the Roman Catholic Church.”—Boston Journal.

THE QUESTION OF GIVING.

“A correspondent of the Congregationalist asks and discusses the question as to how much it is the Christian’s duty to give for charitable and religious purposes. The answer usually is to ‘give liberally.’ But what is to be understood by liberally? The Jews gave, at the least, one-tenth of their income to God. Average Christians do not give one-twentieth. Here, for instance, is a farmer, the profits upon whose crops have been $1500. He sets aside $12 for the charities of the year. One-tenth of $1500 is $150. Another has an income of $1000. When he became a Christian, he consecrated himself and all he had to Christ. He desires to be systematically liberal, and so contributes annually $10. Ninety dollars more would make his gift one-tenth. Here is a merchant with an income of $3000. He contributes to religious objects, including the support of the gospel at home, about $100. One-tenth is $300. There are numberless claims for expenditure for personal or domestic purposes, and it often becomes a perplexing question just how much ought to be given in charity and benevolence. But it is probable that the average Christian deceives himself when he believes his contributions to be truly liberal.”—F. A. BUZZELL.