Experiences in Circulating the Petitions
From Michigan: “I believe we have the names of all the lawyers in the village, five of the bankers, two doctors, almost all the business men, also the president of the village, but we have not gotten the signature of a single minister as yet.” From Rhode Island: “I could have gotten more names if I had shown it to everybody, but I thought best to get men of influence on first. The list is headed by the head of the largest department jobbing house in New England. There are also some retail merchants, real estate owners, and a bank director.” From Kansas: “I know this petition work is a great means of educating the people. I have had many good experiences. Among these names are those of a lawyer, an editor, and a Catholic priest.” From Alabama: “I have not found it very difficult to get signers. My experience with this work has been good. I visited an infidel family to-day who were only too glad to sign, and requested that I get him two or three petition blanks, and he would circulate them.” From Wisconsin: “I live on a farm three and one-half miles from ——, and I have seen but few people since I received the blank. I secured the names of all the people I interviewed except two. I do feel encouraged over this result now when the union of church is so imminently a fact in our land.” From New Mexico: “We have found comparatively few who refused to give us their names; and the most of these were courteous.” From Minnesota: “I did not have very much trouble to get signers. Some would not sign, but the most would. I hope and pray that the blessed Father will give us liberty a little longer to spread the precious truths to the world.” From Oregon: “Please find enclosed two petitions well filled out. One is the effort of one day, and the other is the work of about one week, and in doing this work I had many and varied experiences, and met with many men of as many different notions. But I feel that I have only done my duty. May the Lord bless the work.” From Idaho: “The experience has been good for me, and it will surely set those to thinking who have signed the petition.” From Texas: “After we had been at —— about two weeks, we received some blank petitions to be signed by those who were opposed to ‘Sunday legislation;’ but as we were in an entirely new field, we agreed to wait until we had spoken on the Sabbath question, setting forth the truth before the people on that subject, then to preach once or twice on the Christian’s relation to the ‘civil law’ or ‘government.’ Having done this, we presented the petition, and soon filled one and about half of another. The people seemed anxious to sign it. Some said, ‘We are not signing away our rights, but are helping these people to have the same rights that we enjoy.’ One man said, ‘I believe every man in —— would sign it.’ This experience is an evidence that there are some yet who have at least a degree of sympathy for the people of God.”