The World's Crisis Imminent
By Wm. Penniman
We like to look on the bright side, but it is the Christian's duty to look on both sides; for it is true that “to be forewarned is to be forearmed;” and how can one resist the evil unless he sees it coming? In an editorial in The Christian Standard of May 24, 1902, the editor, referring to the “Burden of Martinique,” and the generous contributions of the nations for the relief of the sufferers, says: “One fact like this concerted relief answers all the gloomy prophecies and pretentious statistics of pessimists who declare that the world is growing worse, and is going to the devil without hope of reform. The Messianic prophecies are being fulfilled. The nations are gradually beating their swords into plowshares, and in time will learn war no more.” The nations are kind in doing what they have to relieve the sufferers in those districts that have been visited with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, cyclones, floods, plagues, and famine; but does this prove that the world is growing better? Has not this been done more or less in all ages? and is there not more money in the world now, and are not the nations more able to help the needy? A word in regard to the “pretentious statistics of pessimists.” It is true that the world is growing better in some respects, but is it on the whole? We think it can be proved by facts, and statistics not “pretentious,” that where in one respect it is growing better, it is in ten or a hundred getting worse. The writer of this editorial certainly must look upon the subject in a highly spiritual sense in saying that “the nations are gradually beating their swords into plowshares,” when the Herr Krupp’s gun factory in Europe has now forty thousand men making guns and warlike implements, and there are other factories about as large. We have read of plowshares being beaten into swords, but never of swords beaten into plowshares. The truth of the matter is, all of the great and warlike nations of the world are increasing their armies and navies as never before in its history, and many of them are bankrupt through war expenses. As it is to the point, we will quote briefly from an article in the New York Independent of Feb. 6, 1896. The writer says: “I like to find out the good rather than the evil in men and nations, but a man must either shut his eyes, or fall back upon an unwarranted faith in God, to be an optimist in Europe to-day, so far as the immediate position is concerned. . . . It is perfectly plain that the civilization of Europe is rotten to the core. If it were only the governments which were corrupt, the people might rise in their strength, and overthrow them, but with a degenerate people, there is no hope.” Not only the civilization of Europe, but that of the world is rotten to the core. There is no hope of a world-wide reformation. Individual and national covetousness is cursing the world, and is on the increase. Treasures are “heaped together” (James 5:3) “in the last days.” Revised Version. We quote briefly from The Signs of the Times of March 18: “Rome went down when eighteen hundred persons owned the civilized world. In 1835 there were but six millionaires in the United States, while in 1902, there were nine thousand six hundred. The national wealth is seventy billion dollars, and one half of it is owned by twenty-five thousand persons. In 1850 capitalists owned thirty-seven and one-half per cent of the nation's wealth. In 1870 they controlled sixty-three per cent, while in 1902 two per cent of the population owned seven tenths of the entire wealth. These are stupendous facts for sober thinkers.” Thus it is plain that the trust power, monopolists, and the money power are increasing. Therefore we may look for the conflict between labor and capital and for strikes to increase. The psalmist says: “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them. God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” Many seek wealth to get power. J. Pierpont Morgan, who is said to be a billionaire, has more power than any king or emperor on his throne; for he can lend them money, and take a mortgage on their dominions if he wishes; and it is said that he pays his clerks from five hundred thousand to one million five hundred thousand dollars’ salary each year, and makes money in doing it.