To All Readers of the Review by Arthur Grosvenor Daniells

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 6, 1903

To All Readers of the Review

By Arthur Grosvenor Daniells

I feel that some one ought to say a word at this time in behalf of our dear old friend—the Review and Herald. As I watched the flames eat their way from the rear of the building toward the front, and finally saw them leap toward the editorial rooms, I knew that the whole building with its contents was doomed.

It was painful to see great stores of material, thousands of finished books, great presses, and delicate, expensive machinery being laid waste. But when all was gone, and the walls of the great building were tumbling into the streets, upon which they had looked so many years, I said, “Thank God that the truth which created these facilities is not destroyed. It lives, and its power is sufficient to create all the new facilities required to finish this work.” And while pondering over these things, another fact cheered my heart—and that was, that the Review and Herald had not been destroyed by the fire. The building in which much of its copy had been written, the material which had given to it its bodily form, and the presses upon which it had been printed, were all destroyed, yet the Review and Herald still lives. It lives to bear its message of instruction, warning, and exhortation. It lives to tell us new plans and new ways of working to bear this message speedily to the uttermost parts of the earth. This visitor as it enters our homes this time, will bear to our people a message it has never been compelled to bear before. It will tell you that its home has been reduced to a heap of smoldering ruins, and that for a time it has taken refuge under the roofs of sympathetic friends. It will also bear to you a message of courage and good cheer.

Am I not right in saying that this visit—its first in the new year of 1903—will, in many respects, be the most impressive that it has ever made? While all will no doubt be deeply impressed and pained with the story it will tell of the disaster, may I not venture the prediction that the fact of its survival, and its future service in this cause will strike a note of gladness in every heart. It certainly seems that under the present conditions, the Review would become a dearer and more cherished friend to us all than it has ever been. This ought to be the case. In the present hour of difficulty the Board of Directors wish to make at least one earnest appeal to our people, and that is that they will rally around the Review and Herald. They feel that the loss of our building and the machinery will not prove to be such a terrible thing if our brethren and sisters will become faithful readers of the Review. We do not see that they can read this paper from week to week without being inspired with new life, and enthused with new courage. If this is done, the message for this time will hold its place in our hearts. Is it too much to affirm that the Review and Herald should be a weekly visitor to the home of every Sabbath keeper in the United States? Why should it not be? There are but few families who cannot afford to take this paper. Those who are too poor should be helped by those who are blessed with abundance.

During the last two years we have been endeavoring to make different arrangements regarding our periodicals. Many people felt that they could not afford either the time or the expense required to take and peruse all our journals. This was one reason why the Missionary Magazine was combined with the Review. It was felt that every family ought to have the matter presented in the Missionary Magazine, and it was hoped that by combining with the Review the circulation would be so much increased that the majority of our people would take it. But we are not yet satisfied with the result. We find by recent correspondence that thousands of our people in this country do not have the Review. This is a cause of regret.

The directors desire to make an earnest appeal at this time to every lover of this truth to take the Review. Will not our union and State conferences, also our ministers and church officers, take this matter up, and see that every family in the country is supplied with the paper? Now is the time to rally around this old friend, and this is the way to show practical sympathy in the disaster that has come to us. Printing establishments and business firms have telegraphed us their sympathy, and have offered anything and everything at their command for our service. We appreciate this; but it can do us little good. The greatest help that can be rendered at this time can be given by all our people rallying around the Review. It is not help of a financial character for the Review and Herald Publishing Company that we refer to. It is the help that will come to this cause for its rapid extension for which we ask. So great has been the directors’ interest in this matter, that for several weeks they have sent out thousands of copies to our people who were not taking the paper, with the hope that they would become so interested in it that they would become regular readers. But this must now cease. Our facilities for producing the paper rapidly and economically are gone. It can now be supplied to regular subscribers only, and as all the people ought to read the Review every week, all should become subscribers.

Who will respond to this proposition at once? Shall we not have the loyal and hearty support of all conference committees, ministers, tract society secretaries, and church officers? This request is so reasonable, and the results will be so blessed, that we venture to hope for a prompt and hearty response from all parts of the field. Send your orders to your church officer, tract society secretary, or to the Review and Herald Publishing Company. A. G. Daniells.