Note and Comment by L. A. S.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 8, 1902

Note and Comment

By L. A. S.

“A ‘BILLION-DOLLAR congress’ has become a parsimonious instead of an extravagant congress,” remarks the Chicago Tribune, in view of the reckless expenditure of money which characterizes the present session of the national legislature. The appropriation bills thus far aggregate $700,000,000, this amount exceeding the estimated revenues by $51,000,000.

THE higher criticism of the Bible is taking possession of the last strongholds of the old belief in the Protestant churches, one of these being the United Free Church of Scotland. At the general assembly of that body held in May last, a decisive vote was given against taking any action unfavorable to the recent work on “Modern Criticism and the Teaching of the Old Testament,” by George Adam Smith, which strongly advocates the ideas of the higher critics, Principal Rainy, who is the recognized leader of the Free Church, came forward as the chief defender of the book, and made a speech in which he told how the interpretation of Genesis I became adjusted to the “facts of science” which the investigations of the higher critics had brought to light. This decisive vote of the Scotch clergymen is noted with satisfaction by American Protestant journals, The Congregationalist remarking that “the vote now taken indicates the progress of the Protestant church throughout the world during the last quarter of a century.”

STUDENTS at Yale University who are interested in missionary work have undertaken to establish an undenominational mission in North China, to be evangelistic, medical, and especially educational in character. The movement is to be under the control not of any existing mission board, but of a council of forty, of which Ex-President Dwight, of Yale, is president. The officers in charge of the undertaking include representatives of the Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, and Presbyterian churches. An installation fund of twenty thousand dollars has been raised by the executive committee. The direct leadership of the mission is to be in the hands of the Rev. Harlan P. Beach, the present educational secretary of the Student Volunteer Movement. Two Yale graduates are to go to China this coming fall to study the language, and it is expected that in time a score or more of Yale men will be doing educational work in this mission. The enterprise is one which, on the whole, stands out as a new venture in foreign missions.

RESEARCHES in the domain of hygienic diet have drawn up quite a formidable indictment against the oyster, and to this is now added the following from an Italian physician, Dr. Zardo, who finds that this much-used mollusk has a sort of pet germ which is nearly always present with it, and which is capable under some conditions of doing serious mischief in the human system:—

This germ apparently produces no harmful effect if the stomach and intestines are in a normal state; but if the gastric juice is not normal, in other words, if it is lacking in germicide properties, and especially if the intestine is not in a perfect condition, gastro-enteritis and general infection occur, which may result in death. In experiments upon guinea pigs, it was shown that the injection of this germ beneath the skin or into the peritoneal cavity gave rise to general infection, the germ being found everywhere in the body, even in the blood. The poison produced by this germ, when introduced into the body of a guinea pig in any way whatever, gave rise to interstitial hemorrhage, fatty degeneration of the liver, and necrosis. From these facts, it is plainly evident that the oyster is a very unsafe article of diet, especially when eaten raw or imperfectly cooked, and that no person can safely swallow one of these bivalves unless assured that his stomach and intestines are in a thoroughly sound state. Even thoroughly cooked oysters may give rise to serious symptoms if there happens to be present a considerable number of poison substances previously formed by the germ; for while cooking destroys the germ, it does not destroy the poison produced by it.

THE Roman Catholic Federation which has recently been organized in the United States, and which is now being developed and strengthened in every possible way, is already beginning to exercise its political influence for the promotion of Roman Catholic interests. It is seeking to force the United States government to accede to its wishes in the matter of maintaining Roman Catholic influence in the school system which the government is establishing at Manila, and elsewhere in the Philippine Islands. This is set forth in the Catholic Mirror of June 14, which says:—

The first concerted action of the officers of the American Federation of Catholic Societies in the direction of any of the ends for which the federation was formed, may be said to have been taken on Sunday last, when, at a meeting of the national officers, the executive and advisory boards, a resolution was passed calling upon the officials of the administration to deal with the school situation at Manila, where it is alleged the most bigoted measures are put in force by narrow-minded religious partisans in the guise of government appointees as superintendents, inspectors, and principals of schools. . . .

The American Federation of Catholic Societies, having now taken the matter under advisement, will be treated with all consideration on account of the great body of citizens which it represents.

Action upon the resolutions passed at Cincinnati may not be expected at once, nor without a thorough inquiry into the truth of the allegations which are made. But the federation has a right to expect that an impartial investigation will be made, looking only for the truth, and there can be no question but that the administration will be entirely willing to meet this very reasonable expectation.

“On account of the great body of citizens which it represents,” this church federation expects to be treated with “all consideration” by the politicians of all parties, and by State and national administrations. This situation directly foreshadows political catering by all parties in this country to the demands of the Catholic Church, and to those of Protestant bodies as well, which will surely follow Rome’s example when they see political advantages are being reaped thereby. L. A. S.