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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 22, 1873

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 42, No. 6.

Read the full edition

Our Periodicals.

By Editor

For several years we have been deeply impressed with the importance of our periodicals, and that they should be, in all respects, the very best of the kind in our country. To this point we have labored, and feel gratified to witness great improvements. And, still, there is room for greater advance. There will be seen no want of real talent among our people, when it can be manifested in systematic effort to enrich the columns of our periodicals.
We went for our mail, by carriage, over the rough mountain road to Black Hawk, July 7. This is our nearest post-office. Besides the package of letters from old, tried friends, we were happy to receive the latest numbers of the REVIEW, Reformer, and Instructor. On our way home, Mrs. White read four blessed letters before she took up the papers. The horse leisurely walked, and the miles and the hours passed delightfully; and when we reached home, we felt very much as Christians used to feel when they had enjoyed a good, old-fashioned protracted meeting.
The REVIEW is a host of itself. What streams of light, and instruction, and good cheer, have been poured through its columns for the past year! And here we might mention the editor's articles relative to the immortality theme, and Bro. Littlejohn's discussion of the Sabbath question, in particular. These truly important questions have been ably and candidly treated. And then, many other subjects have been handled in a clear and Christian manner, by a host of other writers. The REVIEW is rising in interest and importance, and is acknowledged by ministers and men of the several denominations to be a power in the land. Let its light and power increase, brethren, and let its influence be felt everywhere.
As Mrs. W. turned over the leaves of the Reformer, first, to glance at its general making-up, and editorial arrangement in our absence; and, secondly, to read here and there, we decided that the July number was the best one that had ever been printed. But the reflection that it could not be read by at least fifty thousand families, cast a shade of sadness over our minds. The articles from “M. G. K.,” “J. H. K.,” and “J. E. W.,” are excellent. The people want to know how to make good bread, the facts relative to sugar, as food, and what is being done at our Health Institute. We hope these brethren will let the true light, relative to life and health, shine out through the Reformer, as a series of the best hygienic books ever issued. In behalf of suffering humanity, we say, Let the facts come. Let the Reformer be the very best periodical of the kind in the land. And may all its friends, everywhere, help to push it into as many families as possible.
The Youth's Instructor is a noble sheet. Relative to size, general taste, richness and variety of matter, it is decidedly the very best juvenile paper in our country. Who has not been disgusted with the dog and cat stories, and a thousand and one silly things they have read in nearly all the children's papers in the land? And what seems the very climax of folly, is the effort of many writers to come down to an insipid, baby-talk style in their chaffy productions.
As with very many of the books in the Sunday-school libraries, so in many of these youth's periodicals, they are cursed with a sort of religious fiction. We are glad to see the Instructor dealing in, not only the great matters of religion and the world to come, but also the most interesting and instructive matters of fact relative to this world and this life. We have never seen a youth's paper that fully met our views and feelings relative to what such a paper should be. But the Youth's Instructor comes the nearest. And we shall labor to the point to make it what it should be. We have not had time to write for it; but we have encouraged others who have both time and ability to write, and shall continue to do so.
The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association is fast becoming a powerful institution. With the aid which the Tract and Missionary Societies are giving this Association already, which will soon be increased tenfold, in the collection of dues and obtaining new subscribers, we are prepared to make the following statements in regard to the terms of our periodicals:—
1. The prices of the REVIEW, Reformer, and the Instructor, considering their size, the amount of original reading matter, in the absence of advertisements, are very low. All our old subscribers, and all who subscribe and pay, themselves, must pay the full prices.
2. Those who wish to make a present of any or all of our periodicals to their friends, far and near, and actually pay for them themselves, can have them sent to their friends for one-half the regular prices.
3. We make the same offer to all the branches of our Tract and Missionary Society, everywhere. The Publishing Association will furnish our periodicals for worthy poor brethren and sisters, to ministers, and to all other persons judged proper by the officers of the Society, and paid for out of the treasuries of the Society, at one-half the regular prices.
4. Let it be distinctly borne in mind by our ministers, and all our friends, that our periodicals are not offered to the people below their regular prices, where the subscriber pays, himself or herself—with the single exception of the REVIEW, in times of general interest, at tent-meeting, or when courses of lectures are given, after all the decided friends of the cause have been urged to subscribe at the regular price, the REVIEW may be offered to the crowd for three months, for the trifling sum of twenty-five cents. This is done as a means of introducing it to very many, in the hope that some of them, at least, may be induced to become permanent, full-pay subscribers, at the end of the three months, who otherwise might not. The REVIEW is a cheap paper at $2.00 a year; and, in most cases, the people would as soon pay that sum, as to pay less. In most cases they would think more of the paper after paying full price.
The terms of the ADVENT REVIEW AND HERALD OF THE SABBATH are $2.00 a year in advance, to all who pay for it themselves. When furnished as a gift to others, by individuals, or by the Tract and Missionary Society, the terms are only $1.00 a year, in advance.
The terms of the Health Reformer are $1.00 a year, in advance, to all who pay for it themselves. When furnished as a gift to others, by individuals, or by the Tract and Missionary Society, the terms are only 50 cents a year, in advance.
The terms of the Youth's Instructor are 50 cents a year, in advance, to all who pay for it themselves. When furnished as a gift to others, by individuals, or by the Tract and Missionary Society, the terms are only 25 cents a year in advance.
The Publishing Association offers, in the foregoing, great inducements to individuals, and to the Tract and Missionary Society, to furnish all our worthy poor brethren and sisters with all our periodicals, and to extend their circulation to ministers and to others, to any extent they please. The way is now fully open to all our people, and to the Tract and Missionary Societies, to do their duty in extending the circulation of our periodicals.
And we would here give notice that we are making preparations for a grand rally for a trial volume of twenty-six numbers, for 50 cents, to commence the first of November, 1873, and close the first of May, 1874. These six months embrace the most leisure, reading portion of the year, and the most favorable for such an enterprise. This gives the friends of the REVIEW ample time to correspond with distant friends, and make up their long lists of names; while, in the same time, before the first of November, we can be securing the best leading article for each of the twenty-six numbers.
We close this statement by saying, We have ample time to make preparations, the talent to produce the matter, and, as a people, thousands of dollars to expend in the enterprise. And, by the grace of God, we will let our light shine through the REVIEW, to tens of thousands, in whose minds and hearts the spirit of inquiry is awaking relative to the reasons of our faith and hope.
It will be expected that the Tract and Missionary Societies, and all the friends of the REVIEW and the Instructor, will take active measures to obtain all the full-paying subscribers for these periodicals they can, without pay in this life, only the satisfaction of doing good. But it is thought proper to offer to all the friends of the Health Reformer, in addition to the pleasure of laboring to extend its circulation, a premium of 50 cents for every new subscriber obtained, accompanied with $1.00, to be paid in health tracts and pamphlets, such as have been, and shall be, published at our Office. When sent by mail, these premium hygienic books will be furnished, post-paid, at published prices. When sent by express, or as common freight, they will be furnished at one-third discount. Let the members of the Tract and Missionary Societies become judicious agents to canvass for the Reformer, and in this way furnish their Societies with an abundant supply of health publications. Efforts are being made to prepare and print large editions of health tracts and pamphlets, just such as the times demand. Specimen copies of Reformer furnished free of charge.