Still Onward by General Conference Committee

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 17, 1874

Still Onward.

By General Conference Committee

A GREAT MOVEMENT WELL BEGUN.

The general quarterly meeting of the Tract and Missionary Society of Michigan, appointed at Battle Creek for Nov. 14 and 15, has just closed. Elders Haskell and Butler, and several others of our preaching brethren, were present. Most of the districts in the State were represented by directors.

On the Sabbath the house of worship was crowded by those who listened to appropriate discourses from Bro. and sister White, with usual interest. On first-day, the circulation of our periodicals and other publications, and more earnest missionary labor, was the subject of general discussion. Union and a growing interest prevailed.

The directors present recommended that a pioneer paper, entitled The Voice of Truth, the size of the Advent Review and Herald of the Sabbath, be started with the new year, and that Michigan circulate 10,000 copies of it and the Health Reformer, and that the work commence immediately, so that as many as possible of the new subscribers shall commence with the new year.

It was also recommended that 10,000 copies of the Hygienic Family Almanac be circulated in the State of Michigan ahead of the coming flood of Drug Almanacs, and that our excellent series of health tracts have a wide circulation. The decision of the directors was then submitted to the congregation, and was ratified by unanimous vote.

It was decided to be the duty of the tract and missionary workers to obtain as many full-paying subscribers for our religious periodicals, and for the Reformer, as possible. That only in those cases where the T. & M. Society actually pay for these periodicals to certain persons should the prices be reduced. But in those cases where persons cannot be induced to pay full prices, the T. & M. Society, also individuals, can furnish them to this class for one-half the regular subscription prices.

The following paragraph shows that after Jan. 1, 1875, postage on periodicals is to be prepaid at reduced rates on regular, or bona fide, subscribers only.

“SEC. 5. That on and after the 1st day of January, 1875, all newspapers and periodical publications, mailed from a known office of publication or news agency, and addressed to regular subscribers or news-agents, postage shall be charged at the following rates: On newspapers and periodical publications, issued weekly and oftener, 2 cents a pound or fraction thereof; less frequently, 3 cents a pound or fraction thereof.”

That all who engage in the circulation of our periodicals may know what the law regulating the mailing of papers is, we here give Sec. 162 of Postal Law. It provides “That the Postmaster General may prescribe, by regulations, an affidavit, in form to be taken by the publisher or clerk, agent, or servant of the publisher, of any newspaper, or other periodical which may be sent to regular subscribers, without payment of postage at the mailing office, to the effect that neither he nor any other proprietor, clerk, agent, or employee within his knowledge will send, cause or permit to be sent through the mail, without prepayment of postage stamps, any copies of such newspaper or other periodical (naming it) except to bona fide and regular subscribers thereto; and if any such newspaper or any other periodical shall be thus unlawfully sent, with knowledge or consent of such proprietor, or his agent, clerk, or servant in charge of such business, or if such affidavit shall, when required by the Postmaster General, or any special agent of the Post Office Department, be refused, the person guilty of the offense, or refusing to make the affidavit, shall forfeit and pay fifty dollars in each case.”

We give the decision of Judge Sherman at Cleveland, Ohio, of what is necessary to constitute a person a “bona fide and regular subscriber” of a paper according to the intent and design of the law. He says:— “I would not wish to be understood as holding the terms employed by the act, to wit: ‘bona fide and regular subscribers,’ were it to be construed so strictly as only to embrace persons who, by their own hand, have made subscriptions; but it is quite plain that no one can be a subscriber unless he has subscribed himself, or by some authorized agent, or has subsequently, in some sufficient way, ratified the subscription which may have been volunteered for him. It follows that the sending of newspapers without the prepayment of postage to persons who have not subscribed themselves, or by any authorized agent, or not subsequently ratified it, is not a sending to subscribers, and is a violation of this section. In such a case, where a party not yet authorized desires to subscribe and have the newspaper sent to some other party, the only way of keeping within the law would be to prepay the postage until the party to whom the newspaper was sent had explicitly signified, in some unequivocal manner, that he ratified the subscription which had been made for his benefit, and was willing to occupy the position of, and be considered as, a regular and bona fide subscriber.”

Michigan has set a good example to our Conferences and friends everywhere, so far as laying plans is concerned, and we expect she will also act with promptness and liberality worthy of her strength and central position in the great work. Let there be prompt and united action throughout the entire field.

All those who engage in the work of obtaining subscribers for The Voice of Truth, and for the Health Reformer, should bear in mind,

They should have some evidence at least that the persons would candidly examine Bible subjects.
They must obtain the request, or at least the consent (either by word of mouth or by letter), from persons to become subscribers, and must so report to this Office, in order for them to become bona fide subscribers, according to postal law regulating the mailing of papers. In order, then, for names to be entered on our lists of subscribers they must be accompanied with the statement that the persons have requested, or at least have consented, to become subscribers for these periodicals.

Specimen copies of the REVIEW AND HERALD, to represent The Voice of Truth, and of The Health Reformer furnished free.

We would appeal to our people everywhere to immediately take steps to furnish their relatives and friends with our periodicals and pay for them themselves, as far as their means will allow. They should at once correspond with distant friends, and obtain their request, or at least, their consent to become subscribers. This work of obtaining subscribers should not all be left to the T. and M. workers.

The price of The Voice of Truth will be $2.00 a year, and the Health Reformer will be $1.00 a year. When actually paid by the T. and M. Society, or by individuals for their friends, they will be furnished at one-half these prices.

No subscription taken for less time than one year. And no notice whatever will be taken of names sent in, unless accompanied with the statement that the persons have requested, or consented to become subscribers. More next week.

GEN. CONF. COM.