OUR PUBLICATIONS by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 19, 1876

OUR PUBLICATIONS.

By James White

Our publications are the right arm of our strength. The publications alone, without the living teacher, can do but little in converting people. And our preachers, without our publications, would make very slow progress. But when all our preachers fully see the importance of our publications, and give their circulation that proportion of their time which their importance would justify, then will our publications add nine-tenths to the usefulness of our preachers.

We solemnly believe that the foregoing statements are not overdrawn. And if our preaching brethren will carefully consider them they will agree with us. And as no man would wish to devote his life to preaching unpopular truth except to accomplish good, it becomes all our ministers to bend their energies to accomplish the most good possible. Taking this view of the subject, it will be very apparent that most of our ministers neglect to give our periodicals and general publications that circulation which the case demands.

One of the greatest discouragements in certain localities, as often expressed by our ministers, is “They are not a reading people, and do not take our books.” One of the most hopeful features in certain communities, as expressed frequently by our preachers is, “They are a reading people, and take our books freely.” And we have for several years come to this, to measure a minister’s usefulness very much by his tact, and activity to sell our books, and obtain subscribers to our periodicals. Those who do not succeed in this, do not succeed in accomplishing much lasting good.

We plead for hearty and full co-operation of all our ministers with our publishing work. Each one of our ministers should regard our Office of publication as his own. Especially if he has become a member of the Association by the payment of $10 or more into the capital stock he should feel that it is his, and that it should be cared for by him. But too many seem to feel that every dollar that they can get out of the Office by taking advantage of our unparalleled discounts is clear gain. And but very few seem to feel a proper care for the prosperity of the Office.

Time after time we have surprised the people with the low prices of our periodicals and publications. This Office pays the postage on all our periodicals, which in the course of one year amounts to a large sum. And then came the offer to furnish the REVIEW, VOICE, SIGNS and REFORMER, postage paid to the Tract Societies, and to those who would send them to their unbelieving friends, for one-half the full price. It was expected that these liberal offers would stimulate all our people to greater activity in obtaining full-pay subscribers to all our periodicals so that no loss would be sustained.

But here we were sadly disappointed. We were alarmed for the welfare of the Office by seeing the lists of full-paying subscribers changing to half pay, till they were greatly diminished, and the tables of our business rooms covered with requests of reductions where we had offered none, and all sorts of plans to take advantage of our liberal offers. And after risking this experiment of liberality until a loss was sustained to the Office of not less than $10,000 we were forced to change from one-half discount on our periodicals to Tract Societies and others, to only one-fourth discount.

But if all our preachers would plead for our periodicals before the people, as is their duty to do, and would they labor to obtain all full-paying subscribers possible so that there might be at least 6,000 full-pay subscribers to each, then could the half-pay plan be carried out to any extent desired. But when our offers of one-half discount, and postage paid, are taken advantage of in turning full pay to half pay, our efforts to accomplish greater good by a wider circulation of our periodicals, is at once broken down by the professed friends of the cause. We can have no other object in these remarks, and in all our efforts to guard our publishing house, than the best good of the cause, the prosperity of which depends very much upon the prosperity and efficiency of our Publishing Association.

We now urgently invite all our ministers, and all true friends of the cause, to feel that the S. D. A. Publishing Association, located at Battle Creek, Mich., is theirs to guard and to love, and to labor for its upbuilding. And let our friends all feel assured that all will be done that can be done in the line of discounts on our periodicals to the Tract Society, without embarrassing the publishing house.

But the power to do this is with our ministers and friends generally, and not with us. If we can have their hearty co-operation, we can do almost anything.

At present the SIGNS OF THE TIMES is offered to the Tract Societies, and to those who wish to send it to their personal friends, postage paid, at $1.50 a year. And the HEALTH REFORMER is offered to the same, postage paid, at 75 cents a year. But these reductions are made only to Tract Societies who pay the prices from the treasury, and to persons who send these periodicals to their friends, and pay for them from their own purses. The price of the HEALTH REFORMER one year, postage paid, is $1.00 to all who subscribe themselves, and pay for the journal. And the price of the SIGNS one year, postage paid, to all on this side the Rocky Mountains is $2.00 a year.

The REVIEW is our church paper, and will give church matters, in which the outside world can take no interest. The SIGNS is our pioneer sheet, and will be every way adapted to new fields. The SIGNS will contain secular and general religious news, and accounts of the progress of the cause, in connection with most valuable sermons, expositions, and articles, making it just the paper to put into the hands of those who investigate with profit. The REVIEW is offered at one-fourth discount to poor brethren only. We recommend the SIGNS as the proper paper to introduce in all new fields when lectures are given. Where the cause shall be established, and churches organized, the REVIEW should be introduced, and if preferred can take the place of the SIGNS at a later date as the church paper. Mrs. W. and the writer feel the burden to make the SIGNS the paper for all new fields.

We plead that the HEALTH REFORMER shall have full 6,000 regular, full pay subscribers. Every minister should preach on the importance of the health reformation, and should call in earnest for subscribers to the REFORMER, from the outside world. And they should see to it that none of the families of our people are without this journal. We are resolved to again appeal from the Bible on the subject of hygiene. We have a duty to the people in this respect, and dare no longer neglect it. Mrs. W. again takes up her pen on the subject of Christian temperance, and the practical duties of the household, and designs to give an article in the REFORMER each month. And the editor of that journal is securing Miss Clough and other able writers to contribute to the columns of the REFORMER. Also that which will add greatly to the interest of the REFORMER for 1877, will be sketches of the lives and the experiences in health reform of Elders Bates, Andrews, and others with their portraits. These will be given, one in each number for that year.

Every effort will be made to make our periodicals attractive and useful, and we plead that all the friends of the cause shall make corresponding efforts for their circulation. We leave for California the first of November, and shall commence important series of articles in the SIGNS by the first of December, and ask the Tract Societies east of the Rocky Mountains to give us a circulation of the SIGNS of 10,000. We hope that the distribution of 75,000 or more of the Family Health Almanac will not stand in the way of canvassing for the SIGNS. This sheet shall be circulated, and if the Tract Societies hesitate, we shall call for subscribers, pay or no pay, and donations direct to the Oakland Office. See Eld. Cottrell’s report of the three free subscribers to the SIGNS on another page. If the Tract Societies will take hold of the work, that system is the best; but we determine that the Tract Societies shall not stand in the way of the circulation of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. The people shall have the paper, and God will furnish the means. J. W.