EQUALITY IN RAISING MEANS.
The manner of raising means, not only to properly support our ministers and to carry forward tract and missionary work, but also to build up and sustain our institutions, will be thoroughly canvassed. We see this great evil amongst us: Only a few of those who constitute our present rapidly growing membership have taken stock in our Publishing Associations, our College, and our Health Institute. Those who have recently cast their lot in with the Seventh-day Adventists do not take stock in these worthy and indispensable institutions. There is a wrong here that must be corrected. There are no reasons why those who enter the vineyard at the eleventh hour should not work sharp this last hour. God bless them! Let them have their penny, as well as those who have borne the burden and heat of the day. But all the circumstances will fully justify these last in putting their time and means into the cause in good earnest. We think that the old hands, who have been sacrificing largely all the way from five to twenty-five years in the past, would not be grieved if these who enter the vineyard as the sun is nearly set, should come nobly forward to the work with their means. They should do this. Our ministers should preach equality in bearing the burdens of the way. Our system of benevolence to support our ministers is equitable, scriptural, and right. It touches the poor man so very lightly that he does not feel it, and brings the burden on the wealthy, who can bear it without the least difficulty. Why not establish equality in raising means to sustain other branches of the cause? Let those who have taken but little or no stock in our institutions answer this question. There is a debt upon our College of about $12,000. About $50,000 has been paid by the few. Should all our people take stock in our College proportionate to their property as the few have done, the entire sum raised would not be less than $150,000. But only one-half this sum is needed at present to remove the debt, and to build cottages on vacant lots on which the College pays taxes, and loses interest on the money invested. The General Conference Committee recommend and urge equality. The names of those who have pledged means for the College, and the amounts paid, will be published in pamphlet form, and put into the hands of the officers of our Conferences and Tract and Missionary Societies. Then it will be seen who have pledged, who have paid, and who stand all the day idle, and have taken no stock. Then the workers will know where to take hold to bring all up on equality in regard to stock in our College. This is not the work of a day. It must be taken hold of with a will, combined with patient toil. The people must first be instructed, then tenderly entreated, and, if necessary, repeatedly and persistently urged. In due time the same plan will be carried out in establishing equality in the stock of our Publishing Associations. Our Eastern brethren have raised $10,000 to furnish the Pacific Press with presses, types, and other printing material. We recommend that no certificates of stock be issued to these Eastern brethren, unless they urge it, as the majority of stock must be represented at the annual meeting of our Pacific Association, either by person or proxy; and it would be difficult to have this large amount of Eastern stock, held by so many persons, represented. The cause on the Pacific Coast is in a healthy and growing condition. The few that were members in 1875 nobly raised about $20,000 for the Pacific Press. Those who have joined the little army on the coast since that time, and who will join it by the autumn of 1878, will be as able to raise $20,000 more, as the old hands were to raise that sum in 1875. These new hands, these eleventh-hour men, are scattered all along the coast from Mexico to British Columbia. There are no reasons why our good people in Oregon and Washington should not take stock in the Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association. As fast as these new hands take stock, it should be refunded to Eastern brethren, to put into the Atlantic Press, which must be established very soon. Our Eastern brethren did well to send $10,000 to California to help there in time of need, until new friends could return it. This they did with pleasure. And now, if equality shall be established on the Pacific Coast, as in other parts of the great field, they will have the double joy of lifting twice with the same means, first on the Pacific, and second on the Atlantic.