Revelations of Public Corruption
By Editor
The revelations of greed, fraud, dishonesty, etc., with which the public have been surfeited during the last two years or more seem limited only by the right kind of men to investigate. The mine seems inexhaustible. These revelations began with McClure's—Miss Tarbell's articles on Standard Oil, Mr. Baker's on the labor world, and Mr. Lincoln Steffens' on various municipalities. Since that Leslie's has given us somewhat of the conditions prevailing in Congress; Lawson has opened up the Amalgamated and other allied corporations; Mr. Hughes has, in his keen probing, laid bare the big insurance companies; great land frauds of the West have been shown up by Mr. Heney; Mr. Russell has opened barrels of putridity in the beef trust; and Collier's has uncorked the corruption of the patent medicine conspiracy. And so the thing goes on. These revelations of corruption, with all the various ramifications in all grades of society, show just what God's Word has clearly revealed, that the human heart is corrupt and desperately wicked; and these things further show, because very much of this crime has been committed by those who profess better things, that we are in that period of time which the apostle foresaw and foretold in 2 Tim. 3:1-5 as follows: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." Turning Back.—Some of the daily papers have been making much of the fact that a colored bishop in Sierra Leone, after a service of years in the church has turned back in his old age to cannibalism, and stating that Christians and supporters of the mission and acquaintances of the man are wondering how these things can be. It is not a difficult thing to understand if we believe God's Word. The simple fact seems to be that this missionary simply played a part to a large extent all his life, that he was never really converted or regenerated, and had never tasted the sweets of salvation, and the recreating power of God had never regenerated his soul. The flesh had been still kept alive until at last he yielded to it. It is the test of temptation which tries character, and every man will be tried. In these days of multitudinous temptations we shall see more and more such terrible falls, and shall find chaff where we thought only to be wheat; yet of all this God has forewarned us. None of these things should decrease our courage. As one writer has stated, in these days we should gather courage from others' cowardice, warmth from others' coldness, and loyalty from others' treason. God lives and is faithful; He can not deny Himself. A Home Coming.—June 13-17, 1906, is set for a "Home Coming" Kentucky week in Louisville, and all Kentuckians are invited. We have also received a hearty invitation on beautifully decorated notehead, in colors, from Mr. (or is it Colonel?) R. E. Hughes, the secretary of the Commercial Club of Louisville. "General Welcome Day," "Stephen Foster Day," "Daniel Boone Day," "Greater Kentucky Day," etc., we are sure will abound in generous hospitality and Kentucky sunshine. Unfortunately we can not attend for various reasons. If we could, it would be as a stranger, for whom we are assured the latch-string hangs out. But this calls to mind and heart another greater "Home Coming," which Kentuckians even will admit is bound to eclipse that of the state of Daniel Boone, or "My Old Kentucky Home." That is the Home Coming of the Ages in which the Great King calls all weary wanderers of every land. We can not announce the date, but it is coming, and the Master of the Ceremonies bids us all to be ready. Special robes of character are all that are necessary to admit any one to a part in that Home Coming, and these robes are furnished by Him who calls us. But we must be willing to be made ready. It is worth while, friends, Kentuckians, Californians, Japanese, Russians, one and all. You are all welcome. For the Railways.—From H. T. Newcomb, Bond Building, Washington, D. C., comes a pamphlet of 192 pages entitled "The Facts about Railroad Rates," in which are stated "some of the principle facts and arguments which demonstrate the gains that result to all producers and consumers from the free action of the commercial forces in shipping and transportation, and the losses that result from unwise statutory restrictions." No reasonable regulations for the suppression of rebates is touched; discrimination or abuses of any kind, in the railroad's rates or methods, are opposed. It is a word on the railroad's side of the question. All gross earnings of the railroads for the year 1903 are given in a diagram; for instance, labor is paid 40.8 per cent.; interest comes next, 14.62 per cent., or nearly 4½ per cent. of the funded debt; dividends 8.74 per cent., or 2.5 per cent. on the capital stock; fuel and oil come next, 8.12 per cent.; taxes, 3.5 per cent., etc., etc., with about twenty other items. The author of the book would be glad to give any other information to those who write. "The Way" is a little monthly hailing from the university town of Berkeley, published by the Way Publishing Company. It has to do with education along advanced and wholesome lines, mentally and morally. Articles of note in the issue before us are "Short Talks to Busy People," "Things Smaller than Atoms, and, What They Teach Us," and "Faith and the Bible." The price is 5 cents a copy, or fifty cents a year. It is a good paper to circulate among the students in the universities of our land. "The Chicago Daily Review" has been purchased by the Woman's National Daily, of the Lewis Publishing Company, University Heights, St. Louis, Mo. It will fill all subscriptions of the Daily Review by the Woman's National Daily, published at the same price, at one dollar a year. It promises not only a good paper, but a clean paper.