SUPERIORITY OF THE PLOWSHARE.
Whether men believe the Bible or not, whether they believe in the existence of a chief adversary of all that is good or not, there is one thing that seems to be certain: There is some subtle, sinister power that impels men to work against their own best interest. There is some peculiar influence at work causing the human race to indulge in all sorts of suicidal schemes. Judgment is all awry, the world is over head and ears in debt, and its investments are largely unprofitable. Referring to another subject, the San Francisco Chronicle of recent date incidentally says, "The plowshare is infinitely more potent in raising the value of government bonds than big armies and navies." This statement is so evident that one would hardly expect to hear a dissenting voice; yet, look at the world and behold the vast armaments, the almost incredible investments in military and naval establishments. These are not only maintained by the national governments, but by states and provinces. They call for the best bone and sinew among the sons of men, to become consumers of the people's substance rather than producers; to become trained systematic destroyers of men and the fruits of their labor. And it is all to gratify the ambition of men to dominate their fellow men, to sustain the ambition of governments, to outdo and to outshine other governments. To this end the prophetic Word foretells the disposition of the last days to beat the plowshares into swords, and the pruning-hooks into spears. Thus unto the very end will go on the process of destruction unto destruction; and when men shall be prophesying, "Peace, peace," then "sudden destruction shall come upon them." See Joel 3:9-14; 1 Thess. 5:1-3. The bitterest ingredient in the Russian situation is religious fanaticism, yet it is one of the nominal "Christian nations." The following dispatch from Moscow, dated July 25, illustrates the point: Tens of thousands of copies of the Viechs, a Black Hundred paper, containing the most provocative articles against the Jews and revolutionists, are being distributed gratis in the streets. An editorial in the paper glorifies the dispersal of the "revolutionary assembly of Jews and Jewish sympathizers," adding: "The prayers of the people have at last found an echo in the heart of the Emperor. Arise, Orthodox Russians; take care that the next Parliament is not an assembly of Jews and revolutionists, but a state institution willing to work in harmony with the autocratic Emperor and the fundamental law." In giving permission to open the saloons of San Francisco, the door seems to have swung wider than was intended. The mayor summarily removed the entire board of police commissioners, and the new board failed to organize because one member died suddenly and another declined to serve. So action on applications for saloon licenses was deferred, and new applications accumulated. The applicants became impatient and commenced business without licenses. Last week the correspondent of the San Jose Mercury stated that possibly 150 saloons had done this, and the number was daily increasing. Also that "all along the line" saloons were being conducted without regard to the closing hour of 8 P. M., and that it was "easy to find a saloon open at any hour of the night."