The China Printing-Press Fund
By Editor
Wanted—a Book.—Have any of our readers a book or pamphlet on the Lord's coming by Josiah Litch, published in 1838? If so, will they kindly let us know? We should like to negotiate for the loan or purchase of the volume. Address the editor of the Signs of the Times, Mountain View, Cal. Some persons' patience under exasperating slowness and perplexing difficulty is only simple laziness or utter lack of interest. News comes by way of Paris that Menelik, Emperor of Abyssinia, is dead and that grave troubles have followed his death. We hope that it may result in the free preaching of the everlasting Gospel in that land. Two towns—Cathro and Bolton—in northern Michigan, are almost wholly destroyed by forest fires, and twenty-two lives are lost in the northern part of the southern peninsula. It is believed that the loss of property will reach immense proportions, and that many more persons are burned and killed. The Eastern Question is unsettled at this writing. The ambitions of smaller powers involved, and jealousy and covetousness of the great European powers, postpone the day of settlement. It is well to remember the assurance of Holy Writ that God's "eyes observe the nations," that "He removeth kings, and setteth up kings." He will overrule all things for the progress of His work and the good of His trusting children. Therefore, whatever the outcome, we may trust and not be afraid. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company is in a deadly commercial conflict with a strong Japan company, the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, for the carrying trade between this coast and the Orient. The Japanese have been cutting rates and the order of the Pacific Mail is to meet every slash in prices. It is said that the Japanese are not only working for the carrying trade of the Pacific, but also for the Atlantic-Oriental trade by the way of the Suez Canal. Such strife as this will not help peace conditions between the two countries. The China Printing-Press Fund.
A faithful sister sends us a liberal donation to the China Printing-Press Fund, with the remark, "I often think if I were educated and younger, how I would love to distribute literature over there in that needy field, but as I can not do that, I will try to do the next best thing, that is to help with my means." Week by week the list of gifts to this fund grows, but much more is needed, and we trust that many more will do as this sister has done, help with their means. The appeals which come from China are pitiful in their accounts of ignorance and sin-blindness. Nothing in all the world can lift these millions from their condition except the Gospel of a sin-pardoning Redeemer. Every gift to this fund, however small, will help in this work. Send to the Signs of the Times, Mountain View, Cal. The Pope at the Head.—A writer, "Junius Junior," in the London Weekly Times, of Aug. 14, 1908, the author of a book on the reunion of Christendom, suggests a scheme for that union with the pope at the head. He thinks that "if a pope were willing to lead such a movement and at the same time to allow liberty of conscience to all, his accession would clearly add great strength to the movement because of his enormous following, and—granted liberty of conscience—will my critics explain wherein lies their objection to his leadership?" "Junius Junior" is not a Catholic or a high church ritualist. He is a very liberal thinker. He thinks there are many "guessers" at truth, and he feels that these "guessers" should "work together in furthering the spread of Christianity which is common to all." The question of the leadership of such a movement he holds to be subordinate, but the strongest one would be the pope. Well, the pope is leading a movement for the reunion of nominal Christianity, and it will be outwardly successful, tho only outwardly so. True union is first of all life union with Christ Jesus, and life union with Him can never compromise vital truth. There are great divisions on utterly non-essentials at present. The false union of Christendom will be made over dogmas the acceptance of which will make void the word of God. With unutterable longings for union, one must remember that Christ is first. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is no other Way. The Unemployed.—The papers are continually discussing what is to be done with and for the unemployed. England has a big problem on her hands in caring for her dependent old people and her unemployed men; Germany, France, Austria, and the United States all have their problems in caring for the men who are out of work. Efforts have been put forth to get the exact statistics in regard to the number of men who have no employment, and while the exact number is hard to ascertain, yet it is known that there are hundreds of thousands in this country alone who have nothing to do. These vast armies of men with no work become active agents in creating and extending discontent and strife. And the problem is not merely one of finding food and shelter for these idle men and their families, but how the revolutionary sentiments that they are stirring up may be properly dealt with. For the last half century the inventions and improvements of the age have created a great demand for factories, and we have gradually drifted into two classes: those who have money to build factories or establish industries to employ labor, and those who are dependent upon some one to employ them. The men who can employ themselves and also set others to work are becoming fewer in number, and there is a growing army of those who are utterly helpless unless some one will give them something to do. If these men who are out of employment would begin to think seriously of getting for themselves independent means of livelihood, they would find that many avenues could be opened so that they could get started with but very small capital; indeed, about all the capital needed is a disposition to work and be economical. But in the first place, the idea must be discarded that we are to depend upon some one else to hire us. We must learn how to employ ourselves. In the line of self-employment there is no more promising field than agriculture. Many people think that the farmer has about all the hard time of work and trouble that there is. But there was never a greater mistake. The farmer has the most independent and happy life, provided he brings intelligence and industry to bear upon his work. And he does not need to have two hundred or three hundred acres in order to succeed. Some of the most successful and happy agriculturists are on just from three to ten acres of land. They have no worry about getting out of a job, and are making a far better living than many of the mechanics who are steadily employed. The government has done an immense amount of experimental work in all lines of farming and stock raising, and it furnishes literature that will enable any one to start upon his work intelligently. A line to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., will bring you back a catalog of all the publications that are helpful to the farmer. And the man who will get these documents and study them may take hold of his work in such a way as to win success. Then there are numerous good papers and books, gotten out by private publishers, which may be very helpful to those who can afford them. But the government gives, absolutely free, enough information to enable any reasonably intelligent person to get started and make a success. And why should people hover around the cities in the "army of the unemployed" when the broad acres and the good air and sunshine of the farm are beckoning to them to come out and be free? "Peach Leaf Curl," "Yellows," "Rosette," and "Little Peach" are the subjects discussed in Bulletin No. 26 of the Georgia State Board of Entomology. This bulletin is ably prepared, well illustrated, and will be very useful to those interested in that topic. Address, E. L. Worsham, State Board of Entomology, Capitol Building, Atlanta, Ga.