p. 15 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 39. (9/25/1901)

CO-OPERATION CORNER.

By Editor

Many of our faithful missionary workers would gladly use much larger clubs of the SIGNS than they are now circulating if they could afford to do so, while there are others who would be just as glad to pay for such clubs if they knew who needed them.

For these reasons we have opened the “Co-operation Corner.” It will contain requests for clubs of papers for use in various fields, short reports from those who are using such clubs, acknowledgments of money received, and such other information as will bring together those who can use papers but can not pay for them, and those who can pay for papers but are not situated so they can use them.

We are glad to report a donation of $4.00 from Gladys Andrews, Landers, Wyo., which has been applied on the Club of 36 Little Friends to the orphan asylum which was mentioned last week in this Corner. This leaves a balance of $10.40 now due in order to send the papers for one year.

This week we wish to bring before your attention the club of 12 SIGNS which has been going to the Working Men's Home, of 1341 State Street, Chicago, Ill. This club has just expired. The chaplain writes: “We have been receiving the SIGNS and have used them in our work to the glory of God. We are very thankful for these papers, but have no funds to pay for the renewal of the club.”

The cost will be $9.00 to send this club another year. Are there not some readers in the SIGNS family who would esteem it a privilege to help defray the expense of this club? Surely this is good missionary work.

Address your reply to SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.

Ten Friends Receive Signs for $2.50

By Editor

Do you know that the SIGNS will be mailed to ten of your friends for three months commencing with the issue of Sept. 11, for only $2.50? The regular price is $4.00, but we make this reduction at this time in order to bring the special series of articles on Modern Spiritism within the reach of all.

Besides these the studies on Daniel by the Editor and those on Nature by Prof. Griggs of S. Lancaster Academy, Mass., have just commenced, and will continue for some time. PUBLISHERS.

The Shooting of President McKinley

The news of the shooting of President McKinley, at a public function in Buffalo, September 6, shocked and inexpressibly pained the whole country. It was not as the assassination of Lincoln, at the close of a great civil war, when the fierce strife of contending parties was not yet allayed; it was not engendered by fierce political strife, as was the shooting of Garfield by the wretched assassin Guiteau. The shooting of President McKinley came in a time of peace, in premeditated cold blood, by a man who had suffered no wrong from the president, and who emphasized the darkness and devilishness of his deed by the peaceful act of shaking the president's hand in order to get a better opportunity to take his life. Indignation, sorrow, sympathy, regret, will take possession of true hearts throughout the country. Hearts everywhere will beat in sympathy with the frail wife, who will suffer even beyond her husband. In all probability if he dies, she will die, and the tragedy will prove a double one. It is devoutly to be hoped that the bullet will be found and extracted, and the president will recover. The last reports are hopeful, and serious complications seem past.

INCREASE OF LAWLESSNESS.

Below is a list of rulers and men in high places attacked by assassins in the last thirty-six years:—

President Abraham Lincoln, shot by Booth, April 14, 1865.

Alexander II. of Russia, killed by a bomb thrown by nihilists, March 13, 1881.

President James A. Garfield, shot by Guiteau July 2, 1881.

President Sadi Carnot of France, stabbed by an Italian anarchist June 24, 1894.

Shah of Persia, Nasr-ed-din, assassinated by a revolutionist May 1, 1896.

Queen of Korea, assassinated at Seoul by a Japanese, October 9, 1895.

Prime Minister of Spain, Castillo, mortally shot on August 8, 1897.

Attempted assassination of President Felix Faure of France, by bomb thrown by anarchists, August 21, 1897.

Attempted assassination of King Humbert of Italy, August 22, 1897.

President Borda of Uruguay assassinated August 25, 1897.

Attempted assassination of President Diaz of Mexico, September 16, 1897.

Attempted assassination of President Moraes of Brazil, November 1, 1897.

President Barrios of Guatemala, mortally shot February 8, 1898.

Attempted assassination of King George of Greece, February 26, 1898.

Empress Elizabeth of Austria, stabbed to death September 10, 1898.

Prince of Wales (now Edward VII.) of England, shot at April 4, 1900.

King Humbert of Italy, killed by an anarchist July 29, 1900.

President McKinley, shot at Buffalo, N.Y., September 6, 1901.

Here are eighteen assassinations or attempted assassinations of those occupying high positions, since 1865; a period of thirty-six years. Eleven of these resulted in death, one hangs in the balance, six were ineffectual attempts, but the intent was to kill.

Seventeen of these occurred since January 1, 1881, a period of twenty years. Fifteen occurred during the last seven years. Thirteen occurred during the last five years. Eleven occurred during the last four years.

What will the end be? Surely, in the words of Jesus concerning the last days, “iniquity [lawlessness] shall abound.” In the words of Paul, “Perilous times shall come;” “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.”

But assassination of rulers is only one of the symptoms. As elsewhere shown, lynching, mob law, is truly a form of anarchy,—a repudiation of all law but the mad, wild passions of the mob. In this country, during the last twenty years, 3,130 lynchings have taken place. During this present year, up to August 30, 101 lives have been taken by mob law. “Deserved death,” perhaps most of them did; but it is a fearful thing to take capital punishment out of the hands of constituted authorities. Every State has had one or more of these exhibitions of increasing lawlessness to its discredit during the last sixteen years, except Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Utah. Of this present year’s work, seventy-six victims were colored, twenty-three were white, one was Chinese, one Indian. Twenty-seven of the 101 were for murder, twenty for assaults of women, fifty-four were for various causes, from mistaken identity to arson.

The causes may be set down as follows: (1) A baleful education from the schools of war, yellow-backed literature, and anarchistic documents; (2) tardy justice in the courts of law, long-drawn-out trials, arousing sympathy for the criminal by making him a hero; (3) the growingly wide-spread teaching by ministers in many churches that God’s holy law is abolished, that it is of obligation no longer. “Where no law is, there is no transgression,” and hence why should not men follow passion, with no moral restraint, with no fear of God before them? But of this last more hereafter.

The above clearly show that we are living in “perilous times,” that the great day of God is near. Let men seek God and yield to His requirements. Let the ministers of God forsake their milk-and-water liberalism, and preach the Gospel of God and that repentance based on the conviction of the law and Spirit of God. God’s judgment is pending, and every one has a case at His court. How do you stand there?

A Needed Message to Parents

Do not neglect to read, “Work Out Your Own Salvation,” on page 3. It is a needed message to parents.

The Sure Gain Is the Long Gain

Righteousness can afford to wait, can afford to be even more than fair. Even if it seem to lose in this life, the loss is but temporary; for righteousness is of God, and God is eternal. “The sure gain is the ‘long gain.’”

Babylonian Lore

Babylonian Lore.—There are many things concerning Babylonian lore which would be of interest to our readers, would space permit. For instance, the inscribed bricks and stones reveal to us that there existed a comprehensive encyclopedia on grammar, treating of the various styles of writing, the science of language, etc. There were great public libraries,—at least a lexicon of the Chaldeo-Turanian, a dictionary of synonyms in the Assyrian tongue, with paradigms of the conjugation of verbs, a dictionary of signs of the cuneiform text, and many other things. These were a part of the “learning and tongue of ‘the Chaldeans,” which Daniel and his fellows studied. They all go to confirm the truth of the prophetic word as to Babylon’s greatness and influence over all the kingdoms of earth; for prior to and above even Egypt was Babylon.

Golden Words of Wisdom.

—Ex-Senator John M. Thurston of Nebraska truly says: “Anarchy, which stands for lawlessness, can not be stamped out by lawless methods. . . . In a free government so-called mob justice has never yet vindicated a right or assisted toward a better condition of things. The vengeance of the populace always brutalizes a community. Instead of regretting that the monster Czolgosz was not torn limb from limb by the incensed multitude who witnessed the crime, we should rather thank God that the officers of the law were able to vindicate the dignity of the law.” Such utterances deserve to be written in letters of gold. In what splendid contrast they appear with the vengeful utterances of some professed ministers of the Gospel of peace.

As Sorrowful, Yet Alway Rejoicing

“As Sorrowful, yet Alway Rejoicing.”—The Christian will have sorrow. No heart will be so sensitive to the sins which crucified Christ Jesus as the heart renewed by grace. Never can such a one look upon sin without sorrow of heart. No heart is so sensitive of others’ sorrows, and woes, and miseries as the heart that has been regenerated by Christ. Such a one will “weep with those who ‘weep.” No heart is so grieved over the downward course of the sinner, over the backsliding course of the cold professor, as the heart of him in harmony with God, who grieves over the sinning of His children. The Lord appreciates such sorrow; for He places His mark of eternal security upon those “that ‘sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be ‘done in the midst thereof.” So Jesus, filled with the Spirit of God, having perfect faith in the loving Father, was the “Man of sorrows, and acquainted ‘with grief.” He wept at the grave of Lazarus; He wept over Jerusalem; He plead with God often with “strong crying and tears.” So Christ’s followers will be sorrow-ful, full of sorrow because of the sad things in this poor, sick, dying world. “Yet alway ‘rejoicing.” Yes, there is rejoicing; for knowing Christ Jesus, dwelling in Christ Jesus, is a fount of deepest, sweetest joy. That rejoicing is in the Lord. He is mighty—able to save; He is wise—knowing how to save; He is loving—willing, anxious to save. In Him we have salvation. He is our all and in all. Great are the “riches of His grace,” great “the ‘power of His might,” great the “comfort of His ‘love.” In all things we are enriched in Him. Why should not the Christian rejoice, ever rejoice,—even tho “sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing”?

Anarchy

The word anarchy comes from the Greek, an, “without,” and archos, “head,” “ruler;” one without government or head. It is, in its strongest and most radical sense, applied to those who are against all law and government, and who believe all rulers ought to be dispensed with, mildly if it may be, forcibly if necessary. It is believed, and there seems to be evidence sufficient to show it, that world-wide organizations exist for the purpose of promoting an active propagandism of anarchistic principles, with the occasional killing of some person in authority. The wicked shooting of President McKinley was not inspired because of aught he had done, or by any personal hatred against him as an individual; but he was shot solely because he was considered a “ruler.” The attack of anarchist Czolgosz was more than against a man; it was against all law, all stability of government, all authority. If possessing the power, it would dethrone God. Its root was in Satan’s lawless revolt in the courts above. In the present instance which has so awfully shocked and saddened the nation, a poor soul with uncurbed lawless instincts has been incited to his deed of treacherous madness by the hearing and reading of the utterances of a woman anarchist. Such incendiary speeches and publications, the demand that life shall be taken, that rulers shall be assassinated, should be suppressed in the interests of the protection of human life. The worst kind of government is better than anarchy.

With only sympathy for the wounded Chief Magistrate and his afflicted wife, with no excuse for the monster who did the cruel deed, still no Christian could desire to do otherwise than civilly to leave him in the hands of the courts of law, and morally and eternally to the even and sure justice of God.