Earlier text: Meeting with the Elders at Ephesus

Murder and Suicide in 1897.

—According to the Chicago Tribune, which has made a specialty of such statistics, the number of murders in the United States in 1897 aggregated 9,520, a falling off from last year, owing doubtless to better social conditions. But think of a city of 9,520 inhabitants being blotted out in one year in a land of plenty. The murders of 1896 numbered 10,652. The suicides of 1897 number 6,600 against 6,552 in 1896, an increase of 48. There were 128 legal executions, an increase of 6 over 1896. Lynchings increased from 131 in 1896 to 166 in 1897. The victims were 122 negroes, 39 whites, and 5 Indians.

Greed of Gold.

It is often said that gold is the god of America as truly as the golden calf was of apostate Israel of old. In a recent sermon Washington Gladden truly says: “God is not mocked by nations any more safely than by men. If you sow the seed of selfishness, you will reap corruption and decay. The dry rot of greed will eat the heart out of your liberties; and merciless millionism, using the weapons with which you have equipped it, will march into the capitals of your State and your nation, and entrench itself in strongholds of legal privilege, from which it will never be dislodged save by the sword and flame of another revolution.”

An Organ Wanted

An Organ Wanted.—We asked in the SIGNS of February 10 for an organ for the Helping Hand Mission in San Francisco. We desire that some one shall give or loan one, not to us, but to the Lord, for the sake of the poor souls who are lost in the inharmony of sin. Who will be the first to respond? Let us hear from you before sending the instrument. If some one prefers to give us $50 for that purpose, it will be gladly accepted.

Cruelty of Man.

A London, Eng., paper says: “At a tame deer hunt the other day, in which ‘gentlemen’ and ‘ladies’ and hounds took part, a deer, with an eye torn out by a barbed-wire fence, exhausted and fallen into a ditch, was given whisky in the effort to stimulate it to run further so that the pack of men, women, and dogs might chase it.” Is it a wonder that the spirit of war and killing is increasing, when such things are called sport by the ruling and influential classes? The religion of Christ indulges in no wanton cruelty for self-gratification.

Worse Than Famine, Pestilence, and War

Worse than famine, pestilence, and war is the blasting, blighting, devouring breath of old King Alcohol. His victims every year that pass out into the dread unknown, number millions; and his constant dupes and willing and unwilling bond-slaves number millions more. And yet Christian people pass on amid the enslaved and dying unmoved. Nay, more, many assist by vote, by example, and by influence in various ways to perpetuate the reign of the dreadful tyrant. Doting and indulgent mothers foster in their little ones appetites which make more sure their future doom. “How long, O Lord, how long?”

Two Worthy New Institutions.

On a recent visit to Portland, Or., we visited two institutions in that busy city which are worthy of patronage and support. The first is Portland Medical and Surgical Sanitarium, situated at the corner of First and Montgomery Streets. The institution is fully equipped to do the very best of service in the way of scientific and hygienic treatment. The physicians in charge are Drs. William Hubbard and Mary Heilesen. By the means of good, nourishing food, prepared in the most approved manner, baths, electricity (faradic and galvanic), massage, and careful, faithful, kind nursing and treatment, the sick and worn and feeble are brought back to vigorous health and taught how to keep well. The income from the work of the institution brings no profit to the owners or conductors, but is used to extend the work of the institution in benevolent, charitable, and advance work. If the sick and worn in the great northwest desire a place to recuperate, let them write for terms to the manager of the Medical and Surgical Sanitarium, corner of First and Montgomery Streets, Portland. The other institution which we visited, and which is worthy of support by those in western Oregon and Washington, is the Medical Mission for homeless, hopeless men, Ankeny and Fourth Streets, Portland. Here a poor fellow can get a good meal for five cents, at one cent a dish, and a clean bath and bed for ten cents. Here also are held earnest Gospel meetings every night, and the sick are attended by skilful physicians. The mission is for every needy soul, black or white, brown or yellow, without respect to religion or belief. We hope it may be liberally supported, and the sacrificing souls carrying it on may have the hearty co-operation of all earnest Christians.

Proselyting

Proselyting.—One of the charges brought against every advance religious movement in the world is that of proselyting, by which is meant the winning from one church organization to another, by which one is led to change his church name or relations, but is in no way benefited. But no true Gospel laborer ever endeavors to build up one denomination at the expense of another. It is not his object to get church-members. His object is to “preach the Word,” to “preach the Gospel,” to “preach Christ,” and thereby save souls. If the reception of the Gospel causes the breaking of human bonds and the severing of human associations, the laborer is not responsible. The charge in such case lies against the truth.

Go Work in My Vineyard

“Go.”—J. K. Montgomery, a Presbyterian pastor of Cincinnati, expresses a grand but little-heeded truth in the following words: “‘Go work to-day in My vineyard.’ This is the command of Christ, which should be thundered in the ears of the church throughout Christendom. This command is not to the preacher, teacher, elder, or deacon—the few to whom the work of Christ is usually left—but it is to the ‘son,’ to every child of God, to every member of the church.” We can not do our work for Christ by proxy. There must be the giving of self in the work. The corn of wheat must die, or it abideth alone.

Cubans in Florida.

From a report in the Review and Herald we learn that over one hundred families of Cubans in Tampa, Fla., are suffering for want of the necessaries of life. One of the leading industries of Tampa is the manufacture of cigars, in which most of the workers are Cubans, and their present distress is owing to the fact that most of the factories are shut down. There has been a call for donations to help these sufferers, and any contributions of money, clothing, food, etc., may be sent to Mrs. Ida Coyne, 1207 Marion Street, Tampa, Fla.

history

history

history

history