p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 7. (2/12/1908)

Earlier text: Pacific Press Annual Meetings

Burning of the Old Pacific Press Building.

By Editor

On Wednesday night, January 15, the old home of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, in Oakland, Cal., burned. The building passed out of our hands a year ago, and we had no financial interest in it. But it is of interest, after all, to us and many of our readers.

The two lower floors were occupied by a printing establishment; the two upper floors were used as a furniture warehouse. The fire started in the basement, and the interior was soon a mass of flame. But the fire company controlled matters so well that on a large dwelling-house twelve feet away on the west side, and the old Press building, about the same distance on the north, the paint was scarcely blistered, yet against both buildings the broken timbers of the building were piled. It looks as tho a gigantic weight fell upon it from above, and crushed it like an egg-shell to the ground. The old building is on the left of the picture. The high part in the rear is a portion of the back wall which still stands. The loss is about $80,000, divided among the owner and the businesses within the structure. While we are glad we were not there, we sympathize with the losers.

Errata and Sunday-Law Propositions

By Editor

Errata.—A correspondent in Michigan kindly calls attention to a typographical mistake in our issue of December 11, in which the per capita wealth of the United States is given at $7.80 in 1875 and $12.36 in 1900. The figures should have been $780 and $1,236. Even so important is a little period.

Sunday-Law Propositions Galore.—There are not less than five different Sunday-law bills before the national Congress at this time. Their numbers, dates, introducers, titles, etc., are as follows:

S. 1519, Dec. 9, 1907, introduced by Senator Penrose, of Pennsylvania, "A bill to prevent Sunday banking in post-offices in the handling of money-orders and registered letters."

S. 3940, Jan. 14, 1908, by Senator Johnston, of Alabama, "A bill requiring certain places of business in the District of Columbia to be closed on Sunday."

H. R. 4897, Dec. 5, 1907, by Representative Allen, of Maine, "A bill to further protect the first day of the week as a day of rest in the District of Columbia."

H. R. 4929, Dec. 5, 1907, by Representative Heflin, of Alabama, "A bill prohibiting labor on buildings, and so forth, in the District of Columbia on the Sabbath day."

H. R. 13471, Jan. 15, 1908, by Representative Lamar, of Missouri, "A bill prohibiting work in the District of Columbia on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday."

It will be seen that there are two in the Senate, and three in the House. Diverse, contradictory, un-American, un-Christian are they all. Protest against them ought to go up from all parts of the United States. If you wish to learn all about them send for Liberty, published at Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. The Signs will deal with these things also. Every citizen ought to be interested in them.

Degeneracy.—The inspired word tells us that the last days are days of degeneracy. We get a better view of the fulfilment of this condition sometimes in old and settled communities than we do in newer localities where we are much more likely to excuse people in their extremes. For instance, an article, written by Rev. E. S. Tasker, in a recent number of Zion's Herald, a Methodist Episcopal paper of Boston, points out a very remarkable degeneracy in old New Hampshire. That state once occupied the proud place of third in the Union for literacy. She has now fallen to the twenty-eighth. Not only in this is there a degeneracy, but in moral aspects, as instanced by the divorce evil. In 1870 New Hampshire had 149 cases of divorce. In 1904, 525 cases. We are told that the public conscience has been deadened by familiarity with moral looseness. In 1902, 473 were committed to county houses of correction for drunkenness, but in 1906 they numbered 2,182. In a church census, out of a population of 32,000, 8,000 or one-fourth, claimed to have no church affiliations whatever. 18,000 had never made any kind of profession of religion. These estimates are not made on city life, always considered more corrupt than that of the country, but in country villages. The population is decreasing. One country town gives us this record: 29 marriages; 25 births; and 40 deaths. In a canvass of 37 towns it was found that the population is decreasing in 27 of them. 1,084 dwelling-houses out of 9,073 were deserted. These figures speak strongly.

Matters in Morocco have assumed an altogether different form the last few weeks. The French nation had been dealing with Abdel-Aziz, but a new sultan has been proclaimed at Fez, named Mulai-Hafed, and a holy war has been declared. What the French are fearful of now is that all the Mohammedans in north Africa will arise, and it is quite a question with them whether they wish to undertake a war of subjection of these hordes of fanatics at this time or not. It may be necessary for all the European powers to unite. Of course in these days, with superior implements of warfare, it would be of short duration, but there is no question but what it would be a bloody war.

The Sacred Fire.—An oil gusher has been located near Baku, in Asia, on the site of an ancient temple dedicated at one time to a kind of fire-worship. It has now been learned that the eternal flame at the altar by which the priests deceived the people, was made by natural gas.

Contained in This Issue.

By Editor

With Our Inquirers

Questions Nos. 2382 to 2387 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

General

Christ the Teacher and Healer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Law of Rest in the Healing of Disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Sin; Is It All Voluntary? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Home Bible Studies

The Great Threefold Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Our Bible Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Editorial

God's Message for To-day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Studies in Romans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Studies in the Book of Daniel (God the Ruler) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Outlook

"Nothing but Wine" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Missions

The Power of Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

The Home

Hang Your Cap in Its Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Courtesy to the Unfortunate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Poetry

The Three Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Open the Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Home at Last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Nobody Knows but Mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

But on Wednesday of this week he burned the pile a year old. But if he...

Reading the Bible

Reading the Bible.—When it is said that some one has read the Bible thru in a week or a day, don't you believe it. To read every moment of twelve hours a day, one would have to read more than an average of eighteen words a second. One can run over the Bible during that time. He will, if familiar with it, recall much from memory; but that is not reading the word.

Assassination of Portugal’s King

King Carlos I of Portugal and the crown prince, Luiz Phillipe, were assassinated in Lisbon, February 1, while driving thru the streets to the palace. Revolution has been breeding for months, and the populace could endure the profligacies, the extravagance, and the tyranny of the king no longer. A republic is talked of.

Bible Reading Schedules for 1908

By Editor

Schedules for Bible reading in 1908 are for members of the Bible Band only. We have not had enough printed to supply our readers in general. Even if stamp is enclosed, therefore, we can not send the schedule, and we can not afford to return a two-cent stamp.

Blessing on the Publishing Office

By Editor

God has greatly blessed this office during the past year. It has been demonstrated that a Christian publishing office, attending to its own work, will do much better than by mixing its work with the world's business.

God the Judge

Our next study in the book of Daniel is "God the Judge." It is a lesson of vital importance.

The Sabbath Question

By Editor

OF ALL QUESTIONS PRESSING UPON THE RELIGIOUS WORLD TODAY NONE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT OF THE SABBATH; FOR IN THAT ARE INVOLVED ALL OTHER VITAL QUESTIONS. IT IS AGITATED EVERYWHERE. IT HAS PUSHED OUTSIDE OF THE RELIGIOUS CIRCLES INTO POLITICS. ONE CLASS IS DEMANDING THAT A DAY SHALL BE ENFORCED BY RELIGIOUS LEGISLATION. THERE ARE NOW FIVE BILLS UPON THIS QUESTION BEFORE THE AMERICAN CONGRESS. AND THE MOVEMENT IS GROWING. ANOTHER CLASS BELIEVES IN A DAY OF REST, BUT BELIEVES THAT IT SHOULD BE A MATTER OF FAITH WITH THE INDIVIDUAL. A THIRD CLASS—RAPIDLY GROWING LESS—IS INDIFFERENT. THE BIBLE IS THE CHRISTIAN'S BOOK. BY THE LAW OF THAT BOOK WE SHALL BE JUDGED. WHAT IS ITS TEACHING ON THE SABBATH QUESTION? THIS, THE LORD WILLING, WILL BE GIVEN IN OUR BIBLE-READING NEXT WEEK.