p. 15 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 15. (4/10/1907)

Earlier text: HOW MANY POOR WOULD BE HELPED?

"AND JUDGMENT IS TURNED AWAY BACKWARD."

By F. C. Gilbert

It is becoming more and more apparent that judgment and justice are becoming a lost art in many of the courts of the land. An experience recently occurred in Boston which will forcibly illustrate this.

One of the workers of the Jewish Mission was engaged in colporteur work in one of the suburbs of the city. He was doing work for the Master, and helping souls along the way. Having called at a number of houses in that vicinity, he entered into the house of a fine Christian lady, one forenoon, at about 11:40 a.m., and showed her the book he was selling. He spoke kind words to the lady, who was somewhat cast down, and she felt that God had helped her thru this young servant of His. She gave him an order for the book, and then watched him from a window within the next five minutes, as she thought she wanted to look at a young man like that who loved Jesus, and was spending his time doing good to others.

He stayed at her house about twenty minutes, and she watched him as he talked to a neighbor for the next five minutes. About that time he had promised a fellow worker to meet him in a certain part of that quarter, and so he hurried up street to meet his appointment. As he almost reached his destination he moderated his pace, when he heard some one behind him remark, "He is the one." Immediately after he felt the grip of a hand on his shoulder, and quickly another young man came up, and the two led him away about two blocks, when he was accused of stealing a diamond ring, and a gold brooch. The young man protested, but it was of no avail. Soon an ambulance came, and he was taken to the station-house. Two hundred dollars bail was demanded to let him out, and he was to appear before the court the following morning.

Before going to court, the lady to whom he sold the book was asked if she would go to court to prove an alibi, for the theft was committed at the very time this brother was selling a book to this lady, and the difference between the two places was about one mile. She gladly consented to go, as she felt he had helped her so much that it seemed cruel to think of such an idea.

The prosecution had six witnesses, aside from the lady who had the things stolen; they were made up of brewery workers, and people of that class. Not one of the six identified him as the one who actually committed the larceny, only they saw a young man run; he had a light overcoat, a black hat, had black hair, and was about the same build as was this young man. The damaging evidence was given by a teamster who said that he chased the culprit up and down several blocks, while the defendant ran across the lot; yet, he said, he never took his eyes off the man. Certainly this is a wonderful vision. How one person could run across a lot while another was obliged to go up and down several blocks, with houses all around, and yet not take his eyes off from the person is a marvel. Still the court asked no questions, but believed it.

As the teamster was driving along to catch the culprit, the brother, unfortunately, was running to meet his appointment. Seeing the light coat, etc., he concluded he was the one; and on this ground only he had him taken and arrested.

No person saw his face nor his features; it was a case of circumstance, and unfortunate at that.

The lady was called for the defense. She had a Bible in her hand, to show the judge the texts he had read to her which helped her so much, and also to show the guarantee slip he gave her with his own signature, at the very time when the theft was committed. But the court did not care to see either. She told her story honestly, candidly, frankly. The court asked her how long it would take to travel the distance from her house to where the larceny was committed, and she told the judge a good walker could travel it in fifteen minutes.

The defendant took the stand, and told his story. He told how he was going from house to house in helping the people, and getting the good literature into their hands. It was a simple story, plainly told, tho the court did try to mix him up.

When the hearing was over, the judge pronounced him guilty. It certainly seemed marvelous, one could hardly rely upon his hearing. Then the judge wanted to know what should be done with the case. I was called upon to speak. I told what I knew of the young man, how he had trained for a Christian nurse, and was a good, Christian young man, and was endeavoring to do all the good he could to the people. We told the judge it was an unfortunate circumstance, and was a case of mistaken identity. The clerk of the court was called upon to give what information he could, and he gave a splendid testimony in behalf of the young man. Everything that was said in his favor was very true and very good, while on the other hand the best they had was circumstantial, and they themselves admitted it.

Despite these conditions, the judge fined the brother forty dollars. It was really a stunning blow. The case was appealed to the superior court. The brother was let out on bail.

After the trial the prosecutor came to several of our workers, and told them that she did not believe he was guilty. She did not swear that he was, and, in fact, she did not know. But she was obliged to come to testify, which she did.

On leaving the court-room one of the officers who made the arrest said that being an officer he did not care to say very much to be quoted. But he remarked that in all the years of his experience as a policeman he had never heard such an unjust decision. He told that when the thieves are caught in the very act or with the goods on their persons they are never fined over ten dollars for petty larceny. Here, with all the government's evidence circumstantial, no one identifying the person, and so many good, Christian people testifying in his favor, to render such a decision seemed inexplicable to him. Surely "judgment is turned away backward."

Let us all pray that God's will may be wrought out in this matter, and may we learn a lesson to give the truth to the people while the opportunities are as favorable as they are to-day.

F. C. GILBERT. 107 Staniford St., Boston, Mass.

Blazing Meteorite Falls in Santa Rosa

A blazing meteorite is said to have fallen in Santa Rosa the night of March 13, right in the center of the street. It was about five inches in diameter. It has been broken to pieces and distributed.

Keep the Philippines

Keep the Philippines.—There are many statesmen in America who would vote with both hands for the giving up of the islands by the United States, believing their retention prolific of expense and trouble in the future as they have been in the past. Archbishop Harty, of Manila, has recently come to Washington, and the Western Watchman quotes him as saying that "it would be a burning disgrace for the United States to abandon the Philippines. I want to use that word. It would be a shame. Give me permission to state also as my decided opinion that the brightest page in American history will be that recording the operations of this government in the Philippines. My belief is that in time the Filipinos may turn Japan to Christianity. These Philippines are the pearl of the Orient. Just think—6,000,000 Christians in, we may say, the heart of Asia! Yes, and I do not feel I am optimistic, I believe that the Filipinos will finally convert the Japanese and the Japanese will in due time convert Asia." The archbishop, of course, wishes America to still act as the upholder of Catholicism in the far East, and for the Filipinos, the nearest neighbors of Japan, to be the representative United States Christians. It is profitable to the "Church" for America to retain the islands.

Not Benefited

Not Benefited.—The Washington Herald of February 26, in discussing the question of a two-billion dollar country, notes the tremendous strides which have been made in the development of the country and the wealth of its people, and states that trades-unionism is stronger to-day than it ever was; but at the same time pointed out that while the “wage scale is higher,” yet “the earnings of labor have not as great a purchasing power as formerly,” and that is true. With the increased wages have come increased extravagance and increased prices. The hollowness of such prosperity will be clearly demonstrated in times of financial panic.

THE UNION LABEL.

By Editor

Not Current Everywhere.

A PAPER comes back to this office from Norwood, Mass., in a wrapper bearing this legend:

"Returned because of absence of union label. Demand this label on all your printed-matter. It represents good workmanship, good wages, and good conditions."

The little paster on the wrapper bears the union label. Now we are not going to attempt to controvert the right of the individual who returned this paper to demand the union label on all he reads. It is his right as a free American. But we feel sorry for him, because he will deprive himself of so much good reading. Not to mention a thousand other works, the "union label" is not on the Bible in any of its versions so far as we know. Then, to be consistent, our friend should demand it on the water he drank, frozen into the ice he used, on the air he breathed, on the sunshine that brings him light and life. But Heaven, which supplies these, is one country which seems not yet to have fallen under control of such unions. It is yet, praise God, an open country and keeps open shop, showering and shining its products alike on the evil and the good, on the unionist and non-unionist.

This office is a religious printing-office; it is established for that purpose, to print the everlasting Gospel; it prints only religious publications; it could not in the very nature of things turn its plant over to the control of a non-religious union. It stands for good work. It has gotten work done in union offices, but this work was almost invariably inferior to our own.

We are glad, however, that the unions number among them many, very many, fair-minded men, who are broad enough to read that which does not bear a certain brand, who recognize every man's right to think and act for himself, and who see the sweet reasonableness of some things as well as the bitter unreasonableness of others. And they know that it is good to know that no union card will be demanded at Heaven's gate. No outward label is current there. Character only counts.

Observance of a Perversion

By Editor

There are principles and principles. In which are you trusting? Are they justice, temperance, mercy, truth, love? Or is it the opposite of these?

We record another fearful railway accident, this time of the Sunset Express of the Southern Pacific, near Colton, Cal. A train running forty miles an hour ran into an open switch. Ten of the fourteen coaches were derailed; twenty-two persons are known to have been killed; and about one hundred injured, several of whom will die. The greater sufferers were in the lighter cars, day coaches, and tourist sleepers. Of eighty Pullman passengers only two were seriously injured.

Observance of a Perversion.

March 28, Emperor Francis Joseph washed the feet of twelve old men in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, before a gathering of archdukes, diplomats, and State officials. Previous to this, assisted by others, he served them with food. Afterward he bestowed upon them silk purses, each containing thirty pieces of silver, which he hung around the neck of each,—a sort of price for the perversion of truth. Still the old emperor did better than most Christians. They do not even attempt it.

Armed Peace.

While peace congresses are multiplying, war talk is multiplying as well, or rather the peace guarded by the bayonet. A very effective cartoon was given to the public two or three years ago of Peace sitting upon a throne, the center of a halo, but the corona of this halo formed by bayonets, every one of which was pointed toward the heart of Peace. That is the kind of peace that is now advocated by our statesmen. For instance, at a recent meeting of the Naval League of the United States, the one thing exalted above everything else was the navy. General Porter declared, “The navy is to the country what the lightning-rod is to the house.” Rear Admiral Barker defined war as a punishment of the sins of nations, and referred to lack of preparation as one of these sins. Justice Harlan, of the Supreme Court, spoke for peace, but not apologetic peace. That would be the kind of peace that a big burly policeman would enforce among boys who in his presence would quiet down, but in his absence would fight. Justice Harlan said, “Some of the speakers have spoken of ship for ship and man for man. I believe in two ships for every other navy’s one, and two men for every one.” Representative Sulzer, of New York, favored a small army but a big navy, advocating bigger ships and greater speed and twenty-five per cent. increase in the salary of all naval and army men. Read, in connection with this, God’s prophecy in Joel, the third chapter: “Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up,” “beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.” And the prophet declares that all this is when the great day of God is impending. In connection with this read also 1 Thess. 5:2-4: “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in nowise escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”

Reasoning from analogy, it seems evident that there are other planets, and that they are inhabited. We can not conceive that this earth is the only inhabited sphere among the countless spheres of the universe—visible and invisible. The sons of God of Job 1 evidently represented other worlds, while Satan the usurper represented this earth. But while there are doubtless many other inhabited worlds, Heb. 1:3, nor 11:3 does not prove it. The word there translated “worlds” is the Greek word aion, meaning “age” or “duration.”

Other Places Are Open.

The original Garden of Eden has been located in the mountains of southwestern Asia, at the North Pole, and elsewhere. The last location is said by Prof. Clinton McMickle, a Kansas scientist, to be in Yazoo County, Miss., on the farm of Mr. W. H. Henry, where is now the ruins of what was a once splendid city. Why not believe as the Bible seems clearly to teach, that after sin entered this world, the Garden of Eden was transplanted in the New Jerusalem on high; and that when this earth is to be restored from the curse, it will come down from heaven upon the earth. More than this, the arrangement of the world before the Deluge was not the same as now. Holy Writ expressly declares that “the world [the kosmos, arrangement] that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” 2 Peter 3:6.

STUDIES IN THE CHRIST LIFE.

Our twenty-six symposium numbers beginning May 1 will be enriched by a series of most interesting studies in our Home Department on the life of Christ as conducted in a Christian home. The whole family will enjoy it. The first issue of the twenty-six specials is on the Bible, with a fine new cover design.

The Great White Plague.

According to the Washington Times, for the four years ending in 1904, the rate of deaths per 100,000 in American cities of more than 50,000 population ran as high as 410. That was Denver. In New Orleans, 326; San Francisco, 285; Washington, 276. This does not mean that Denver and San Francisco are the most unhealthy places to live, but people flocked to these cities who were consumptive, and the deaths were largely from hopeless cases. The District of Columbia health officer believes that greater benefit would accrue from the testing of milk and the killing of infected animals than anything else. The United States Department of Agriculture, in the booklet which it issued in the last of December, 1906, declares, “There is no means to-day by which persons are brought into closer contact with tuberculous matter than among the dairy products obtained from, or in the environments of, tuberculous cows. The wide use of milk, . . . the ease with which it may be contaminated, . . . all lead to one conclusion; namely, that we have no more active agent than tuberculous cows for the increase of tuberculosis among animals and its persistence among men.” These things ought to lead to great care in all local communities, and especially among users of milk.

“Sabbaton.”

There has been handed us a paper containing an article entitled, “Is the First Day of the Week Ever Called Sabbath in the New Testament?” The writer goes on to say that two ministers whom he met offered, he believes, about fifteen hundred dollars to any person who would show in the Bible where the first day of the week is called Sabbath. He declares that he showed this, but the fifteen hundred dollars was refused. His proof was that Sabbaton where it occurs in Matt. 28:1, and parallel passages, ought to be translated Sabbath, “now after Sabbath to the dawning into the first Sabbath.” 1 Cor. 16:2, “Every first Sabbath.” And then he refers to one German translation that so translates it. As we have before pointed out many times, all the scholarship of the world is against it. No one who has a scholarship the reputation of which is worth maintaining would for one moment render the Greek of Matt. 28:1, “After Sabbath to the dawning into the first Sabbath.” This writer declares Sabbaton is universally translated Sabbath where it refers to the seventh day of the week. That is true. It refers to the seventh day of the week, and after the seventh day of the week was the whole week named. The very original of the term week, held by the Semitic nations thru whom the Sabbath truth came to us, comes from Sabbath. They have no names for the days, as Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It is first day into the Sabbath, second day into the Sabbath, third day into the Sabbath, and so on all thru the whole week; Friday is called Sabbath eve, and the seventh day the Sabbath. Consequently the term came to mean the whole week. Take for instance Luke 18:12, where the Pharisee says, “I fast twice in the week;” it would be nonsense to say, “I fast twice in the Sabbath.” The expression means week, and the scholars who translated the King James Version, and the Revised Version, and every other version, so far as we know, except the one German version and one other English translation, invariably so render. The grammar of the Greek forbids rendering it in any other way.

A Dangerous Tendency.

A recent issue of an eastern paper represented the President of the United States in pugilistic trim, hammering away at a bag entitled “State Rights.” One of the tendencies of the time is to centralize government. Men in power seem to think that it is necessary. It may be. It is a sad commentary on the times, if it is. Any people ought to be such that the least government possible is the best government, but as facilities for transportation increase, as confederation is rapidly taking place among the various classes of criminals, as well as other strata of the social world, men are feeling that the criminal law and the repressing hand ought to govern the whole territory. Another thing which increases the seeming necessity of this is that municipal courts and State courts are much more likely to be purchasable than are Federal courts. There is no question but what in some instances of this kind the use of the now famous “Big Stick” has been an excellent thing, but strengthen this centralized power a little more, and place on the throne of power one less regardful of the rights of others, and we would have the centralized power used for the exercise of tyranny. That will be more manifest in religious form when Revelation 13 is fulfilled, and the Church-and-State demagogues and political schemers accomplish their demands for a recognition of a union of Church and State. They do not call it by this name, but by whatever name it is called, it is as truly so as ever existed in the Dark Ages. Just now people regard these things very lightly; there will come a time when they will see that they are among the very beginnings of the ruin of the government.

Not of God.

One deceived soul writes us that she hears spirits singing that “Christ the Lord has come; let all the nations know, and the earth receive her King,” and more besides. She writes us that we should print this or offend God. But God does not contradict Himself. When Christ the Lord comes the second time, all the world shall know, “Behold, He cometh in clouds, and every eye shall see Him.” This “secret” or “spiritual” coming of Christ is one of the deceptions of the enemy. A study of the plan of salvation in the light of the sanctuary will correctly adjust and harmonize all seemingly discordant texts.

Where Does He Say It?

A San Francisco paper reports that in a recent sermon in that city, the Rev. E. H. Hadlock, of the First English Lutheran Church, declared: “Christ called the Sabbath the first day of the week instead of the seventh.” Where? There are many who would like to know.

It was in 1865 that the motto “In God we trust” was first placed on our national coins, but it does not seem to have helped the general faith or morals of the people.