Earlier text: Story of Pitcairn Island

OUR GENERAL AGENTS.

General Eastern Agency—Pacific Press Pub. Co., 39 Bond St., N. Y. City, N. Y.

General Central Agency—Pacific Press Pub. Co., 14-18 W. 5th St., Kansas City, Mo.

Argentina—Mary T. Westphal, Casilla del Correo, 481 Buenos Ayres, Argentine Republic, S. A.

Arkansas Tract Society—Van Buren, Ark.

Atlantic Tract Society—39 Bond St., New York City, N. Y.

Australia—Echo Publishing House, North Fitzroy, Victoria.

California Tract Society—1059 Castro St., Oakland, Cal.

Canada—Int. Tract Society, 268 Crawford St., Toronto, Ontario.

China—A. La Rue, 22 Queen’s Road, East Hongkong, China.

Colorado Tract Society—1112 S. 11th St., Denver, Colo.

Dakota Tract Society—Vilas, S. Dakota.

England—International Tract Society, 59 Paternoster Row and 451 Holloway Road, London.

Florida Tract Society—Box 508, Orlando, Florida.

Germany—International Tract Soc., Grindelburg 18a, Hamburg.

Illinois Tract Society—324 Dearborn St., Chicago, Illinois.

Indiana Tract Society—175 Central Ave., Indianapolis, Ind.

International Tract Soc.—271 W. Main St., Battle Creek, Mich.

Iowa Tract Society—603 East 12th St., Des Moines, Iowa.

Kansas Tract Society—821 West 5th St., Topeka, Kan.

Maine Tract Society—North Deering, Me.

Manitoba—W. H. Falconer, 320 Colony St., Winnipeg, Manit.

Maritime Provinces Tract Society—Box 85, Moncton, N. B.

Michigan Tract Society—271 W. Main St., Battle Creek, Mich.

Minnesota Tract Society—Box 989, Minneapolis, Minn.

Missouri Tract Society—1418 E. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.

Montana Tract Society—818 Breckenridge St., Helena, Mont.

Nebraska Tract Society—1505 E St., Lincoln, Neb.

Nevada—Cal. Tract Society, 1059 Castro St., Oakland, Cal.

New England Tract Society—South Lancaster, Mass.

New York Tract Society—317 West Bloomfield St., Rome, N. Y.

New Zealand Tract Society—57 Tory St., Wellington, N. Z.

North Pacific Tract Society—190 E. 20th St., Portland, Oregon.

Ohio Tract Society—249 Cedar Ave., Cleveland, O.

Oklahoma Tract Society—318 4th St., Oklahoma City.

Ontario Tract Society—194 Brock Ave., Toronto, Ontario.

Pennsylvania Tract Society—Box 644, Williamsport, Penn.

Quebec Tract Society—Dixville, P. Q., Canada.

Scandinavian Tract Society—Akersgaden 74, Christiania, Nor.

South Africa—Int. Tract Soc., 28 a Roeland St., Cape Town.

Southern Tract Society—23 Early St., Chattanooga, Tenn.

Switzerland—Imprimerie Polyglotte, 48 Welberweg, Basel.

Tennessee River—1009 Shelby Ave., Nashville, Tenn.

Texas Tract Society—Keene, Johnson Co., Texas.

Upper Columbia Tract Society—College Place, Wash.

Utah Tract Society—Box 1058, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Vancouver Island—B. Robb, 231 Pandora St., Victoria, B. C.

Vermont Tract Society—190 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington, Vt.

Virginia Tract Society—501 N. 25th St., Richmond, Va.

West Virginia Tract Society—Newburg, W. Va.

Wisconsin Tract Society—Milton Junction, Wis.

Armenian Massacres.

A writer in the Baptist Examiner, H. Allen Tupper, Jr., D.D., declares that the Armenian massacres, so far from being outbreaks of Moslem fanaticism, were, on the statements of many intelligent and trustworthy persons—French, English, Canadian, American, and native, some of whom were witnesses of the horrible scenes—“deliberate and preconceived,” “strictly limited with regard to place, time, nationality of the victims, and generally with regard to the method of killing and pillaging.” The massacres, which began at Trebizond, he tells us, were confined almost exclusively to Armenians. The chief object seems to have been to kill the largest number of Armenians of business capacity and intelligence, and to beggar their families by taking their property. Cruelty and rapacity were characteristic of every movement, and the authorities were either blind to the work, or assisted in it, when, if they would, they could have prevented it. All of which we have no doubt is true.

Worthlessness of the Average Petition.

The New York Christian Advocate truthfully says that “nothing is worth less as an index of public opinion than the average petition.” To this it adds the citation of a joke once played upon a minister, by securing his signature to a petition asking for himself a license to keep a saloon. He signed it, as hundreds of people sign petitions, without reading it. In an interior California city, a man who was quite well known circulated a petition recommending himself for a certain Federal office. In course of time everybody was surprised to learn that he had secured a different office. The petitioners were anxious to have the incumbent of the first office superseded, but were much disappointed at the removal of the one who occupied the position which the petitioner had secured. He had simply used the signatures for another purpose than that designed by the signers. But the most deceptive and mischievous of all petitions is what is called the “representative petition;” that is, counting as signers all the members of any church or society of any kind, on the vote of a few who may be present for the occasion. By this kind of petition individuals may be “represented” many times. Strange as it may seem, this exceedingly dishonest method has been adopted for the purpose of furthering the interests of religious legislation in Congress and in state Legislatures. The managers of the Bureau of Reforms (or religious lobby) have urged this scheme in order to press the proposed religious amendment to the Constitution. And yet it is not strange; for a religion that stoops to ask for state aid may be expected to adopt any means to further its cause.

The Punctuation

THE article on “The Punctuation,” in another column, will be found to be both interesting and instructive.

Christ Jesus Our Wisdom and Righteousness

CHRIST JESUS gave his life that he might be wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption to every one; for he “is no respecter of persons.” Is he this to you? If not, why not?

The Supreme Test

The Supreme Test.—There is one supreme test of the truthfulness of God's word and the divine source of Christianity, and that is given by Jesus Christ. It is found in John 7:17, and in the Revised Version reads as follows: “If any man willeth to do His [God's] will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of God, or whether I speak from myself.” This is an infallible test, demonstrated in the life of every regenerated soul. It is simple; try it, sinner, skeptic. You will not be disappointed.

What Next?

This is a day of queer combinations. The Jewish Ledger, of July 17, reports that “Rabbi E. K. Fischer conducted the meeting at the Young Men's Christian Association Sunday afternoon, June 28 [at Kalamazoo, Mich.]. The exercises opened with song, and were followed by Scripture reading.” The Christian Statesman protested vigorously because a Jewish rabbi read a prayer at the Republican convention, because that Jewish rabbi was not Christian, and the Republican convention was supposed to be! Well, the Christian Statesman ought to take the Young Men's Christian Association in hand.

Lincoln Fountain Pen

A Good Pen, and one which we are using to write this note, is the Lincoln Fountain Pen. We have used others, but we do not know of any which will give better satisfaction than the Lincoln, and to many of the higher priced pens the Lincoln is decidedly superior. It does not blot. It has a good gold pen, and is well made. A number will be sold neatly boxed, with directions and filler, for $1.00 each. If not satisfactory, the company promises that the money will be refunded. Lincoln Fountain Pen Co., 108 Fulton Street, New York. They may be obtained by addressing the Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal.

Transvaal Puritanism

The Boer people of the Transvaal have been likened to the Puritans, and here is a characteristic feature in the Sunday law of the South African republic:—

“Article 1. Every person guilty of desecration of the Sabbath (Zondagschending) shall be punished for every contravention with a maximum fine of five pounds, or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one month, as under: (a) He who executes field or garden work on Sunday, except in cases of urgent necessity, and for maintenance of field or other fruit; (b) he who fires a gun or other firearm, unless legally or otherwise entitled to do so; (c) he who hunts wild or other animals with dog or other animals; (d) a transport rider, or the director of a transport wagon, who invades the boundaries of a village on a Sunday, or who causes such to be done.”

“For all the under-mentioned offenses there shall be inflicted a fine penalty not exceeding one hundred pounds (£100), or an imprisonment penalty not exceeding six months: (a) The person who sells or offers for sale on a Sunday, any goods, merchandise, cattle, or other live stock; (b) the person who keeps open a shop, warehouse, or other premises on a Sunday with intent to sell or to trade; (c) the person who works, or causes work, on Sunday with steam and other machines.”

This is certainly worthy of a place alongside of the Puritan blue laws, and is in perfect harmony with what our Sunday reformers are enforcing in some states, and endeavoring to obtain in others, in the American republic. Five hundred dollars for selling a loaf of bread or a yard of print! And yet Georgia’s Sunday law, sustained by the Supreme Court of the United States, makes the death sentence possible.

Sabbath Keepers in a Tennessee Jail

BROTHER J. W. LEWIS writes from Tiptonville, Tenn., jail that a Sabbath school is held in the jail, where four who are keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus are confined for conscience’ sake. The other three are W. S. Lowry, J. H. Dowdy, and Otto Wilson, all for the heinous (?) crime of doing common labor to the disturbance of no one on Sunday. The authorities have now declared the county jail a workhouse, so as to be able to work the Sabbath-keepers on the public highway. Such a decision never occurred before in the history of the county, until the imprisonment of Christians for doing work on Sunday, as did Jesus Christ.

Who Said So?

In an editorial on the Jewish rabbi’s prayer at the opening of the Republican convention the Christian Statesman of June 27 says: “But, further than this, the rabbi not only rejects Christ, but is also rejected by him.” What the rabbi has done we do not know. He may authorize the Christian Statesman to speak for him if he will; but who has authorized it to speak for God? The apostle Paul’s language is this: “Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.” Rom. 11:1. Paul’s proof of this was that God accepted him, and therefore would every one. “God is no respecter of persons.” God rejects no one. He does not turn from the sinner; the sinner turns from him. Continually God holds out his hands to his people, and pleads, “Return, come.” The trouble is with them. The idea that God has rejected this one or that one is one of the basic elements in persecution.

Harmonize

“Harmonize.”—From a Watertown, Wisconsin, correspondent comes the following query:— “In SIGNS No. 24, page 11, paragraph 6 of ‘What a Tract Did,’ we read, ‘restored from despair an immortal soul;’ and in SIGNS No. 25, page 16, under heading ‘Immortal and Immortality,’ it is said that ‘immortal is only applied to God.’ Is the sentence in No. 24 a misprint? or how do you harmonize the two?”

No, it is not a misprint, and we make no attempt to harmonize the error of the selection with the truth. Our selections are made sometimes because of the lesson they teach. So with this selection, it shows that God wrought through such insignificant things as little tracts for the salvation of precious souls. This was the lesson, the precious “ointment” of the article; the error of “immortal soul” seems to have been the “dead fly” that caused it to send forth a “stinking savor” in the doctrinal olfactories of our correspondent. It might in some way have been avoided, we suppose, but our readers should be able to discriminate between things that differ. Whether selections or original articles, compare all that the Signs teaches with the word of God.

State Rights

These be days of revolution. The doctrine of “state rights” in political matters is again to the front. It appears that the city of Hammond, Ind., annexed to itself certain lands belonging to Mrs. Caroline Forsythe, a resident of Illinois. The lady attempted to secure an injunction against the city, but was defeated. It was carried through the Indiana Supreme Court, where she was again defeated, and a subsequent appeal to the United States District Court of Indiana was overruled. Mrs. Forsythe then went to the Federal Court of Appeals at Chicago, and Judge Woods reversed the decision of the Indiana Courts. Notwithstanding this, the city of Hammond will proceed to collect taxes. Governor Matthews, of Indiana, ignores the Federal Court, and is reported to have said that the Indiana Supreme Court was law enough for that state. He remarked: “The Federal Courts have of late years been reaching out and gathering to themselves jurisdiction in matters that are within the province of the states alone. . . . I think it is time that their encroachments should be resisted firmly.” The struggle in the matter will be watched with interest.

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