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Chosen no: R-4771 b, from: 1911 Year. |
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Views From The Watch Tower
MONEY
TO BE DICTATOR
THE
trust system seems to be laying hold of everything--railroads, steamships,
steel production, smelting, bridge works, oil refining and selling, meat,
produce, groceries. Above all it has made a money combination or banking system,
the most gigantic the world has ever known. Billions of dollars of the people
are in the banks, and the banks are controlled by wealthy syndicates. This
money trust has a power of control which is marvelous. As in Great Britain
the titled aristocracy hold the land and collect immense revenues and bring
great pressure to bear socially and financially, so now it is in this country,
with evidently more to follow.
AN
ILLUSTRATION OF THIS POWER
As
an illustration of this power we note the facts recently set forth in the New York Press respecting the
Magazine Trust. This Trust has recently bought up several magazines and put
them under one management. And directly and indirectly it is able to dictate
the policies of nearly all the others. The Editor of Hampton's Magazine sets forth that,
having refused to enter the [R4772
: page 67] combine, his magazine is suffering boycott. Thus the
capitalist syndicate, which is said to be headed by J. P. Morgan, the banker
and trustifier, says: "Hampton's Magazine is warned to cease
'muck-raking,' to cease attacks upon Wall Street methods, to cease attacks upon
the trusts in general." Mr. Hampton says:--
"Constantly
increasing pressure has been brought to bear on us to change our policy since
Wall Street started its attempt to corner the magazine market and organize the
biggest of all trusts. First this took the form of withdrawal of advertising.
That failing to be effective we have been threatened in various ways. A few
months ago we were notified that if we printed an article relative to a certain
great corporation, the president of that corporation would make trouble for us
with our stockholders. We printed the article. Within a month various magazines
and newspapers and 'news bureaus' began to attack the stock of Hampton's Magazine.
MONEY
WIELDS CLUB
"About
this time we were advised that 'no bank with Wall Street connections' would
have anything to do with this corporation as long as it remained under its
present management. Also stockholders advised us that they had been approached,
apparently by agents of Wall Street brokerage houses, who endeavored to secure
their proxies to vote at the meeting.
"The
American people are in the grasp of the 'money trust.' In the past the banker's
only question has been the character of the business man, his experience and
skill, the nature of his business, its conditions and the probable chances of
success. Conditions have changed. 'Thou shalt not run counter to Wall Street'
is not the eleventh commandment--it is the first in the American business
world. The money of the United
States is cornered in Wall Street, just as
wheat is cornered by a small group of men. No banking institution of whatever
size dares to hazard a conflict with this influence.
"As
an illustration of what can be done, the current issue of Hampton's
Magazine is being held up on the news stands. The Union News
Company, because the magazine contains an article that offended Standard Oil,
has ordered its agents not to sell it. The magazine lies on the stands, but the
agents have their orders not to dispose of it, and when February 20 comes the
copies will be returned unsold."
This
matter of coercion along financial lines is one of the most powerful methods of
warfare ever known. Yet it keeps within the law. The effect will be to keep the
surface of things quite smooth, whatever may be the turbulence beneath. The cry
of "Peace, peace," where there is much discontent, will apparently be
borne out by the facts, so far as the great newspapers and magazines represent
them. The excuse will be that the public will get as much information as is
good for them. What will happen to personal liberty under such conditions no
one can foretell. God's people are to be peacemakers, to "seek peace and
pursue it." Nevertheless the Scriptures forewarn us that all of these
attempts to control the pressure and growing discontent of our time will prove
unavailing, so, ultimately, there will be a great explosion, which will reach
to the uttermost corner of the earth-- the time when newspapers and banks,
politicians and everybody will be lost, and when every man's hand will be
against his neighbor. We see it coming.
While
we see the storm coming, let us remember the words of the Prophet, "We
will not fear though the earth (society) be removed, and though the mountains
(kingdoms) be carried into the midst of the sea (anarchy)." --Psa. 46:2.
"BE
AT PEACE AMONGST YOURSELVES"
[1
THESS. 5:13.]
Because
general discontent prevails in this our day, and because God's children,
although not of the world,
are in it, are influenced
by it, therefore it becomes daily more necessary that each child of God shall
be on the [R4772
: page 68] alert to keep his body under, to keep his tongue from
murmuring, to keep his heart from discontent, to be filled with thankfulness
and gratitude to God in appreciation of all his benefits towards us.
Additionally
the characters being called and drawn of the Lord during this Gospel Age must
all be firm of texture --strong characters. God seeketh such to be of his Son's
Bride and joint-heirs. Their firmness, positiveness, is in contrast with the
supineness and indifference of others. Their weaknesses through heredity are as
great as those of others. Hence when a number of these are brought together, as
in a class for Bible study, there is a great need of patient forbearance one
with the other. If differences and clashes come, the damage one to another is
sure to be greater than with people of less character, of less positive
convictions, of less determination. Consequently these find the Apostle's words
true, "Ye have need of patience."
With
the Truth, therefore, to this class God proposes there shall also go the spirit
of the Truth, the spirit of holiness, meekness, patience, long-suffering,
brotherly-kindness, love; otherwise serious friction and damage would result.
If
in any class of Bible Students, STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES be neglected,
weakness, worldliness, love of pleasures, lack of zeal in the Lord's service,
etc., are sure to manifest themselves. And if STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES are
prosecuted but not applied to the heart and life the fruits of the Spirit will
be deficient--meekness, gentleness, etc. Every item of knowledge should be used
as the foundation for soil in which further graces of the Spirit will be developed
for the enrichment of the character of the New Creature.
We
have had occasion at times to call the attention of the classes to the fact
that those chosen to be their servants, ministers, elders, are not to be
recognized as their "lords," and are not to be upheld in any attempts
to "lord it over God's heritage." (1
Pet. 5:3.) Now, on the other hand, we wish to call special
attention to the fact that a hypercritical spirit might be engendered by the
class, which might lead some of the members to take a wrong attitude. It would
evidently be just as contrary to the Lord's Spirit if the class were to
"lord" it over the elders. They are to be loved, to be upheld, to be
appreciated; and if they have some imperfections, like other men, they are no less
worthy of sympathy and forgiveness and exoneration.
In
proportion as the Elders or ministers are faithful, humble, diligent, in the
service of the flock, they should have the hearty co-operation of every member
of the class. "Honor to whom honor is due; praise to whom praise is
due."
Some
of God's people, like some of the people of the world, take a hypercritical
view of some trifling things, such, for instance, as parliamentary usages in
connection with meetings. We are to remember that the Bible lays down no particular
parliamentary usages, but gives to God's people the one broad, general law to
govern each one of them in all the affairs of the Church. This Law the Master
mentioned in few words, saying, "A New Commandment I give unto you, that
ye love one another, as I have loved you."--John
13:34.
Let
this law of love measure all of our relationships as God's people; whether we
be of those chosen to be Elders or not chosen, the law of love should be used to
measure our every act, our every word--yea, our very thoughts. If we can all,
dear brethren, have this rule continually in mind, it will save a great deal of
friction, heart-burnings and heart-achings. It will make us more like our
blessed Master, better representatives of him before each other and before the
world. It will incline us to be as methodical and careful as possible ourselves
in all that we do and then lovingly not to expect quite as much of others until
after they shall have learned the beauty of the right way by observing our
course. Let us be content whatever the method adopted by the majority, if it
expresses the will of the majority, however the conclusion may be reached. If
we think the majority less wise than we, let us learn patience and wait, as the
Lord does, until they learn the error of their course and amend it. In a word,
let us each more and more seek to be peacemakers: "Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."--Matt. 5:9.
----------
POPE
PIUS X. CONGRATULATED
The
present Pope is taking steps for the elimination of all Higher Critics and
other unbelievers in the Bible from the Catholic priesthood. All the clergy and
all the clerical students are required to swear their allegiance to the sacred
traditions and to oppose what is styled "modernism," higher critical
infidelity. The oath includes not merely the teachings of the Bible, but also
the teachings of the Church.
If
loyalty to the Bible alone had been enjoined we could have wished that all the
different Protestant denominations might have followed suit. That would have
meant the cutting off of more than half of the ministers, trustees, etc., who
freely confess that they have lost all faith in the Bible and are Bible
teachers in name only-- Bible opposers, in fact.
----------
FEDERATION
IN FACT
"Few
people realize that most of the important Protestant denominations in America are
united in a federation that is as real as the federation of States. Even the
members of those denominations themselves who are [R4773 : page 68] aware of that
fact are, for the most part, probably unaware of its significance. Nothing has
so seriously hampered the Church as a moral force, as its sectarian divisions.
If the Protestant branch of the Church is undertaking to remove from the field
of moral power the hurtful influence of these sectarian differences, its power
in shaping the lives of men will be incredibly enhanced. That is just what the
Protestant churches of America
are doing.
"As
our readers know, there assembled in Philadelphia two years ago last December,
for the first time, the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America.
These churches found their common interest, not in a creed--though they agreed
in the assertion of their attitude toward Christ--nor in a common ritual or
form of government, but in a common work. On the 24th and 25th of last month,
in the city of Washington, the Executive Committee of that Council held their
second annual meeting. It is noteworthy that all their discussions pertained to
common activities of service. Whatever discussion there was concerning beliefs
was the by-product of the consideration of a practical measure, and it was of
no effect upon the final action. In all such organizations the crucial question
is the financial one. People are ready to gather together for talk; but when
they make appropriations, one may be sure that they are to be reckoned with.
The denominations constituting the Federal Council are assessed, and most of
them have paid their assessments already. Moreover, out of these assessments
the Executive Committee have appropriated funds for defraying the cost of the
common work. [R4773 : page 69]
"Under
authority of this Executive Committee there has been a careful investigation
conducted in co-operation with the chief Home Missionary Societies; and the
resulting recommendations have been adopted by nearly five-sixths of the home
missionaries west of the Mississippi river.
Under the authority of the Committee a branch of the Council, the Commission on
the Church and Social Service, has made an important report on the relation of
the Church to industrial conditions in a center of steel manufacture. The
Executive Committee of the Council at its meeting appropriated $5,000 for the
use of the Commission on the Church and Social Service.
"Compared
with the great mass of people composing the constituency of this Council--about
fifteen millions-- the sum appropriated seems minute. But the size of the sum
is of much less significance than the fact that
thirty denominations,
including virtually all the larger ones, have
formed a Federation that is exercising the power of
the purse. By disregarding differences in creed, polity, and traditions, and by federating
with the object of engaging in a common work that costs, these thirty
denominations have, we believe, followed the course that will lead to real
Church Union."--The Outlook.
----------
OPPOSITION
TO JEWS IN TURKEY
Turkey has long had the honor of being one of the few countries in which Jews enjoyed all
the rights and privileges of preferred citizens. The Turkish Revolution was
supposed to mark an era of special favor to the Jews residing in Turkey. It now
seems that this is not the case. We quote from the Hebrew
Standard:--
"Dr.
Israel Auerbach states that the era of good feeling produced by the successful
outcome of the revolutionary movement among the young Turks has vanished.
Turkish officials were disposed to exhibit an anti-Semitic tendency toward the
Jews in the last year. In place of efforts to make the Jews of Turkey an
important element of the body politic, an attempt to repress them is
noticeable. Unlimited immigration of Jews into the Ottoman
empire is likely to prove a chimera; an immigration statute,
providing for restrictions more or less severe, is in process of
enactment."
W.T. R-4771 b : page 67 – 1911 r.