Publication date
9/1/05
Volume
26
Number
17
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1905/17/1905-17-1.html
 
 
(255-259) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLIlCHIlNY, 
PA. 
DEAR 
BROTHER 
RUSSELL:- 
I 
thought 
I 
would 
write 
you 
a 
few 
lines 
to 
tell 
you 
how 
I 
came 
to 
the 
knowledge 
of 
the 
truth. 
I 
was 
born 
and 
brought 
up 
in 
the 
Catholic 
faith 
in 
Syria. 
At 
the 
age 
of 
eight 
I 
was 
brought 
to 
this 
country 
and 
sent 
to 
a 
Catholic 
school 
and 
church. 
Being 
religiously 
inclined 
I 
wandered 
off 
into 
differ­ 
ent 
denominations 
and 
sects, 
Episcopal, 
Baptist, 
Spiritualism, 
Seventh 
Day 
Adventism, 
etc. 
At 
last 
(about 
a 
year 
ago) 
I 
became 
disgusted 
with 
every· 
thing 
and 
didn't 
go 
to 
any 
church. 
At 
that 
time 
I 
was 
work­ 
ing 
in 
a 
bakery. 
Tn 
delivering 
an 
order 
I 
found, 
in 
a 
pile 
of 
old 
paper 
and 
rubbish, 
the 
first 
three 
volumes 
of 
DAWN. 
I 
read 
the 
DAWNS 
and 
became 
deeply 
interested. 
Then 
another 
day, 
as 
I 
was 
taking 
a 
short 
walk, 
I 
picked 
up 
a 
circular 
ad· 
vertising 
a 
course 
of 
lectures 
to 
be 
delivered 
in 
a 
certain 
hall. 
I 
attended, 
and 
to 
my 
surprise, 
I 
found 
out 
that 
the 
people 
there 
were 
all 
readers 
of 
MILLENNIAL 
DAWN, 
like 
myself, 
and 
just 
as 
deeply 
interested. 
So 
you 
see, 
I 
have 
been 
led 
all 
the 
way. 
Five 
thousand 
miles 
across 
the 
Mediterranean 
Sea 
and 
Atlantic 
Ocean, 
tossed 
about 
and 
seasick, 
and 
then 
across 
Babylon, 
tossed 
about 
and 
almost 
drowned, 
but 
rescued 
by 
the 
Lord, 
through 
MILLENNIAL 
DAWN. 
I 
have 
been 
doing 
colporteur 
service 
for 
the 
la!'lt 
two 
months, 
and 
would 
like 
to 
continue 
the 
work. 
I 
have 
sold 
170 
volumes 
and 
have 
75 
orders 
unfilled 
at 
the 
present 
time. 
I 
am 
now 
18 
years 
of 
age. 
I 
think 
I 
will 
do 
bet'ter 
work 
hereafter. 
May 
the 
Lord 
bless 
you 
and 
all 
the 
brethren 
in 
Allegheny. 
I 
remain, 
Yours 
ill 
the 
Blessed 
Hope, 
ABRAHAM 
OBREY,-N. 
Y. 
DEAR 
SIRS:- 
I 
have 
just 
read 
one 
of 
your 
periodicals 
called 
"The 
Di­ 
vine 
Plan 
of 
the 
Ages." 
I 
consider 
it 
fine. 
I 
was 
an 
ortho· 
dox 
minister 
for 
18 
years. 
The 
subjects 
you 
treat 
on 
were 
always 
stumbling 
blocks 
to 
me, 
the 
fall 
of 
Adam 
especially 
j 
the 
billion 
of 
dead 
in 
their 
graves; 
why 
they 
should 
all 
be 
forever 
lost. 
It 
is 
as 
plain 
now 
to 
me 
as 
the 
nose 
on 
my 
face. 
I 
want 
you 
to 
send 
me 
"Wbat 
say 
the 
Scriptures 
about 
Hell 
!" 
I 
never 
preached 
a 
sermon 
on 
Hf'll 
in 
all 
the 
18 
years 
I 
did 
preach. 
I 
would 
never 
make 
myself 
believe 
that 
a 
good 
God 
would 
punish 
the 
vast 
majority 
of 
mortal 
endlessly. 
I 
am 
now 
a 
recluse. 
I 
lately 
wrote 
an 
article 
for 
one 
of 
our 
city 
papers, 
why 
I 
_ 
did 
not 
attend 
churches. 
I 
told 
the 
people 
I 
could 
no 
longer 
subscribe 
to 
the 
creeds 
formulated 
in 
the 
16th 
century. 
I 
told 
them 
some 
of 
the 
best 
men 
I 
ever 
met, 
while 
I 
was 
a 
preacher, 
didn't 
belong 
to 
any 
church. 
So 
some 
one 
who 
believes 
in 
MILLENNIAL 
DAWN 
sent 
me 
the 
periodical 
I 
mentioned. 
It 
is 
the 
finest 
thing 
I 
ever 
read, 
and 
it 
is 
God's 
truth 
too. 
Yours 
faithfully, 
, 
Ohio. 
VOL. 
XXVI 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
SEPTEMBER 
1, 
1905 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
17 
A 
BUSINESS 
MAN'S 
VIEW 
labor, 
is 
the 
pending 
national 
legislation 
to 
have 
the 
govern- 
How 
a 
well-informed 
business 
man 
views 
the 
present 
situa- 
ment 
fix 
railroad 
rates. 
tion 
may 
be 
of 
interest 
as 
showing 
that 
with 
all 
the 
prosperity 
"It 
was 
Macaulay 
who 
prophesied, 
in 
effect, 
that 
the 
masses 
of 
business 
men 
in 
recent 
years, 
and 
all 
their 
hurry 
and 
greed 
of 
the 
American 
people 
would, 
in 
the 
course 
of 
several 
genera· 
for 
dollars, 
they 
do 
see 
some 
things 
which 
touch 
their 
own 
in- 
tions, 
use 
their 
right 
of 
suffrage 
to 
confiscate 
all 
wealth 
in 
the 
terests. 
name 
of 
the 
State. 
This 
prophec.y 
certainly 
places 
a 
low 
esti· 
The 
following 
is 
an 
extract 
from 
the 
address 
of 
Mr. 
D. 
M. 
mate 
on 
the 
moral 
perceptions 
of 
the 
common 
people 
and 
dis· 
Parry, 
before 
the 
National 
Manufacturers' 
Association, 
at 
its 
plays 
a 
woeful 
lack 
of 
faith 
in 
the 
ability 
of 
men 
in 
general 
to 
recent 
session 
in 
Atlanta, 
Georgia. 
He 
sees 
a 
nearer 
enemy 
govern 
themselves. 
But 
while 
the 
prophecy 
is 
rightly 
to 
be 
re­ 
than 
"the 
Yellow 
PeriL" 
He 
said 
in 
part, 
as 
reported 
in 
the 
garded 
as 
absurd, 
yet 
there 
is 
no 
question 
that 
there 
are 
ele­ 
public 
press: 
ments 
in 
our 
population 
that 
are 
attracted 
by 
the 
proposition 
"Before 
proceeding 
to 
a 
brief 
consideration 
of 
the 
labor 
of 
enriching 
themselves 
through 
the 
ballot 
box. 
It 
is 
said 
that 
question, 
I 
wish 
to 
make 
a 
few 
statements 
respecting 
the 
ten· 
men 
vote 
in 
accordance 
with 
their 
interests, 
and 
some 
men 
dency 
towards 
Socialism, 
which, 
at 
this 
time, 
is 
being 
strongly 
doubtless 
construe 
it 
to 
be 
for 
their 
interests 
to 
vote 
for 
confis· 
manifested 
in 
many 
ways. 
The 
Socialist 
party 
last 
fall 
cast 
cation. 
But 
I 
am 
confident 
that 
such 
men 
are 
in 
the 
small 
nearly 
a 
half 
million 
votes, 
a 
remarkable 
development 
in 
minority. 
I 
prefer 
to 
believe 
that 
the 
greater 
number 
of 
those 
strength, 
and 
organized 
labor, 
composed 
of 
over 
two 
million 
who 
favor 
Socialistic 
measures 
do 
so 
from 
an 
honest 
conviction 
employes 
arrayed 
in 
opposition 
to 
individualism, 
continues, 
ac- 
that 
these 
measures 
would 
be 
beneficial 
for 
the 
common 
weal. 
cording 
to 
reports 
of 
its 
officials, 
to 
increase 
its 
membership. 
The 
tendency 
towards 
Socialism 
is 
certainly 
not 
to 
be 
attrib­ 
The 
growth 
of 
an 
avowedly 
Socialistic 
party, 
with 
its 
present 
uted 
to 
a 
declining 
sense 
of 
public 
morality. 
Rather, 
I 
believe, 
creed, 
is 
certainly 
a 
sinister 
fact 
to 
all 
loyal 
citizens 
who 
under- 
is 
it 
to 
be 
traced 
to 
ignoran('e 
of 
the 
fundamental 
principles 
of 
stand 
and 
appreciate 
the 
importance 
of 
individual 
liberty. 
But 
true 
liberty 
and 
to 
demagogic 
leadership 
that 
for 
its 
own 
ends 
while 
the 
existence 
of 
these 
organizations 
is 
indicative 
of 
a 
would 
stop 
short 
of 
nothing. 
Thousands 
of 
well-disposed 
men, 
serious 
defection 
from 
the 
individualistic 
principle 
by 
certain 
who 
would 
not 
think 
of 
injuring 
the 
interests 
of 
their 
fellow­ 
classes, 
yet 
I 
believe 
that 
a 
still 
graver 
portent 
of 
coming 
evil 
beings 
by 
their 
votes, 
have 
been 
led 
by 
these 
demagogues 
and 
is 
to 
be 
seen 
in 
the 
Socialistic 
trend 
of 
the 
thought 
of 
the 
gen- 
false 
teachers 
into 
the 
belief 
that 
they 
are 
in 
some 
inscrutable 
eral 
public 
as 
reflected 
by 
the 
press, 
by 
public 
men, 
and 
by 
recent 
manner 
being 
robbed 
by 
the 
rich, 
and 
they, 
therefore, 
are 
not 
to 
legislative 
enactments. 
This 
trend 
of 
thought 
is 
having 
a 
po- 
be 
morally 
censured 
for 
taking 
up 
with 
Socialistic 
propositions. 
tent 
influence 
on 
the 
policies 
of 
both 
the 
leading 
political 
parbes. 
"Since 
the 
Socialistic 
tendency 
is 
to 
be 
attributed 
to 
ignor. 
and 
while 
the 
question 
of 
individualism 
and 
Socialism 
is 
not 
a 
ance 
rather 
than 
dishonesty 
on 
the 
part 
of 
many 
voters, 
the 
political 
issue 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
it 
has 
caused 
a 
division 
of 
party 
. 
d' 
.d 
r 
l 
' 
t 
If 
d 
t 
lines, 
it 
is, 
nevertheless, 
a 
leading 
issue 
within 
the 
ranks 
of 
both 
problem 
of 
protectmg 
in 
IVI 
ua 
Ism 
reso 
ves 
I 
se 
own 
0 
a 
problem 
of 
educating 
the 
voting 
masses. 
Many 
Americans 
in 
parties. 
reply 
to 
MacaUlay's 
prophecy, 
will 
declare 
that 
its 
fulfilment 
is 
"While 
the 
enlargement 
of 
the 
scope 
and 
power 
of 
govern- 
impossible 
because 
the 
people 
of 
this 
country 
are, 
generally 
ment 
by 
the 
purchase 
and 
management 
of 
certain 
enterprises 
speaking, 
far 
more 
intelligent 
than 
the 
people 
of 
other 
coun­ 
has 
found 
considerable 
support 
anwng 
the 
people. 
yet 
I 
believe 
tries, 
and 
that 
the 
democracy 
in 
the 
establishment 
of 
a 
great 
the 
sentiment 
favorable 
to 
Socialistic 
measures 
involving 
the 
common-school 
system 
has 
amply 
provided 
for 
its 
own 
protec­ 
confiscation 
of 
profits 
and 
the 
limitation 
of 
private 
management 
tion. 
But 
existing 
facts 
denwnstrate 
that 
the 
common.school 
of 
capital 
is 
the 
more 
widespread 
and 
dangerous. 
Without 
mak- 
system 
is 
not 
a 
sufficient 
guarantee 
of 
the 
perpetuation 
of 
lib­ 
in~ 
special 
reference 
to 
the 
aim 
of 
the 
avowed 
Socialists 
to 
erty. 
Because 
the 
law-abiding 
elements, 
busy 
with 
their 
own 
bring 
about 
the 
Millennium 
through 
undisguised 
confiscation, 
affairs, 
leave 
politics 
to 
others, 
who 
perhaps 
are 
not 
quite 
so 
we 
have 
organized 
labor 
and 
its 
sympathizers 
supporting 
the 
busy, 
the 
government 
in 
many 
of 
our 
communities 
has 
become 
idea 
that 
organizations 
of 
men 
may 
dictate 
to 
a 
large 
extent 
a 
protector 
of 
vice 
and 
a 
machine 
for 
graft, 
as 
well 
as 
being 
a 
the 
management 
of 
enterprises 
which 
they 
do 
not 
own. 
Besides 
policeman. 
And 
if 
these 
same 
law-abiding 
elements 
and 
busy 
assuming 
to 
say 
how 
much 
wages 
the 
employer 
shall 
pay 
and 
. 
t 
1 
bl 
how 
he 
shall 
manage 
his 
capital 
in 
other 
respects, 
the 
union 
men 
of 
affairs 
do 
not 
Wish 
to 
see 
the 
govern 
men 
a 
so 
ossom 
also 
presumes 
to 
deny 
the 
right 
of 
the 
individual 
to 
the 
full 
con- 
out 
into 
a 
paternalistic 
meddler 
in 
private 
business 
the 
sooner 
trol 
of 
his 
own 
labor, 
determining 
for 
him 
the 
rate 
of 
wages 
for 
they 
devise 
methods 
whereby 
they 
can 
wield 
at 
least 
a 
part 
of 
which 
he 
shall 
work, 
the 
number 
of 
hours 
he 
shall 
employ 
him- 
their 
proper 
share 
of 
influence 
in 
public 
matters 
the 
better. 
self 
and 
the 
maximum 
amount 
of 
daily 
output 
he 
shall 
produce. 
What 
we 
need 
is 
less 
politics 
in 
business 
and 
more 
business 
in 
As 
eight·hour 
and 
anti·injunction 
legislation 
is 
designed 
to 
as- 
politics. 
It 
is 
sheer 
folly 
to 
leave 
the 
discussion 
of 
public 
ques­ 
sist 
the 
unions 
in 
the 
accomplishment 
of 
these 
objects 
these 
tions 
to 
the 
demagogue 
and 
agitator 
alone. 
measures 
fall 
under 
the 
classification 
of 
Socialistic 
attempts 
by 
"The 
most 
effective 
and 
permanent 
method 
of 
meeting 
the 
confiscation. 
Still 
another 
illustration 
of 
this 
kind 
of 
Socialis- 
issue 
of 
Socialism 
is, 
I 
believe, 
that 
of 
educational 
propaganda. 
tic 
propositions, 
and 
one 
whil'h 
does 
not 
proceed 
from 
organized 
In 
order 
to 
establish 
such 
a 
propaganda 
it 
requires 
the 
organi- 
[3618] 
(255-259) DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:— I thought I would write you a few lines to tell you how I came to the knowledge of the truth. I was born and brought up in the Catholic faith in Syria. At the age of eight I was brought to this country and sent to a Catholic school and church. Being religiously inclined I wandered off into different denominations and sects, Episcopal, Baptist, Spiritualism, Seventh Day Adventism, etc. At last (about a year ago) I became disgusted with everything and didn’t go to any church. At that time I was working in a bakery. In delivering an order I found, in a pile of old paper and rubbish, the first three volumes of Dawn, I read the Dawns and became deeply interested. Then another day, as I was taking a short walk, I picked up a circular advertising a course of lectures to be delivered in a certain hall. I attended, and to my surprise, I found out that the people there were all readers of MILLENNIAL Dawn, like myself, and just as deeply interested. So you see, I have been led all the way. Five thousand miles across the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, tossed about and seasick, and then across Babylon, tossed about and almost drowned, but rescued by the Lord, through MILLENNIAL AWN, I have been doing colporteur service for the last two months, and would like to continue the work. JI have sold 170 volumes ZION’S WATCH TOWER _ did not attend churches. ALLEGHENY, PA, and have 75 orders unfilled at the present time. I am now 18 years of age. I think I will do better work hereafter. May the Lord bless you and all the brethren in Allegheny. I remain, Yours in the Blessed Hope, ABRAHAM OsBREY,—VN, Y. Dear Sirs :— I have just read one of your periodicals called “The Divine Plan of the Ages.” I consider it fine. I was an orthodox minister for 18 years. The subjects you treat on were always stumbling blocks to me, the fall of Adam especially ; the billion of dead in their graves; why they should all be forever lost. It is as plain now to me as the nose on my face. I want you to send me “What say the Scriptures about Hell?” I never preached a sermon on Hell in all the 18 years I did preach. I would never make myself believe that a good God would punish the vast majority of mortal endlessly. I am now a recluse. I lately wrote an article for one of our city papers, why I I told the people I could no longer subscribe to the creeds formulated in the 16th century. I told them some of the best men I ever met, while I was a preacher, didn’t belong to any church. So some one who believes in MILLENNIAL Dawn sent me the periodical I mentioned. It ig the finest thing I ever read, and it is God’s truth too. Yours faithfully, —————, Ohio. Vou. XXVI ALLEGHENY, PA., SEPTEMBER 1, 1905 No. 17 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER A BUSINESS MAN'S VIEW How a well-informed business man views the present situation may he of interest as showing that with all the prosperity of business men in recent years, and all their hurry and greed for dollars, they do see some things which touch their own interests, The following is an extract from the address of Mr. D. M. Parry, before the National Manufacturers’ Association, at its recent session in Atlanta, Georgia. He sees a nearer enemy than “the Yellow Peril.” He said in part, as reported in the public press: “Before proceeding to a brief consideration of the labor question, I wish to make a few statements respecting the tendency towards Socialism, which, at this time, is being strongly manifested in many ways. The Socialist party last fall cast nearly a half million votes, a remarkable development in strength, and organized labor, composed of over two million employes arrayed in opposition to individualism, continues, according to reports of its officials, to increase its membership. The growth of an avowedly Socialistic party, with its present creed, is certainly a sinister fact to all loyal citizens who understand and appreciate the importance of individual liberty. But while the existence of these organizations is indicative of a serious defection from the individualistic principle by certain classes, yet I believe that a still graver portent of coming evil is to be seen in the Socialistic trend of the thought of the general public as reflected by the press, by public men, and by recent legislative enactments. This trend of thought is having a po tent influence on the policies of both the leading political parties, and while the question of individualism and Socialism is not a political issue in the sense that it has caused a division of party lines, it is, nevertheless, a leading issue within the ranks of both parties. “While the enlargement of the scope and power of government by the purchase and management of certain enterprises has found considerable support among the people, yet I believe the sentiment favorable to Socialistic measures involving the confiscation of profits and the limitation of private management of capital is the more widespread and dangerous. Without making special reference to the aim of the avowed Socialists to bring about the Millennium through undisguised confiscation, we have organized labor and its sympathizers supporting the idea that organizations of men may dictate to a large extent the management of enterprises which they do not own. Besides assuming to say how much wages the employer shall pay and how he shall manage his capital in other respects, the union also presumes to deny the right of the individual to the full control of his own labor, determining for him the rate of wages for which he shall work, the number of hours he shall employ himself and the maximum amount of daily output he shall produce. As eight-hour and anti-injunction legislation is designed to assist the unions in the accomplishment of these objects these measures fall under the classification of Socialistic attempts by confiscation, Still another illustration of this kind of Socialistic propositions, and one which does not proceed from organized labor, is the pending national legislation to have the government fix railroad rates, “It was Macaulay who prophesied, in effect, that the masses of the American people would, in the course of several generations, use their right of suffrage to confiscate all wealth in the name of the State. This prophecy certainly places a low estimate on the moral perceptions of the common people and displays a woeful lack of faith in the ability of men in general to govern themselves. But while the prophecy is rightly to be regarded as absurd, yet there is no question that there are elements in our population that are attracted by the proposition of enriching themselves through the ballot box. It is said that men vote in accordance with their interests, and some men doubtless construe it to be for their interests to vote for confiscation. But I am confident that such men are in the small minority. I prefer to believe that the greater number of those who favor Socialistic measures do so from an honest conviction that these measures would be beneficial for the common weal. The tendency towards Socialism is certainly not to be attributed to a declining sense of public morality. Rather, I believe, is it to be traced to ignorance of the fundamental] principles of true liberty and to demagogic leadership that for its own ends would stop short of nothing. Thousands of well-disposed men, who would not think of injuring the interests of their fellowbeings by their votes, have been led by these demagogues and false teachers into the belief that they are in some inscrutable manner being robbed by the rich, and they, therefore, are not to be morally censured for taking up with Socialistie propositions. “Since the Socialistic tendency is to be attributed to ignorance rather than dishonesty on the part of many voters, the problem of protecting individualism resolves itself down to a problem of educating the voting masses. Many Americans in reply to Macaulay’s prophecy, will declare that its fulfilment is impossible because the people of this country are, generally speaking, far more intelligent than the people of other countries, and that the democracy in the establishment of a great common-school system has amply provided for its own protection. But existing facts demonstrate that the common-school system is not a sufficient guarantee of the perpetuation of liberty. Because the law-abiding elements, busy with their own affairs, leave politics to others, who perhaps are not quite so busy, the government in many of our communities has become a protector of vice and a machine for graft, as well as being a policeman. And if these same law-abiding elements and busy men of affairs do not wish to see the government also blossom out into a paternalistic meddler in private business the sooner they devise methods whereby they can wield at least a part of their proper share of influence in public matters the better. What we need is less politics in business and more business in politics. It is sheer folly to leave the discussion of public questions to the demagogue and agitator alone. “The most effective and permanent method of meeting the issue of Socialism is, I believe, that of educational propaganda, In order to establish such a propaganda it requires the organi [3618]

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