Publication date
12/1/06
Volume
27
Number
23
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1906/23/1906-23-1.html
 
 
VOL. 
XXVII 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
DECEMBER 
1, 
1906 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
23 
SOCIALISM 
MENACING 
GREAT 
BRITAIN 
The 
Liberal 
Party 
in 
the 
present 
House 
of 
Commons 
stands 
committed 
to 
a 
considerable 
degree 
to 
the 
laboring 
class­ 
indeed 
quite 
a 
few 
of 
its 
members 
were 
chosen 
on 
the 
Labor 
ticket. 
British 
statesmen 
have 
been 
wondering 
to 
what 
extent 
this 
new 
element 
in 
their 
politics 
will 
affect 
future 
legislation, 
wondering 
how 
conservatIVe 
or 
otherwise 
the 
new 
members 
from 
the 
lower 
strata 
of 
society 
would 
prove 
to 
be. 
Hereto­ 
fore 
the 
members 
have 
generally 
been 
chosen 
either 
from 
the 
aristocratic 
or 
wealthy 
class, 
or 
from 
the 
middle 
class 
of 
merchants, 
lawyers, 
etc., 
who 
have 
a 
great 
respect 
for 
tradi­ 
tions. 
It 
is 
causing 
quite 
an 
awakening 
amongst 
the 
British 
to 
find 
that 
the 
new 
members 
representing 
the 
working 
classes 
are 
by 
no 
means 
disposed 
to 
be 
conservative, 
but 
rather 
are 
laying 
their 
plans 
for 
the 
ultimate 
capture 
of 
the 
majority 
in 
Parliament-planning 
also 
something 
of 
a 
socialistic 
turn 
to 
legislation. 
Thus, 
in 
their 
due 
time, 
matters 
are 
shaping 
around 
for 
the 
termination 
of 
Gentile 
rule 
in 
anarchy 
by 
the 
appointed 
time--by 
October, 
1914, 
when 
their 
lease 
or 
permit 
will 
expire. 
We 
quote 
the 
following 
from 
the 
pen 
of 
an 
Eng. 
lish 
writer 
who 
evidently 
is 
well 
posted 
on 
his 
subject. 
He 
says:- 
"The 
enormous 
majority 
secured 
by 
the 
Liberal 
party 
in 
the 
last 
British 
parliamentary 
elections 
had 
its 
embarrass· 
ments 
as 
well 
as 
its 
pleasant 
features 
...• 
A 
section 
of 
the 
Labor 
party 
in 
parliament, 
composing 
about 
one-half 
the 
labor 
vote, 
is 
socialistic 
in 
its 
program 
and 
principles, 
and 
has 
been 
striving 
vigorously 
to 
whip 
into 
line 
with 
itself 
the 
other 
half 
by 
seeking 
to 
get 
control 
of 
the 
trades 
unions 
to 
which 
the 
conservative 
half 
owes 
and 
confesses 
allegiance. 
This 
movement 
has 
become 
so 
successful 
that 
the 
leaders 
of 
the 
Liberal 
party, 
especially 
the 
Scotch, 
became 
alarmed 
at 
the 
growth 
of 
Socialism 
in 
the 
labor 
end 
of 
the 
party, 
and 
have 
recently 
taken 
steps 
to 
warn 
the 
Government 
that 
any 
further 
encouragement 
of 
the 
socialistic 
element 
would 
result 
in 
seri­ 
ous 
trouble. 
Alexander 
Murray, 
the 
Liberal 
Scottish 
whip 
in 
the 
House 
of 
Commons, 
in 
a 
recent 
speech 
made 
a 
fierce 
attack 
upon 
Socialism 
and 
its 
representatives 
in 
Parliament. 
The 
Scottish 
Parliamentary 
Association, 
under 
Mr. 
Murray's 
influ­ 
ence, 
passed 
a 
resolution 
that 
'it 
is 
the 
primary 
duty 
of 
the 
Liberal 
party 
to 
present 
strenuous 
opposition 
to 
all 
candidatea 
who 
are 
not 
prepared 
to 
dissociate 
themselves 
with 
the 
So­ 
cialist 
party, 
the 
avowed 
object 
of 
which 
is 
the 
complete 
de· 
struction 
of 
those 
principles 
of 
individual 
liberty 
for 
which 
Liberalism 
has 
always 
contended.' 
, 
'In 
the 
meantime, 
the 
Labor 
representation 
committee, 
whose 
chairman 
is 
Keir 
Hardie, 
and 
which 
is 
the 
controlling 
body 
of 
the 
Socialistic 
element 
in 
politics, 
is 
working 
with 
might 
and 
main 
among 
the 
unions 
to 
bring 
them 
over 
body 
and 
soul 
to 
Socialism, 
with 
which 
they 
are 
all 
more 
or 
less 
deeply 
leavened, 
and 
seems 
to 
be 
in 
the 
way 
of 
fully 
suc­ 
ceeding. 
This 
presages 
a 
cleavage 
between 
the 
whole 
Labor 
vote 
and 
the 
Government." 
STRONG 
WORDS 
IN 
THE 
HOUSE 
OF 
LORDS 
"It 
is 
strange 
that 
the 
strong, 
impressive 
words 
spoken 
by 
Lord 
Avebury 
in 
the 
House 
of 
Lords 
last 
week 
should 
have 
failed, 
as 
they 
have, 
to 
excite 
international 
discussion. 
Lord 
Avebury 
said: 
" 
'The 
unrest 
of 
Europe, 
the 
spread 
of 
Socialism 
and 
the 
ominous 
rise 
of 
anarchism 
are 
warnings 
to 
the 
governments 
and 
the 
ruling 
classes 
that 
the 
condition 
of 
the 
working 
classes 
in 
Europe 
is 
becoming 
intolerable, 
and 
that 
if 
a 
revolution 
is 
to 
be 
avoided 
some 
steps 
must 
be 
taken 
to 
increase 
wages, 
reduce 
the 
hours 
of 
labor 
and 
lower 
the 
prices 
of 
the 
neces­ 
saries 
of 
life. 
Europe 
is 
a 
great 
military 
camp. 
We 
have 
no 
peace, 
only 
an 
armistice, 
with 
unlimited 
expenditures. 
The 
result 
is 
that 
instead 
of 
accumulating 
capital 
for 
our 
children 
we 
are 
piling 
up 
for 
them 
debt 
and 
overwhelming 
responsi­ 
bilities. 
' 
"These 
words 
were 
spoken, 
not 
by 
a 
labor 
agitator 
or 
a 
Socialist, 
but 
by 
an 
aristocrat 
and 
a 
member 
of 
the 
most 
con­ 
servative 
body 
in 
all 
Europe. 
That 
gives 
them 
all 
the 
more 
significance. 
They 
contain 
more 
valuable 
political 
economy 
than 
is 
to 
be 
found 
in 
most 
of 
the 
books. 
They 
sound 
a 
note 
of 
warning. 
Take 
heed, 
gentlemen 
of 
the 
war 
and 
navy 
de­ 
partmentsl 
"-Wall 
Street 
JO'Urnal. 
• 
• 
• 
The 
matter 
that 
confuses 
many 
is 
that 
really 
the 
working 
people 
of 
the 
civilized 
world 
are 
better 
off 
in 
many 
respects 
today 
than 
they 
ever 
were 
before: 
the 
unrest 
is 
the 
result 
of 
knowledge, 
the 
increase 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
liberty. 
When 
the 
people 
supposed 
that 
God 
had 
created 
the 
royal 
families 
to 
rule 
and 
had 
specially 
blessed 
them 
financially, 
they 
looked 
to 
them 
as 
they 
properly 
looked 
to 
the 
Almighty, 
as 
their 
bene­ 
factors, 
and 
were 
thankful 
for 
whatever 
they 
received, 
thank­ 
ful 
to 
be 
permitted 
to 
live 
at 
all, 
thankful 
to 
have 
enough 
of 
food 
and 
raiment 
and 
shelter 
to 
make 
them 
reasonably 
com­ 
fortable. 
But 
with 
the 
opening 
of 
the 
eyes 
of 
their 
under­ 
standing, 
with 
the 
information 
from 
the 
pages 
of 
history 
that 
their 
kings 
and 
nobles 
in 
times 
past 
had 
seized 
the 
property 
and 
power 
which 
they 
now 
possessed-seized 
it 
by 
force 
and 
without 
divine 
authorization-this 
knowledge 
has 
rendered 
the 
masses 
dissatisfied. 
They 
now 
reason 
that 
those 
who 
have 
seized 
the 
earth 
and 
its 
honors, 
authorities 
and 
powers 
in 
the 
past 
and 
who 
hold 
them 
by 
force 
may 
be 
reasonably 
required 
to 
surrender 
to 
the 
public 
enough 
of 
their 
surplus 
to 
make 
the 
entire 
people 
reasonably 
comfortable. 
Nor 
need 
we 
be 
sur­ 
prised 
that 
frequently 
unreasonable 
demands 
are 
made 
by 
those 
whose 
minds 
have 
not 
been 
developed 
along 
the 
lines 
of 
finance, 
politics 
and 
religion, 
but 
who 
are 
coming 
to 
these 
subjects 
with 
crude, 
half-formed 
impressions, 
surmises, 
ex­ 
pectations. 
Is 
not 
this 
exactly 
what 
the 
Scriptures 
tell 
us 
respecting 
our 
day, 
the" 
time 
of 
the 
end 
"-in 
which 
we 
have 
already 
been 
for 
one 
hundred 
and 
seven 
years' 
Do 
they 
not 
tell 
us 
that 
in 
this 
period 
would 
come 
the 
running 
to 
and 
fro 
of 
travel, 
which 
we 
now 
see 
about 
us 
everywhere, 
by 
which 
the 
various 
nations 
and 
peoples 
and 
classes 
are 
inter­ 
mingled 
and 
waked 
up 
to 
the 
true 
situation 
of 
matters' 
Do 
we 
not 
see 
about 
us 
as 
another 
evidence 
of 
this 
time 
the 
ful­ 
filment 
of 
the 
prediction, 
"Knowledge 
shall 
be 
increased'" 
And 
is 
it 
not 
as 
a 
result 
of 
the 
increase 
of 
knowledge 
from 
this 
intermingling 
that 
the 
further 
prediction 
is 
to 
be 
ful­ 
filled, 
"There 
shall 
be 
a 
time 
of 
trouble 
such 
as 
was 
not 
since 
there 
was 
a 
nation 
" 
'-Daniel 
12: 
1. 
HEATHEN 
NEW 
ENGLAND 
Rev. 
Dr. 
Hoar, 
of 
the 
Newton 
Theological 
Seminary, 
has 
been 
making 
a 
study 
of 
conditions 
in 
New 
England, 
and 
finally 
raises 
his 
voice 
in 
protest 
that 
instead 
of 
civilization 
elevating 
the 
people 
a 
marked 
degeneracy 
is 
in 
progress. 
This 
may 
be 
disappointing 
to 
those 
who 
have 
the 
wrong 
expectation 
for 
the 
future--to 
those 
who 
are 
hoping 
that 
the 
Millennium 
will 
be 
introduced 
by 
the 
conversion, 
sanctification, 
of 
the 
whole 
world 
of 
mankind 
to 
the 
extent 
that 
God's 
will 
shall 
be 
done 
on 
earth 
as 
it 
is 
done 
in 
heaven. 
But 
for 
those 
who 
take 
the 
Scriptural 
view, 
Reverend 
Hoar's 
findings 
are 
a 
further 
cor­ 
roboration 
of 
the 
truth 
of 
the 
Bible. 
Our 
Lord's 
words 
are 
confirmed, 
for 
he 
said, 
"When 
the 
Son 
of 
man 
cometh 
shall 
he 
find 
the 
faith 
on 
earth" 
'-implying 
that 
the 
true 
faith 
would 
be 
very 
scarce 
at 
that 
time. 
It 
confirms 
the 
Apostle 
Paul's 
statement 
that 
"evil 
men 
and 
seducers 
shall 
wax 
worse 
and 
worse, 
deceivin¥ 
and 
being 
deceived"; 
and 
again, 
that 
"In 
the 
last 
days 
[m 
the 
close 
of 
the 
p'resent 
age, 
before 
the 
dawning 
of 
the 
new 
dispensation] 
perIlous 
times 
shall 
come. 
For 
men 
shall 
be 
lovers 
of 
their 
own 
selves, 
covetous, 
boasters, 
proud, 
blasphemers, 
disobedient 
to 
parents, 
unthankful, 
unholy, 
without 
natural 
affection, 
truce 
breakers, 
false 
accusers, 
incon· 
tinent, 
fierce, 
despisers 
of 
those 
that 
are 
good, 
traitors, 
heady, 
highminded, 
lovers 
of 
pleasure 
more 
than 
lovers 
of 
God; 
hav­ 
ing 
a 
form 
of 
godliness, 
but 
denying 
the 
power 
thereof."­ 
2 
Tim. 
3:1-5. 
Reverend 
Hoar 
says 
:-" 
There 
has 
come 
to 
some 
com­ 
munities 
a 
disintegration 
and 
degeneration 
of 
public 
morals 
which 
has 
brought 
them 
down 
in 
moral 
tone 
below 
the 
mining 
camps 
of 
the 
west. 
Degenerates 
in 
mining 
camps 
are 
willing 
to 
acknowledge 
that 
they 
are 
bad, 
but 
not 
so 
with 
degenerates 
in 
New 
England. 
They 
commit 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
mining 
camps 
while 
they 
lay 
claim 
to 
respectability, 
and 
refuse 
to 
admit 
their 
guilt. 
There 
must 
be 
a 
mixture 
of 
wickedness 
in 
order 
to 
free 
them 
from 
a 
charge 
of 
being 
Puritanical. 
In 
90 
per 
cent. 
of 
the 
New 
England 
towns 
the 
large 
majority 
of 
the 
people 
have 
no 
intelligent 
faith 
about 
anything, 
and 
do 
not 
wish 
to 
have 
any. 
Serious 
religion, 
which 
interferes 
with 
per­ 
sonal 
aims 
and 
pleasures, 
is 
shunned 
and 
its 
advocates 
ridi­ 
culed. 
The 
condition 
seems 
utterly 
hopeless." 
RESTATEMENT 
OF 
METHODIST 
FAITH 
Considerable 
agitation 
has 
been 
caused 
amongst 
our 
Metho­ 
dist 
friends 
looking 
toward 
a 
revieed 
statement 
of 
their 
creed; 
but, 
says 
the 
Michigan 
Christian 
Advocate, 
commenting 
on 
the 
question, 
"Present 
indications 
are 
that 
no 
revision 
of 
the. 
Methodist 
creed 
will 
be 
undertaken 
in 
this 
generation." 
The 
Methodist 
Times 
(London) 
admits 
that 
honesty 
seems 
to 
call 
for 
a 
revision, 
but 
claims 
that 
expediency 
frowns 
upon 
it. 
It 
says:- 
"Theoretically 
a 
great 
deal 
might 
be 
said 
in 
favor 
of 
the 
[3898] 
Vou. XXVIT ALLEGHENY, PA., DECEMBER 1, 1906 No. 23 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER SOCIALISM MENACING GREAT BRITAIN The Liberal Party in the present House of Commons stands committed to a considerable degree to the laboring class— indeed quite a few of its members were chosen on the Labor ticket. British statesmen have been wondering to what extent this new element in their politics will affect future legislation, wondering how conservative or otherwise the new members from the lower strata of society would prove to be. Heretofore the members have generally been chosen either from the aristocratic or wealthy class, or from the middle class of merchants, lawyers, etc., who have a great respect for traditions, It is causing quite an awakening amongst the British to find that the new members representing the working classes are by no means disposed to be conservative, but rather are laying their plans for the ultimate capture of the majority in Parliament—planning also something of a socialistic turn to legislation. Thus, in their due time, matters are shaping around for the termination of Gentile rule in anarchy by the appointed time—by October, 1914, when their lease or permit will expire. We quote the following from the pen of an English writer who evidently is well posted on his subject. He says:— ‘«The enormous majority secured by the Liberal party in the last British parliamentary elections had its embarrassments as well as its pleasant features.... A section of the Labor party in parliament, composing about one-half the labor vote, is socialistic in its program and principles, and has been striving vigorously to whip into line with itself the other half by seeking to get control of the trades unions to which the conservative half owes and confesses allegiance. This movement has become so successful that the leaders of the Liberal party, especially the Scotch, became alarmed at the growth of Socialism in the labor end of the party, and have recently taken steps to warn the Government that any further encouragement of the socialistic element would result in serious trouble. Alexander Murray, the Liberal Scottish whip in the House of Commons, in a recent speech made a fierce attack upon Socialism and its representatives in Parliament. The Scottish Parliamentary Association, under Mr. Murray’s influence, passed a resolution that ‘it is the primary duty of the Liberal party to present strenuous opposition to all candidates who are not prepared to dissociate themselves with the Socialist party, the avowed object of which is the complete destruction of those principles of individual liberty for which Liberalism has always contended.’ ‘In the meantime, the Labor representation committee, whose chairman is Keir Hardie, and which is the controlling body of the Socialistie element in politics, is working with might and main among the unions to bring them over body and soul to Socialism, with which they are all more or less deeply leavened, and seems to be in the way of fully sueceeding. This presages a cleavage between the whole Labor vote and the Government.’’ STRONG WORDS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS “Tt is strange that the strong, impressive words spoken by Lord Avebury in the House of Lords last week should have failed, as they have, to excite international discussion. Lord Avebury said: ‘¢¢The unrest of Europe, the spread of Socialism and the ominous rise of anarchism are warnings to the governments and the ruling classes that the condition of the working classes in Europe is becoming intolerable, and that if a revolution is to be avoided some steps must be taken to increase wages, reduce the hours of labor and lower the prices of the necessaries of life. Europe is a great military camp. We have no peace, only an armistice, with unlimited expenditures. The result is that instead of accumulating capital for our children we are piling up for them debt and overwhelming responsibilities. ’ ‘‘These words were spoken, not by a labor agitator or a Socialist, but by an aristocrat and a member of the most conservative body in all Europe. That gives them all the more significance. They contain more valuable political economy than is to be found in most of the books. They sound a note of warning. Take heed, gentlemen of the war and navy departments! ’’—Wall Street Journal. * * The matter that confuses many is that really the working people of the civilized world are better off in many respects today than they ever were before: the unrest is the result of knowledge, the increase of the spirit of liberty. When the people supposed that God had created the royal families to (371-372) rule and had specially blessed them financially, they looked to them as they properly looked to the Almighty, as their benefactors, and were thankful for whatever they received, thankful to be permitted to live at all, thankful to have enough of food and raiment and shelter to make them reasonably comfortable. But with the opening of the eyes of their understanding, with the information from the pages of history that their kings and nobles in times past had seized the property and power which they now possessed—seized it by force and without divine authorization—this knowledge has rendered the masses dissatisfied. They now reasén that those who have seized the earth and its honors, authorities and powers in the past and who hold them by force may be reasonably required to surrender to the public enough of their surplus to make the entire people reasonably comfortable. Nor need we be surprised that frequently unreasonable demands are made by those whose minds have not been developed along the lines of finance, politics and religion, but who are coming to these subjects with crude, half-formed impressions, surmises, expectations. Is not this exactly what the Scriptures tell us respecting our day, the ‘‘time of the end’’—in which we have already been for one hundred and seven years? Do they not tell us that in this period would come the running to and fro of travel, which we now see about us everywhere, by which the various nations and peoples and classes are intermingled and waked up to the true situation of matters? Do we not see about us as another evidence of this time the fulfilment of the prediction, ‘‘Knowledge shall be increased’’? And is it not as a result of the increase of knowledge from this intermingling that the further prediction is to be fulfilled, ‘‘There shall be a time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation’’?—Danie] 12:1. HEATHEN NEW ENGLAND Rev. Dr. Hoar, of the Newton Theological Seminary, has been making a study of conditions in New England, and finally raises his voice in protest that instead of civilization elevating the people a marked degeneracy is in progress, This may be disappointing to those who have the wrong expectation for the future—to those who are hoping that the Millennium will be introduced by the conversion, sanctification, of the whole world of mankind to the extent that God’s will shall be done on earth as it is done in heaven. But for those who take the Scriptural view, Reverend Hoar’s findings are a further corroboration of the truth of the Bible. Our Lord’s words are confirmed, for he said, ‘‘When the Son of man cometh shall he find the faith on earth?’’—implying that the true faith would be very scarce at that time. It confirms the Apostle Paul’s statement that ‘‘evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived’’; and again, that “*In the last days [in the close of the present age, before the dawning of the new dispensation] perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.’’— 2 Tim. 3:1-5. Reverend Hoar says:—‘‘There has come to some communities a disintegration and degeneration of public morals which has brought them down in moral tone below the mining camps of the west. Degenerates in mining camps are willing to acknowledge that they are bad, but not so with degenerates in New England. They commit the sins of the mining camps while they lay claim to respectability, and refuse to admit their guilt. There must be a mixture of wickedness in order to free them from a charge of being Puritanical. In 90 per cent. of the New England towns the large majority of the people have no intelligent faith about anything, and do not wish to have any. Serious religion, which interferes with personal aims and pleasures, is shunned and its advocates ridiculed. The condition seems utterly hopeless.’’ RESTATEMENT OF METHODIST FAITH Considerable agitation has been caused amongst our Methodist friends looking toward a revised statement of their creed; but, says the Michigan Christian Advocate, commenting on the question, ‘‘Present indications are that no revision of the Methodist creed will be undertaken in this generation.’’ The Methodist Times (London) admits that honesty seems to call for a revision, but claims that expediency frowns upon it. It says:— ‘«Theoretically a great deal might be said in favor of the [3898]

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