Publication date
4/1/08
Volume
29
Number
7
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1908/7/1908-7-1.html
 
 
MARCH 
IS, 
15108 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
text, 
which 
is 
more 
properly 
rendered 
in 
the 
Revised 
Ver­ 
sion 
and 
in 
the 
Diaglott-' 
I 
There 
shall 
be 
one 
flock 
and 
one 
Shepherd." 
This 
is 
in 
full 
agreement 
with 
the 
Apostle's 
statement 
(Eph. 
1 
:10) 
that 
in 
the 
dispensation 
of 
the 
fullness 
of 
times 
he 
might 
gather 
together 
in 
one 
[literally, 
under 
one 
head] 
all 
things 
in 
Christ, 
both 
which 
are 
in 
heaven 
and 
which 
are 
on 
earth, 
even 
in 
him. 
Ultimately 
all 
of 
God's 
creation 
will 
be 
under 
the 
headship 
of 
this 
great 
Shepherd, 
who 
is 
now 
the 
Head 
of 
the 
church, 
the 
little 
flock, 
and 
who 
in 
future 
will 
be 
Head 
over 
angels 
also 
and 
over 
restored 
humanity. 
The 
flock 
will 
be 
one, 
but 
the 
sheep 
will 
be 
of 
various 
natures 
on 
various 
planes 
of 
being; 
as 
it 
is 
written, 
I 
I 
In 
my 
Father's 
house 
are 
many 
mansions," 
many 
apartments, 
many 
planes, 
but 
all 
harmonious, 
grand. 
But 
the 
highest 
of 
all 
these 
planes, 
the 
plane 
of 
glory, 
is 
that 
to 
which 
the 
Lord 
has 
inviten 
the 
little 
flock, 
the 
bride 
class 
of 
this 
Gospel 
age. 
Let 
us 
hear 
his 
voice, 
let 
us 
follow 
in 
his 
footsteps, 
let 
us 
make 
our 
calliu@ 
and 
election 
sure 
I 
VOL. 
XXIX 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
APRIL 
1, 
1908 
No.7 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
within 
the 
very 
shadows 
of 
our 
churches 
and 
in 
the 
midst 
of 
our 
civilization. 
Even 
educated 
Italians 
are 
to 
be 
found 
who 
believe 
profoundly 
in 
the 
influence 
of 
the 
I 
I 
evil-eye, 
" 
and 
al­ 
most 
every 
race 
has 
its 
pet 
superstition, 
but 
it 
is 
neither 
the 
negroes 
nor 
foreign 
classes 
who 
have 
alarmed 
the 
officials 
by 
appealing 
from 
the 
evils 
of 
superstition, 
as 
the 
many 
cases 
which 
have 
been 
brought 
to 
the 
attention 
of 
Superintendent 
Bell 
are 
almost 
without 
exception 
native-born 
white 
persons. 
Mr. 
Bell 
said: 
"It 
seems 
almost 
ridiculous 
to 
talk 
of 
persons 
being 
literally 
ruined 
by 
I 
hoodoos' 
and 
evil 
I 
spells' 
cast 
upon 
them 
by 
mys­ 
terious 
conjurers 
in 
these 
enlightened 
times, 
and 
if 
I 
had 
not 
the 
evidence 
of 
my 
own 
eyes 
I 
would 
doubt 
the 
truth 
of 
many 
of 
the 
cases 
which 
are 
to 
be 
found 
upon 
our 
records. 
Never 
before 
in 
my 
long 
experience 
in 
the 
Humane 
Society 
have 
I 
known 
evil 
superstition 
to 
be 
so 
prevalent 
and 
to 
have 
such 
alarming 
results. 
The 
epidemic 
is 
growing 
worse 
every 
day 
and 
it 
is 
time 
for 
some 
radical 
action 
to 
be 
taken. 
I 
lOne 
of 
the 
first 
cases 
called 
to 
my 
attention 
seemed 
to 
me 
to 
be 
particularly 
distressing, 
as 
I 
had 
known 
the 
victim 
of 
the 
delusion 
before 
she 
came 
under 
the 
I 
influence' 
of 
some 
alleged 
evil 
spirit. 
An 
attractive 
young 
woman 
and 
exceed­ 
ingly 
capable 
stenographer 
who 
had 
been 
employed 
for 
years 
by 
a 
well-known 
alderman 
came 
to 
me 
and 
told 
me 
that 
she 
had 
been 
forced 
to 
give 
up 
her 
employment, 
as 
she 
could 
not 
work 
on 
account 
of 
a 
I 
spell' 
having 
been 
cast 
upon 
her; 
she 
said 
that 
voices 
came 
to 
her 
while 
she 
was 
at 
work, 
calling 
upon 
her 
to 
I 
come, 
come, 
come,' 
and 
whispering 
strange 
things 
in 
her 
ears, 
driving 
her 
to 
distraction. 
I'I 
laughed 
at 
the 
girl 
when 
she 
asked 
me 
to 
stop 
the 
people 
who 
were 
hounding 
her, 
but 
she 
came 
back 
again 
and 
again, 
and 
as 
she 
seemed 
to 
be 
a 
nervous 
and 
mental 
wreck 
from 
harping 
on 
the 
one 
subject 
and 
brooding 
over 
the 
ever­ 
present 
spirit 
voices, 
I 
resolved 
to 
investigate 
the 
case 
and 
if 
possible 
arrest 
and 
make 
an 
example 
of 
the 
person 
who 
had 
so 
worked 
upon 
her 
mind 
as 
to 
wreck 
her 
life. 
She 
said 
that 
she 
had 
been 
to 
spiritualistic 
circles 
and 
a 
certain 
medium 
had 
cast 
the 
spell 
upon 
her. 
My 
investigation 
secured 
no 
evi­ 
dence, 
as 
every 
person 
she 
mentioned 
professed 
entire 
igno­ 
rance 
of 
the 
matter. 
PUZZLING 
CASES 
COME 
TO 
LIGHT 
I 
I 
The 
affair 
puzzled 
me, 
as 
I 
saw 
that 
the 
girl 
was 
really 
seriously 
affected 
by 
the 
delusions. 
She 
was 
unable 
to 
keep 
any 
position, 
not 
even 
where 
only 
the 
simplest 
housework 
was 
involved, 
and 
she 
is 
today 
sinking 
lower 
and 
lower 
in 
the 
social 
scale. 
Other 
cases 
which 
have 
been 
brought 
to 
my 
notice 
in 
great 
numbers 
during 
the 
past 
few 
months 
are 
just 
as 
puzzling. 
Although 
such 
investigations 
are 
really 
outside 
of 
my 
jurisdiction, 
I 
am 
willing 
to 
make 
every 
effort 
to 
have 
a 
test 
case 
of 
the 
prosecution 
of 
the 
persons 
responsible 
for 
this 
deplorable 
condition 
of 
affairs 
if 
I 
can 
secure 
the 
evi­ 
dence. 
Positive 
proof 
must 
be 
secured, 
however, 
that 
some 
person 
is 
responsible 
for 
the 
wrecking 
of 
a 
life 
in 
this 
manner. 
An 
attempt 
to 
try 
a 
case 
with 
little 
evidence 
would 
only 
result 
in 
failure, 
as 
such 
a 
case 
is 
sure 
to 
seem 
ridiculous 
to 
the 
skeptical. 
In 
no 
one 
of 
the 
many 
cases 
has 
such 
evidence 
been 
produced, 
but 
still 
the 
victims 
come 
with 
their 
complaints, 
and 
they 
are 
increasing 
in 
number 
every 
day. 
I 
I 
Not 
only 
women, 
but 
men 
come 
to 
me, 
and 
one 
and 
all 
complain 
of 
being 
mesmerized, 
hypnotized 
or 
enchanted 
in 
some 
manner 
by 
persons 
who 
wish 
to 
persecute 
them. 
"Just 
last 
week 
a 
nice 
little 
woman 
and 
her 
husband 
came 
to 
me 
and 
asked 
that 
I 
stop 
the 
people 
who 
had 
cast 
a 
spell 
over 
them 
and 
were 
hounding 
them 
to 
death 
by 
sending 
spirits 
constantly 
about 
with 
them 
wherever 
they 
went. 
The 
man 
was 
a 
big, 
husky 
fellow, 
and 
I 
inquired 
particularly 
if 
he 
drank. 
I 
thought 
it 
might 
be 
some 
other 
kind 
of 
spirits 
which 
was 
annoying 
him, 
but 
they 
stuck 
to 
their 
story 
and 
seemed 
to 
believe 
firmly 
in 
the 
delusion. 
"Persons 
of 
all 
walks 
of 
life 
are 
among 
the 
complainants, 
FACED 
BY 
A 
SOCIAL 
CRISIS 
Rev. 
Washington 
Gladden, 
D. 
D. 
(Congregationalist), 
ex­ 
pressed 
himself 
as 
follows 
a 
little 
time 
ago:- 
"It 
is 
idle, 
it 
is 
fatuous 
to 
hide 
from 
ourselves 
the 
fact 
that 
we 
are 
facing 
here 
in 
the 
United 
States 
of 
America 
a 
social 
crisis. 
The 
forces 
which 
are 
at 
work 
mean 
destruction. 
'I 
The 
swollen 
fortunes 
that 
many 
are 
gloating 
over 
are 
symptoms 
of 
disease. 
They 
are 
not 
the 
reward 
of 
social 
serv­ 
ice, 
they 
are 
the 
fruit 
of 
plunder. 
We 
have 
made 
them 
pos­ 
sible 
only 
by 
permitting 
the 
gate 
of 
opportunity 
to 
be 
made 
narrower 
and 
the 
burden 
of 
toil 
more 
unrequiting 
for 
millions 
of 
people. 
They 
exist 
only 
by 
our 
acts. 
A 
society 
which 
tol­ 
erates 
such 
conditions 
cannot 
live. 
"It 
is 
because 
we 
have 
begun 
to 
have 
some 
dim 
concep­ 
tion 
of 
this 
truth 
that 
we 
are 
moving 
now 
toward 
the 
correc­ 
tion 
by 
law 
of 
these 
great 
injustices. 
We 
must 
exterminate 
them; 
that 
is 
the 
fight 
in 
which 
there 
must 
be 
no 
faltering. 
If 
we 
would 
not 
be 
destroyed 
we 
must 
destroy 
the 
destroyer. 
This 
is 
the 
truth 
which 
our 
brave 
President, 
by 
word 
and 
deed, 
is 
alwa;rs 
enforcing- 
upon 
us, 
and 
he 
is 
entirely 
and 
everlast­ 
ingly 
rIght 
about 
it. 
"What 
has 
the 
Christian 
church 
been 
doing 
while 
the 
powers 
of 
piracy 
and 
plunder 
have 
been 
gathering 
their 
forces 
and 
spreading 
their 
net 
and 
heaping 
up 
their 
spoils' 
Where 
was 
the 
Christian 
church 
when 
the 
grafters 
were 
ravaging 
the 
cities, 
and 
the 
rebaters 
and 
the 
frenzied 
financiers 
and 
the 
insurance 
sharks 
were 
getting 
in 
their 
work' 
For 
the 
most 
part 
she 
has 
been 
standing 
by 
and 
looking 
on, 
winking 
her 
eyes 
and 
twiddling 
her 
thumbs, 
and 
wondering 
whether 
she 
had 
any 
call 
to 
interfere. 
Indeed 
she 
has 
gathered 
into 
her 
communion 
many 
of 
the 
most 
conspicuous 
of 
the 
perpetrators 
of 
the 
injustices-they 
are 
nearly 
all 
church 
members-and 
has 
made 
herself 
a 
pensioner 
upon 
their 
bounty, 
and 
has 
been 
content 
with 
preaching 
to 
them 
the 
simple 
Gospel 
that 
such 
men 
always 
love 
to 
hear. 
I 
I 
The 
fact 
is 
plainly 
apparent 
that 
the 
church 
has 
lost 
its 
grip 
on 
the 
world, 
and 
she 
is 
not 
going 
to 
regain 
it 
until 
she 
finds 
out 
what 
is 
her 
real 
business 
in 
the 
world. 
Let 
her 
ad­ 
dress 
herself 
to 
that 
with 
faith 
and 
courage 
and 
she 
will 
soon 
find 
her 
resources 
returning." 
DEMONISM 
ATTRIBUTED 
TO 
SUPERSTITION 
We 
must 
not 
blame 
intelligent 
people 
for 
considering 
witchcraft, 
spiritism, 
clairaudience 
and 
clairvoyance 
to 
be 
merely 
products 
of 
superstition 
and 
imagination. 
We, 
too, 
would 
have 
been 
so 
inclined 
but 
for 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
on 
the 
subjeet 
and 
various 
corroborating 
experiences. 
And 
herein 
lies 
a 
part 
of 
the 
danger. 
When 
the 
unbelieving 
are 
suddenly 
made 
aware 
that 
there 
is 
really 
an 
intelligent 
occult 
influence 
at 
work, 
they 
are 
amazed 
that 
they 
have 
been 
favored 
to 
have 
demonstrations 
of 
and 
to 
appreciate 
a 
tru.th 
of 
which 
so 
few 
know. 
They 
delve 
into 
its 
mysteries 
as 
they 
would 
not 
have 
done 
had 
they 
not 
previously 
considered 
it 
all 
a 
fake­ 
especially 
if 
the 
proofs 
reach 
them 
along 
innocent, 
amusing 
or 
ludicrous 
lines. 
Note 
the 
testimony 
of 
our 
home 
city, 
which 
is 
doubtless 
paralleled 
in 
other 
cities. 
The 
extract 
is 
from 
The 
Pittsburgh 
Post: 
A 
WA 
VB 
OF 
SUPERSTITION 
Superintendent 
Bell, 
of 
the 
Humane 
Society, 
made 
the 
startling 
statement 
that 
he 
is 
daily 
besieged 
with 
requests 
to 
arrest 
and 
punish 
supposed 
sorcerers 
who 
have 
cast 
'I 
spells' 
, 
about 
their 
victims 
and 
are 
driving 
them 
to 
the 
verge 
of 
lunacy. 
It 
is 
to 
be 
expeeted 
that 
with 
such 
a 
great 
cosmopolitan 
population 
as 
Allegheny 
enjoys, 
superstitions 
transplanted 
from 
faraway 
lands 
would 
flourish 
among 
the 
foreign 
and 
negro 
ele­ 
ments. 
The 
negro 
and 
Latin 
races 
will 
probably 
always 
be 
inclined 
to 
superstition. 
Traces 
of 
the 
doctrines 
of 
the 
voodoos 
or 
witch-doctors 
of 
Africa, 
the 
legends 
and 
folklore 
of 
Europe 
and 
the 
fantastic 
superstitions 
of 
the 
Orient 
are 
to 
be 
found 
[4159] 
MARCH 15, 1908 text, which is more properly rendered in the Revised Version and in the Diaglott--‘‘There shall be one flock and one Shepherd.’’ This is in full agreement with the Apostle’s statement (Eph. 1:10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one [literally, under one head] all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him. Ultimately all of God’s creation will be under the headship of this great Shepherd, who is now the Head of the church, the little flock, and who in future will ZION’S WATCH TOWER (95-100) be Head over angels also and over restored humanity. The flock will be one, but the sheep will be of various natures on various planes of being; as it is written, ‘‘In my Father’s house are many mansions,’’ many apartments, many planes, but all harmonious, grand. But the highest of all these planes, the plane of glory, is that to which the Lord has invited the little flock, the bride class of this Gospel age. Let us hear his voice, let us follow in his footsteps, let us make our calling and election sure! Vou. XXIX ALLEGHENY, PA., APRIL 1, 1908 No. 7 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER FACED BY A SOCIAL CRISIS Rev. Washington Gladden, D. D. (Congregationalist), expressed himself as follows a little time ago:— ‘‘It is idle, it is fatuous to hide from ourselves the fact that we are facing here in the United States of America a social crisis, The forces which are at work mean destruction. ‘‘The swollen fortunes that many are gloating over are symptoms of disease. They are not the reward of social service, they are the fruit of plunder. We have made them possible only by permitting the gate of opportunity to be made narrower and the burden of toil more unrequiting for millions of people. They exist only by our acts. A society which tolerates such conditions cannot live. ‘It is because we have begun to have some dim conception of this truth that we are moving now toward the correction by law of these great injustices. We must exterminate them; that is the fight in which there must be no faltering. If we would not be destroyed we must destroy the destroyer. This is the truth which our brave President, by word and deed, is always enforcing upon us, and he is entirely and everlastingly right about it. ‘*What has the Christian church been doing while the powers of piracy and plunder have been gathering their forces and spreading their net and heaping up their spoils? Where was the Christian church when the grafters were ravaging the cities, and the rebaters and the frenzied financiers and the insurance sharks were getting in their work? For the most part she has been standing by and looking on, winking her eyes and twiddling her thumbs, and wondering whether she had any call to interfere. Indeed she has gathered into her communion many of the most conspicuous of the perpetrators of the injustices—they are nearly all church members—and has made herself a pensioner upon their bounty, and has been content with preaching to them the simple Gospel that such men always love to hear. ‘¢The fact is plainly apparent that the chureh has lost its grip on the world, and she is not going to regain it until she finds out what is her real business in the world. Let her address herself to that with faith and courage and she will soon find her resources returning.’’ DEMONISM ATTRIBUTED TO SUPERSTITION We must not blame intelligent people for considering witchcraft, spiritism, clairaudience and clairvoyance to be merely products of superstition and imagination. We, too, would have been so inclined but for the Word of God on the subject and various corroborating experiences. And herein lies a part of the danger. When the unbelieving are suddenly made aware that there is really an intelligent occult influence at work, they are amazed that they have been favored to have demonstrations of and to appreciate a truth of which so few know. They delve into its mysteries as they would not have done had they not previously considered it all a fake— especially if the proofs reach them along innocent, amusing or ludicrous lines. Note the testimony of our home city, which is doubtless paralleled in other cities. The extract is from The Pittsburgh Post: A WAVE OF SUPERSTITION Superintendent Bell, of the Humane Society, made the startling statement that he is daily besieged with requests to arrest and punish supposed sorcerers who have cast ‘‘spells’’ about their victims and are driving them to the verge of hinacy. It is to be expected that with such a great cosmopolitan population as Allegheny enjoys, superstitions transplanted from faraway lands would flourish among the foreign and negro elements. The negro and Latin races will probably always be inclined to superstition. Traces of the doctrines of the voodoos or witch-doctors of Africa, the legends and folklore of Europe and the fantastic superstitions of the Orient are to be found within the very shadows of our churches and in the midst of our civilization. Even educated Italians are to be found who believe profoundly in the influence of the ‘‘evil-eye,’’ and almost every race has its pet superstition, but it is neither the negroes nor foreign classes who have alarmed the officials by appealing from the evils of superstition, as the many cases which have been brought to the attention of Superintendent Bell are almost without exception native-born white persons. Mr. Bell said: ‘*It seems almost ridiculous to talk of persons being literally ruined by ‘hoodoos’ and evil ‘spells’ cast upon them by mysterious conjurers in these enlightened times, and if I had not the evidence of my own eyes I would doubt the truth of many of the cases which are to be found upon our records. Never before in my long experience in the Humane Society have I known evil superstition to be so prevalent and to have such alarming results. The epidemic is growing worse every day and it is time for some radical action to be taken. ‘One of the first cases called to my attention seemed to me to be particularly distressing, as I had known the victim of the delusion before she came under the ‘influence’ of some alleged evil spirit. An attractive young woman and exceedingly capable stenographer who had been employed for years by a well-known alderman came to me and told me that she had been forced to give up her employment, as she could not work on account of a ‘spell’ having been cast upon her; she said that voices came to her while she was at work, calling upon her to ‘come, come, come,’ and whispering strange things in her ears, driving her to distraction. “*T laughed at the girl when she asked me to stop the people who were hounding her, but she came back again and again, and as she seemed to be a nervous and mental wreck from harping on the one subject and brooding over the everpresent spirit voices, I resolved to investigate the case and if possible arrest and make an example of the person who had so worked upon her mind as to wreck her life. She said that she had been to spiritualistic circles and a certain medium had cast the spell upon her. My investigation secured no evidence, as every person she mentioned professed entire ignorance of the matter. PUZZLING CASES COME TO LIGHT ‘‘The affair puzzled me, as I saw that the girl was really seriously affected by the delusions. She was unable to keep any position, not even where only the simplest housework was involved, and she is today sinking lower and lower in the social scale. Other cases which have been brought to my notice in great numbers during the past few months are just as puzzling. Although such investigations are really outside of my jurisdiction, I am willing to make every effort to have a test case of the prosecution of the persons responsible for this deplorable condition of affairs if I can secure the evidence. Positive proof must be secured, however, that some person is responsible for the wrecking of a life in this manner. An attempt to try a case with little evidence would only result in failure, as such a case is sure to seem ridiculous to the skeptical. In no one of the many cases has such evidence been produced, but still the victims come with their complaints, and they are increasing in number every day. ‘*Not only women, but men come to me, and one and all complain of being mesmerized, hypnotized or enchanted in some manner by persons who wish to persecute them. ‘¢ Just last week a nice little woman and her husband came to me and asked that I stop the people who had cast a spell over them and were hounding them to death by sending spirits constantly about with them wherever they went. The man was a big, husky fellow, and I inquired particularly if he drank. I thought it might be some other kind of spirits which was annoying him, but they stuck to their story and seemed to believe firmly in the delusion. ‘*Pergsons of all walks of life are among the complainants, [4159]

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