Publication date
4/15/09
Volume
30
Number
8
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1909/8/1909-8-1.html
 
 
VOL. 
XXX 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
APRIL 
15, 
1909 
No.8 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(115-116) 
* 
* 
RAPIDLY 
GROWING 
BURDEN 
OF 
MILITARISM 
The" 
Dallas 
Morning 
News" 
says 
that 
"Militarism 
has 
re­ 
duced 
more 
people 
to 
slavery 
and 
crushed 
more 
nations 
into 
the 
earth 
than 
any 
of 
the 
other 
burdens. 
It 
is 
unaccountable 
that 
the 
civilization 
of 
today 
will 
promote 
or 
endure 
it. 
It 
means 
the 
same 
thing 
over 
again, 
and 
yet 
the 
educated 
people 
of 
the 
twentieth 
century 
tolerate 
it 
and 
hurrah 
over 
it 
just 
as 
the 
Assyrians 
and 
Persians 
did 
in 
the 
remote 
ages 
of 
passion, 
tyranny 
and 
conquest. 
The 
penalties 
of 
it 
are 
incalculable. 
The 
appropriation 
for 
armies 
and 
navies, 
tremendous 
as 
they 
are, 
are 
by 
no 
means 
the 
heaviest 
of 
the 
losses. 
There 
is 
no 
other 
line 
of 
jobbery 
and 
graft 
that 
is 
comparable 
to 
that 
of 
the 
sharp 
opportunity 
hunters 
who 
invent 
causes 
of 
war, 
and 
who 
sell 
to 
their 
pets 
in 
military 
politics 
the 
stores, 
supplies 
and 
equipments 
which 
are 
consumed 
by 
armies 
and 
navies, 
whether 
idle 
or 
active. 
But 
more 
scandalous 
than 
all 
the 
costly 
plun· 
dering 
and 
grafting 
is 
that 
loss 
of 
self-reliance, 
of 
ability 
to 
make 
a 
living, 
of 
civic 
character 
and 
peaceful 
purpose 
that 
fol­ 
lows 
in 
many 
instances 
the 
change 
from 
a 
life 
of 
working 
for 
a 
living 
to 
a 
life 
of 
idling 
or 
fighting 
for 
a 
living. 
"Truly, 
as 
an 
observant 
contemporary 
says, 
it 
is 
of 
little 
use 
for 
consumers 
to 
protest 
against 
a 
tax 
on 
coffee 
and 
sugar 
for 
property 
owners 
to 
protest 
against 
income 
taxes, 
or 
fo; 
States 
to 
object 
to 
Federal 
inheritance 
taxes, 
unless 
a 
similar 
protest 
is 
made 
against 
the 
policies 
which 
relate 
to 
these 
taxes 
as 
cause 
to 
effect. 
What 
causes 
the 
deficit 
in 
National 
finances? 
Out 
of 
a 
total 
of 
$810,000,000 
appropriated, 
exclusive 
of 
the 
postal 
Department, 
$526,000,000 
was 
required 
to 
meet 
the 
war 
bills 
of 
the 
government! 
We 
are 
paying 
$1,440,000 
a 
day 
for 
war! 
That 
is 
more 
than 
the 
cost 
of 
the 
first 
year 
of 
the 
Civil 
War, 
and 
more 
than 
half 
the 
cost 
of 
the 
last 
year, 
in 
which 
great 
armies 
were 
maintained 
in 
action. 
We 
are 
at 
peace 
with 
the 
world, 
but 
we 
are 
maintaining 
a 
war 
standard 
of 
equip­ 
ment. 
We 
must 
pay 
for 
it. 
We 
have 
iollowed 
the 
nations 
of 
Europe 
in 
our 
military 
poliey. 
In 
this 
we 
have 
taken 
on 
the 
deadly 
curse 
of 
the 
ages. 
As 
a 
nation 
we 
have 
never 
committed 
before 
any 
blunder 
that 
is 
comparable 
to 
it 
in 
either 
its 
ma­ 
terial 
or 
moral 
penalties." 
* 
our 
possessions 
on 
the 
Pacific 
and 
we 
to 
guarantee 
the 
safety 
of 
hers 
in 
the 
North 
Atlantic."----Exchange. 
* 
* 
* 
Pe~ce 
I 
Peace 
I 
is 
the 
cry, 
as 
the 
Scriptures 
predicted. 
Yet 
there 
IS 
no 
peace, 
as 
they 
declare. 
True, 
no 
war 
is 
being 
waged 
at 
~he 
present. 
time; 
but 
it 
~s. 
surely 
expected, 
and 
the 
great 
natIons 
dread 
It 
and 
spend 
mIllIons 
on 
war 
preparation!: 
in 
har· 
mony 
with 
those 
convictions. 
Would 
the 
world's 
wise 
and 
rich 
~en 
tax 
t~emselves 
to 
the 
poi~t 
of 
distress 
for 
war 
purposes 
If 
they 
belIeved 
as 
Mr. 
CarnegIe 
seeks 
to 
convince 
himself 
and 
others' 
Surely 
not 
I 
But 
why 
is 
there 
no 
peace' 
Because 
sin 
has 
entrenched 
itself 
in 
fallen 
human 
nature. 
Selfishness 
is 
sin 
and 
the 
cause 
of 
war; 
wickedness 
is 
the 
Scriptural 
name--"There 
is 
no 
peace 
for 
the 
wicked, 
saith 
my 
God." 
If 
Mr. 
Carnegie 
can 
tell 
the 
world 
how 
to 
convert 
its 
people 
giving. 
t.hem 
~ender 
in~tead 
of 
.stony 
hearts, 
then 
the 
peac~ 
propOSItIOn 
WIll 
be 
qUIckly 
realIzed. 
But 
aside 
from 
such 
a 
whol~sale 
~onversio~ 
there 
is 
hope 
for 
peace 
only 
along 
the 
lines 
predIcted 
m 
the 
BIble; 
namely, 
by 
the 
establishment 
of 
Mes­ 
siah's 
kingdom 
in 
spiritual 
glory 
and 
with 
unlimited 
power. 
This 
the 
~ible 
assures 
is 
nigh 
at 
hand. 
But, 
alas! 
its 
blessings 
must 
be 
mtroduced 
by 
wars 
of 
selfishness 
which 
will 
wreck 
pre.sent 
institutions 
and 
prepare 
~umanity 
to 
cry 
to 
God 
for 
his 
relIef 
and 
the 
new 
heart, 
"Thy 
kIngdom 
come; 
thy 
will 
be 
done 
on 
earth 
as 
in 
heaven!" 
MORE 
WAR 
ENGINES 
The 
above 
is 
the 
serious 
side 
of 
this 
matter. 
The 
amusing 
"The 
first 
thought 
that 
arises 
is 
an 
unpleasant 
one, 
viz., 
side 
is 
that 
this 
war 
fever 
attacks 
nations 
in 
proportion 
as 
that 
never 
in 
the 
history 
of 
the 
world 
have 
the 
leading 
powers 
they 
become 
"Christianized" 
or 
"Civilized." 
Would 
we 
not 
been 
engaged 
to 
such 
extent 
in 
hastening 
the 
construction 
of 
better 
term 
this 
warlike 
spirit 
unchristian 
and 
uncivIl' 
Ah 
engines 
of 
destruction 
such 
as 
the 
world 
has 
never 
seen, 
a 
de· 
yes, 
to 
be 
a 
Christian 
is 
a 
personal 
and 
not 
a 
national 
matter~ 
plorable 
fact 
which 
cannot 
but 
give 
pain 
to 
every 
lover 
of 
Not 
until 
Messiah 
takes 
the 
reins 
of 
government 
will 
there 
be 
his 
race." 
an 
end 
of 
wars. 
PEACEl 
PEACE 
I 
AND 
DREADNOUGHTS 
As 
respects 
the 
war-expenditures, 
they 
cost 
the 
poor 
noth- 
"Britain 
built 
a 
ship 
which 
created 
a 
class 
by 
itself. 
By 
a 
ing 
and 
the 
middle 
class 
almost 
nothing. 
Why 
object 
to 
the 
strange 
fatality 
she 
called 
the 
ship 
the 
Dreadnought, 
but 
ex- 
rich 
having 
the 
costly 
toys-battleships 
costing 
millions 
to 
perience 
is 
teaching 
her 
that 
from 
it 
she 
has 
everything 
to 
build 
and 
other 
millions 
to 
maintain' 
Do 
not 
these 
monies 
dread. 
Germany 
began 
to 
build 
new 
ships 
and 
naturally 
these 
circulate 
amongst 
the 
masses' 
Does 
not 
the 
employment 
of 
were 
Dreadnoughts. 
Other 
Powers 
are 
about 
to 
follow. 
Among 
men 
in 
the 
building 
and 
maintainin~ 
of 
a 
war-outfit 
relieve 
the 
them 
we 
regret 
to 
find 
our 
own 
land. 
But 
it 
is 
inevitable 
that 
pressure 
upon 
the 
labor 
market, 
too, 
and 
thus 
inure 
to 
the 
if 
any 
ships 
are 
to 
be 
built 
they 
must 
be 
Dreadnoughts. 
maintenance 
of 
wage 
ratel'l' 
Let 
the 
poor 
world 
have 
its 
way. 
"An 
interesting 
suggestion 
has 
been 
made 
by 
a 
London 
Let 
it 
play 
with 
its 
toys 
and 
find 
by 
experience 
their 
littie 
writer 
proposing 
the 
co-operation 
of 
the 
fleets 
of 
the 
two 
worth. 
Surely 
they 
will 
become 
the 
more 
ready 
for 
the 
uew 
English 
speaking 
peoples, 
Britain 
to 
guarantee 
the 
safety 
of 
King 
and 
kingdom 
of 
righteousness! 
[4373] 
This 
is 
a 
frank 
statement 
of 
what 
Doctor 
Abbott 
thinks 
or 
guesses. 
He 
is 
to 
be 
commended 
for 
not 
trying 
to 
prove 
that 
his 
text 
means 
the 
reverse 
of 
what 
it 
says. 
How 
much 
better 
it 
would 
be 
for 
the 
world 
if 
all 
Bible 
teachers 
thus 
distinguished 
between 
what 
they 
think 
and 
what 
the 
BiBle 
teaches. 
But 
what 
is 
the 
value 
of 
the 
doctor's 
thought' 
On 
what 
is 
it 
based' 
What 
does 
he 
know 
on 
the 
subject 
on 
which 
to 
base 
specula­ 
tions 
and 
surmises' 
Was 
he 
ever 
dead' 
Does 
he 
really 
know 
anyone 
who 
passed 
through 
the 
experience 
of 
death' 
Until 
we 
get 
such 
a 
demonstration 
we 
prefer 
to 
believe 
the 
Bible. 
cor­ 
roborated 
by 
our 
five 
senses, 
rather 
than 
trust 
to 
the 
infallibility 
of 
Doctor 
Abbott's 
thinking 
apparatus. 
Dr. 
Abbott 
is 
a 
gentleman 
and 
a 
scholar 
of 
no 
mean 
caliber, 
yet 
his 
teachings, 
here 
reported, 
are 
in 
line 
with 
the 
claims 
of 
Spiritism, 
which 
the 
Bible 
teaches 
us 
is 
demon 
ism. 
Should 
the 
doctor 
resist 
the 
seductive 
proposition 
of 
Spiritism 
to 
put 
him 
into 
communication 
with 
his 
dead 
wife, 
etc., 
it 
will 
be 
because 
of 
his 
strong 
character. 
Many 
of 
those 
who 
read 
his 
words 
may 
be 
far 
less 
strong 
to 
resist 
and 
may 
fall 
under 
a 
demoniacal 
spell, 
led 
on 
by 
the 
doctor's 
words, 
to 
seek 
communication. 
Well 
do 
the 
Scriptures 
declare 
of 
our 
day, 
"The 
wisdom 
of 
their 
wise 
men 
shall 
perish; 
the 
understanding 
of 
their 
prudent 
men 
shall 
not 
be 
manifested."-Isaiah 
29: 
14. 
INTERNATIONAL 
PEACE 
FESTIVAL 
Andrew 
Carnegie, 
presiding 
at 
the 
International 
Peace 
Fes­ 
tival 
held 
by 
the 
Peace 
Society 
of 
New 
York 
to 
celebrate 
the 
peace 
now 
prevailing 
throughout 
the 
world, 
told 
an 
audience 
representing 
a 
score 
of 
foreign 
countries 
in 
Carnegie 
Hall 
that 
the 
only 
shadow 
on 
the 
occasion 
was 
the 
competition 
of 
great 
nations 
in 
building 
battleships. 
But 
he 
predicted 
that 
the 
day 
of 
universal 
peace 
is 
at 
hand. 
The 
stage 
presented 
a 
brilliant 
scene, 
"Peace" 
blazing 
forth 
in 
huge 
white 
letters 
from 
the 
centre, 
flags 
of 
eighty 
nations 
adorning 
the 
hall, 
and 
delegations 
in 
costumes 
representing 
a 
dozen 
different 
nations, 
including 
seven 
Japanese 
girls 
in 
the 
front 
row 
in 
native 
dress, 
Russian 
belles 
in 
costume 
and 
others 
adding 
to 
the 
color 
scheme. 
Except 
the 
speeches 
of 
Mr. 
Car­ 
negie 
and 
Dr. 
Wu 
Ting-fang, 
the 
Chinese 
Ambassador, 
the 
pro­ 
gramme 
was 
musical. 
Japan 
received 
the 
warmest 
reception 
of 
the 
evening, 
and 
nearly 
all 
the 
nations 
were 
represented 
by 
singers. 
Mr. 
Carnegie 
said 
in 
part: 
"It 
was 
thought 
proper 
that 
the 
Peace 
Society 
assemble 
to­ 
night 
to 
celebrate 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
world 
at 
the 
present 
moment 
is 
at 
peace. 
REV. 
LYMAN 
ABBOTT 
ON 
RESURRECTION 
When 
addressing 
the 
students 
of 
the 
Yale 
University 
on 
the 
subject 
of 
"Human 
Immortality," 
from 
the 
text, 
"The 
dead 
shall 
rise 
again," 
Doctor 
Abbott 
is 
reported 
to 
have 
said:- 
"I 
do 
not 
think 
the 
dead 
will 
rise 
again. 
I 
do 
not 
think 
that 
good 
people 
ever 
die. 
Their 
spirits, 
I 
think, 
just 
drop 
off 
the 
body, 
as 
clothing, 
and 
they 
go 
on 
into 
a 
higher 
and 
larger 
life. 
"When 
people 
really 
die, 
I 
do 
not 
think 
they 
ever 
live 
again. 
There 
are 
some 
people 
who 
in 
their 
lives 
on 
earth 
become 
wholly 
animal, 
wholly 
sensuous. 
These 
people, 
with 
the 
going 
out 
of 
life 
from 
their 
bodies, 
I 
think 
really 
die, 
for 
they 
have 
no 
place 
in 
a 
higher 
life. 
"I 
do 
not 
think 
of 
those 
whom 
we 
see 
no 
longer 
as 
being 
in 
spotless 
raiment 
afar 
off, 
knowing 
nothing 
of 
what 
we 
are 
doing 
and 
being 
happy 
in 
only 
a 
sort 
of 
negative 
bliss. 
I 
believe 
they 
are 
with 
us 
still, 
though 
we 
cannot 
see 
them, 
and 
that 
they 
are 
still 
very 
interested 
in 
what 
we 
do. 
A 
year 
ago 
my 
wife 
died 
in 
a 
foreign 
land, 
but 
I 
still 
feel 
that 
she 
is 
beside 
me 
helping 
and 
inspiring 
me." 
* 
* 
* 
Vou. XXX BROOKLYN, N. Y., APRIL 15, 1909 No. 8 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER REV. LYMAN ABBOTT ON RESURRECTION When addressing the students of the Yale University on the subject of “Human Immortality,” from the text, “The dead shall rise again,” Doctor Abbott is reported to have said:— “I do not think the dead will rise again. I do not think that good people ever die. Their spirits, I think, just drop off the body, as clothing, and they go on into a higher and larger life. “When people really die, I do not think they ever live again. There are some people who in their lives on earth become wholly animal, wholly sensuous. These people, with the going out of life from their bodies, I think really die, for they have no place in a higher life. “I do not think of those whom we see no longer as being in spotless raiment afar off, knowing nothing of what we are doing and being happy in only a sort of negative bliss. I believe they are with us still, though we cannot see them, and that they are still very interested in what we do. A year ago my wife died in a foreign land, but I still feel that she is beside me helping and inspiring me.” * * * This is a frank statement of what Doctor Abbott thinks or guesses. He is to be commended for not trying to prove that his text means the reverse of what it says. How much better it would be for the world if all Bible teachers thus distinguished between what they think and what the Bible teaches. But what is the value of the doctor’s thought? On what is it based? What does he know on the subject on which to base speculations and surmises? Was he ever dead? Does he really know anyone who passed through the experience of death? Until we get such a demonstration we prefer to believe the Bible. corroborated by our five senses, rather than trust to the infallibility of Doctor Abbott’s thinking apparatus. Dr. Abbott is a gentleman and a scholar of no mean caliber, yet his teachings, here reported, are in line with the claims of Spiritism, which the Bible teaches us is demonism. Should the doctor resist the seductive proposition of Spiritism to put him into communication with his dead wife, etc., it will be because of his strong character. Many of those who read his words may be far less strong to resist and may fall under a demoniacal spell, led on by the doctor’s words, to seek communication. Well do the Seriptures declare of our day, “The wisdom of their wise men shall perish; the understanding of their prudent men shall not be manifested.”—Isaiah 29:14. INTERNATIONAL PEACE FESTIVAL Andrew Carnegie, presiding at the International Peace Festival held by the Peace Society of New York to celebrate the peace now prevailing throughout the world, told an audience representing a score of foreign countries in Carnegie Hall that the only shadow on the occasion was the competition of great nations in building battleships. But he predicted that the day of universal peace is at hand. The stage presented a brilliant scene, “Peace” blazing forth in huge white letters from the centre, flags of eighty nations adorning the hall, and delegations in costumes representing a dozen different nations, including seven Japanese girls in the front row in native dress, Russian belles in costume and others adding to the color scheme. Except the speeches of Mr. Carnegie and Dr. Wu Ting-fang, the Chinese Ambassador, the programme was musical. Japan received the warmest reception of the evening, and nearly all the nations were represented by singers. Mr. Carnegie said in part: “It was thought proper that the Peace Society assemble tonight to celebrate the fact that the world at the present moment is at peace. MORE WAR ENGINES “The first thought that arises is an unpleasant one, viz., that never in the history of the world have the leading powers been engaged to such extent in hastening the construction of engines of destruction such as the world has never seen, a deplorable fact which cannot but give pain to every lover of his race.” PEACE! PEACE! AND DREADNOUGHTS “Britain built a ship which created a class by itself. By a strange fatality she called the ship the Dreadnought, but experience is teaching her that from it she has everything to dread. Germany began to build new ships and naturally these were Dreadnoughts. Other Powers are about to follow. Among them we regret to find our own land. But it is inevitable that if any ships are to be built they must be Dreadnoughts. “An interesting suggestion has been made by a London writer proposing the co-operation of the fleets of the two English speaking peoples, Britain to guarantee the safety of [4373] our possessions on the Pacific and we to guarantee the safety of hers in the North Atlantic.”—Exchange. * * * Peace! Peace! is the ery, as the Scriptures predicted. Yet there is no peace, as they declare. True, no war is being waged at the present time; but it is surely expected, and the great nations dread it and spend millions on war preparations in harmony with those convictions. Would the world’s wise and rich men tax themselves to the point of distress for war purposes if they believed as Mr. Carnegie seeks to convince himself and others? Surely not! But why is there no peace? Because sin has entrenched itself in fallen human nature. Selfishness is sin and the cause of war; wickedness is the Scriptural name—“There is no peace for the wicked, saith my God.” If Mr. Carnegie can tell the world how to convert its people, giving them tender instead of stony hearts, then the peace proposition will be quickly realized. But aside from such a wholesale conversion there is hope for peace only along the lines predicted in the Bible; namely, by the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom in spiritual glory and with unlimited power. This the Bible assures is nigh at hand. But, alas! its blessings must be introduced by wars of selfishness which will wreck present institutions and prepare humanity to ery to God for his relief and the new heart, “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as in heaven!” RAPIDLY GROWING BURDEN OF MILITARISM The “ Dallas Morning News” says that ‘“Militarism has reduced more people to slavery and crushed more nations into the earth than any of the other burdens. It is unaccountable that the civilization of today will promote or endure it. It means the same thing over again, and yet the educated people of the twentieth century tolerate it and hurrah over it just as the Assyrians and Persians did in the remote ages of passion, tyranny and conquest. The penalties of it are incalculable. The appropriation for armies and navies, tremendous as they are, are by no means the heaviest of the losses. There is no other line of jobbery and graft that is comparable to that of the sharp opportunity hunters who invent causes of war, and who sell to their pets in military polities the stores, supplies and equipments which are consumed by armies and navies, whether idle or active. But more scandalous than all the costly plundering and grafting is that loss of self-reliance, of ability to make a living, of civic character and peaceful purpose that follows in many instances the change from a life of working for a living to a life of idling or fighting for a living. “Truly, as an observant contemporary says, it is of little use for consumers to protest against a tax on coffee and sugar, for property owners to protest against income taxes, or for States to object to Federal inheritance taxes, unless a similar protest is made against the policies which relate to these taxes as cause to effect. What causes the deficit in National finances? Out of a total of $810,000,000 appropriated, exclusive of the postal Department, $526,000,000 was required to meet the war bills of the government! We are paying $1,440,000 a day for war! That is more than the cost of the first year of the Civil War, and more than half the cost of the last year, in which great armies were maintained in action. We are at peace with the world, but we are maintaining a war standard of equipment. We must pay for it. We have followed the nations of Europe in our military policy. In this we have taken on the deadly curse of the ages. As a nation we have never committed before any blunder that is comparable to it in either its material or moral penalties.” * * * The above is the serious side of this matter. The amusing side is that this war fever attacks nations in proportion as they become “Christianized” or “Civilized.” Would we not better term this warlike spirit unchristian and uncivil? Ah, yes, to be a Christian is a personal and not a national matter. Not until Messiah takes the reins of government will there be an end of wars. As respects the war-expenditures, they cost the poor nothing and the middle class almost nothing. Why object to the rich having the costly toys—battleships costing millions to build and other millions to maintain? Do not these monies circulate amongst the masses? Does not the employment of men in the building and maintaining of a war-outfit relieve the pressure upon the labor market, too, and thus inure to the maintenance of wage rates? Let the poor world have its way. Let it play with its toys and find by experience their little worth. Surely they will become the more ready for the new King and kingdom of righteousness! (115-116)

This website uses cookies to improve the website and your experience. By continuing to browse this website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you require further information or do not wish to accept cookies when using this website, please visit our Global Policy on Use of Cookies and Similar Technologies .