(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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