The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1919-05-03
Another Building Captured From The
Enemy and Dedicated to God

Within the past eighteen months, Zion
has purchased and taken possession of one
stronghold of the enemy in this city after
another.
In the Fall of 1917, the two-story brick
building on Elijah avenue, which Zion's
enemies in derision had used for time as
a drug and tobacco store, was taken pos
session of, and on October 9th, of that year,
was dedicated to God. Two months later,
the Johnson Smith Lumber and Coal Yards,
a large and valuable plant along the line of
the North Western Railway, was purchased
from the enemy and dedicated On May
4, 1918, the brick building on Elijah ave-
nue., which had been used as an Independ-
ent garage, and in the control of which the
enemy had shown every contempt for Zion
principles, was dedicated by the General
Overseer, and is now used as quarters for a
Zion Industry.
The goal kept constantly in view by the
officers, and members and friends of Zion,
working together as unit under the leader
ship of the man whom God has chosen and
placed in charge of this work, is that every
foot of land, every building, every shingle,
within the original Zion City site, shall be
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His service.
Looking back over a vista of several
years, Zion reviews long series of victo-
ries First, Shiloh Tabernacle was pur-
chased from the Receiver for $4,000.
Then Zion Department Store was purchased
for SIS 900 cash, and the Zion people, with
great Joy, moved back into this valuable
piece of property on Labor Day, 1909.
Soon afterwards, the Zion Home, the Ad-
ministration Building, and the Temple Site
were purchased for $1OOOOO lions enc
mics sneered and scoffed, saying that the
General Overseer would never meet his
payments, but on March l, 1911, the Zion
Estate was purchased for $050,OOO, and up
to the present moment, every payment in
cluding taxes, interest, and principal, has
been met on the tick of the clock
In addition to this, institutions and in
dustries, doing a business of over 100000
a year, have been launched, built up and
maintained. lions enemies have long since
ceased ito cast reflections at the ability of
the General Overseer to meet every obliga-
ton on time, and have turned in their i'm
potent rage to Matching up every villainous
lie conceivable in an effort to undermine
and overthrow Zion commercially and
politically.
After meeting defeat in every fight, their
latest move has been intrigue with a dis
gruntled politician, whom Zion did not sup
port in his last campaign, and get him to act
as willing tool in proposing an investiga-
ton of Zion by a committee from the State
Legislature, in an effort to put Zion out
of the way as a political, commercial and
religious factor in the State of Illinois.
Not content with that, a committee of five
men, calling themselves representative In
dependent citizens of this city, have pub
lished and circulated venomous and scan
dalous pamphlet, entitled, "a Black Spot
on the Map of Illinois, in which they claim,
in effect. among many other things, that the
Zion belief is a fanatical religion, that the
people moving in here from all parts of the
world are dupes, and that the provisions in
the lease prohibiting drugs, oysters, pork,
dancing, tobacco, etc, are ridiculous con-
ditions, and that Voliva's business transac-
tons are illegal and fraudulent
And this in the face of the fact that the
Zion Institutions and Industries have had a
phenomenal success that the business is
growing so rapidly that it is almost impos-
sible to find sufficient help to turn out the
work: that it is impossible to find a dis
satisfied investor that no one has ever de-
manded his money when due. who did not
receive it. and that Zion stands high in the
opinion of leading fnanciers of New York