It wasn't until the numbers of the anointed approached 59,000 it was uncomfortable maintaining 144,000 as literal. Something had to give. Russell expected the end to come in 1914 maybe 1915 at the latest. This was not an issue then.
blondie....that was the most succinct description of what happened that I ever read! Thank you!
I wonder what beckons for the future. Memorial partakers do not show any sign of dying off as a "remnant". I wonder what will happen when enough generations of Memorial partakers have passed to no longer allow 144,000 as literal (of course, forgetting any 1st century Christians and those in the intervening years as belonging to this heavenly class).