The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-18
why Is Brother Talmagc so Successful (,

Brother TALMAGE OF Brooklyn has lately
had his salary raised from $1,000 to $4,000 a
year. These are hard times, and instead of
advancing, wages have been declining for
several years past. SO that even mon of good
abilities and fine education have to get on
with stlpends not greater than tenth part
Of that sum.
Nnc-tcnths of the clergy would deem
themselves fortunate II they already had or
were sure Of getting in the immediate future
even $1,000 year. No college in the coun-
try pays such salary to any of its Profess
sors; and UPPER HOLLAND perhaps aside,
no one OF our authors is sure of an income
from his literary labors 80 large. We believe
Prof. SYLVESTER. the mathematical genius,
gets $4,000 year at Johns Hopkins
University Ia Baltimore, and Columbia
College pays its full Professors $500 a year.
But the salaries ordinarily paid In our col
leges, oven including Harvard and Yale, do
not average quarter Of what Brother TAI
MAGE gets. and tho learned doctors in the
German universities manage TO live and to
work 10 great purpose on stipcnds which
seem heggarly In comparison.
But supply and demand rule the prices Of
things, and Of just TALMAGE's sort there is
not another preacher to be had In the coun-
try, while there are thousands Of people who
like his pulpit style or are curious to get a
sight at him. Therefore he commands a
high salary and makes his church pay per-
haps better than any other in Brooklyn,
save only Plymouth Church. with its un-
rivalled attractions. Brother TALMAGE does
a great deal for the money, too, not in the
way Of intellectual performance, 1t is true,
nor in that Of valuable religious instruction,
but in the unrestraned use OF his voice,
which must grow very tiresome TO him, and
IN vigorous pulpit gymnastics. possible only
To II strong and athletic preacher.
But what has made Brother TALMAGR rise
so suddenly in commercial value In these
times Of depression man who at one
jump can get up from 81 1900 n year to $4,000
a year, when wages as a rule are falling
must have some extraordinary propulsion
either from within or without. Brother
TALMAGEs hearers and observers are all Of
Them economi2ing just now, each in his
degree. aud yet they nearly double his pay
Would he not perform for less Did he feel
that Inc must make hay while the sun shines
get all he could while tho caprice Of the
moment tolerated him, or did his sermons
grow more valuable These are questions
we 40 not attempt 10 answer. We must
content ourselves with accepting the fact
OF the Increase, marvclling ut a thing SO
wondrOus.
Brother TALMAGE himself seems to attrib-
ute his recent and rapid rise in pecunary
value 10 the notoricty he has got through
the newspapers, and perhaps he is right.
But the newspapers cannot manufacture
success for man unless he has something
70 offer which the public wish. It is useless
b. advertise a commodity which is both
worthless in itself and undesired by the fool
lsh and the wise alike Therefore, II the no.
toriety the newspapers have given Brother
TALMAGE has cnured b. his substantial adj
vintage, he must OFFER the people something
they really fancy and are willing to pay
literally for
What Is this something? II certainly is
not original thoughts, for he never coins
them. II is not religious and spiritual food
on which mems souls can feed and flourish
for his teachings present n very facilitating
diet for both the mind and heart, and do
not tend to build up either intellectual or
spiritual bone and sinew. Lately, after
much preliminary advertising, he preach
ed his sermon on the wickcdness OF cities,
having gathered material for his oratorical
effort from visits to most disrcputable places.
But it was drcadfully fiat performance, so
destitute Of ideas that II was hardly worth
smiling at. A sermon like that ought to be
sold in tho market for IS at the most. yet
Brother TALMAGE gets more than hundred
dollars for IL.
Why il this 2 Who can solve such a CO.
nundrum?