The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-08-23
A Suggestion to Mr.. De La Matyr

A Suggestion to Mr.. De La Matyr
Rev. Gilbert De La Matyr is announced to
preach at City Hall tomorrow night. After
posing for some weeks as a martyr because
he didn't get an opportunity to speak from
Methodist pulpit, his Greenback friends
have taken pity on him and hired a hall.
Mr.. De La Matyrs text is not announced.
We do not know that he has selected one.
If he has not we have a suggestion to make.
In the twentieth chapter of the Book of EX
odus 1--WE are particular to give the chapter
because Mr.. De La Matyr has been studying
finance so assiduously of late that he may
have forgotten the Scriptures) are to be
found the Ten Commandments given by the
Almighty to the Israelites from Mount Sinai.
One Of these Commandments reads thus:
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbor.
Now we advise Mr.. De La Matyr to take
this commandment for his text and discourse
on the immortality of lying. There never
was time when a sermon on this subject
was more needed, because there never was
time when so many Greenback orators
were about as at present. Mr.. De La Matyr
is described by an enthusiastic admirer as
man who has at his command impetuosity,
invective, sarcasm, analysis, argument, and
logic. If this be true a sermon from him on
the subject Of lying will prove rouser.
Greenback orators and editors may not en-
Joy it perhaps, but it is the duty of a clergy
man to administer unpalatable doses some
times Mr.. De La Matyr should first eX-
plain what lie is, and he can do this
most effectively by citing examples. Here
are a few which he is at liberty to use:
Mr.. Reed of your city commenced his at
tack in Congress on me by devoting an hour to
shaking the bloody shirt. When l replied, l
said, II have French blood in me, and it
makes me quicker than my friend. He has
just found out that the Union is in danger,
while 1 discovered it sixteen years ago, and
went to help save it, while my friend was get
ting rich in the provost marshal's office"
The Leader says the above is an Argus lie.
There is good reason for believing, however,
that the Congressman from the seventh dis
trict of Indiana has a better title to it. Mr..
De La Matyr can settle that best himself.
Whosever it is the Rev. De La Matyr should
use his power of invective against the lie and
its author.
'fThere seems to be but one remedy, and it
must come-a change of ownership OF the soil
and the creation of class land owners on the
one hand and of tenant farmers on the other
something similar to what has long existed in
the older countries of Europe. ny Times.
This is New Era falsehood. The New
York Times never said any such thing. Mr.,
De La Matyr should hold up to scorn the ed
itor who invented it and the Greenback ora
tors who have repeated it, especially that
one who repeated it in City Hall ON the elev-
enth day of August, 1879.
will not indulge in personalities; Green
hackers never abuse anybody. They leave that
for Republicans
This fiction is, beyond dispute, the work
of the man who offered the bill for the crea-
ton of a ''Greenback Currency Fund.-" 1t
may not be very dangerous one, but cler-
gymen cannot afford to tolerate even harm
less lies. We select the above specimens
out of several thousand falsehoods because
Mr. De La Matyr will recognize their char
acter at a glance. If he wants any more he
can clip from the Argus, Leader and Near
Era, and he can do it in the dark just as
well as in the light.
After showing what lie is, Mr. De La
Matyr should picture the remorse which the
conscience feels when burdened with false
hood. This may appear difficult task, but
there is abundant evidence that man OF
strong imagination can describe very vividly
feelings which he never himself experienced.
1t will be useful, too, as a warning, to refer
to the awful punishment which is in store
for the dispenser of falschoods.
If Mr.. De La Matyr is a man of the enor-
nous po wer his friends say and follows our
suggestions, no Greenback editor or orator
will ever tell lie after tomorrow night, and
the Greenback party will die of starvation.
w. III. Vinton, presided at a Republican
meeting at Gray Wednesday evening, but his