The Bossier banner., 1886-07-08
TTALNAGEs SERMON.
Fourth Discourse Of the Series on
the Labor Question.
The Dangers of Monopoly, Communion,
Infidelity and Nihilism-The Outlook
for the Future of the Republic
Overpopulatfon.

Overpopulation.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage delivered the
fourth of his series of discourses on the
labor question at Brooklyn Tabernacle, his
subject being monopoly and Communism
Struggling for the Possession of the Coun-
try" His text was:
The Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land
shall be married.--Isaiah ixii4.
As the greater includes the less, so does
the circle Of future joy around our entire
world include the epicycle of our own re-
public. Bold, exhilarant, unique, divine
imagery of the textl So many are de-
pressed by the labor agitation and think
everything in this country is going to
pieces. preach this morning "a sermon
of good cheer and anticipate the time
when the Prince of Peace and the Heir of
universal dominion shall take possession
of this Nation and "Thy land shall be
married"
In discussing the final destiny of this
Nation it makes all the difference in the
world whether we are on the way to q
funeral or q wedding. The Bible leaves
no doubt on this subject. In pulpits and
on platforms and in places of public con-
course, hear 50 many of the muffied
drums Of evil prophecy sounded as though
we were on the way to National interment,
and besides Thebes, and Babylon and Tyre
in the cemetery Of dead nations our re-
public was to be entombed, that l wish
you to understand it is not to be obsequies,
but nuptials; not mausoleum, but carpeted
altar; not cypress, but orange blossoms; !;
not requiem, but wedding march, for "Thy
land shall be marriedn Ipropose to name
some of the suitors who are claiming the
hand of this Republic. This land is so
fair, SO beautiful, so affiuent, that it has
many suitors, and will depend much upon
your advice whether this or that shall be
accepted or rejected.
In the first place, remark: There is
greedy, all-grasping monster who comes
in as suiter seeking the hand of this Re-
public, and that monster is known by the
name Of Monopoly. His scepter is made
out Of the iron of the rail track and the
wire Of telegraphy. He does everything
for his own advantage and for the robbery
Of the people. Things have gone on from
bad TO worse, until in the three Legisla-
lures Of New York, New Jersey and Penn-
sylvania, for the most part, Monopoly
decides everything. If Monopoly favor a
law It passes. II Monopoly oppose law
1t is rejected. Monopoly stands in this
railroad depot putting into his pockets in
one year $e00,00 900 in excess of all
reasonable charges for service. Mo-
nopoly holds IN his one hand
the steam power of locomotives, and in the
other the electricity Of swift communica-
tion. Monopoly decides nominations and
elections-city elections, State elections,
National elections. With bribes he secures
the votes of legislators-givingt them free
passes, giving appointments to needy rela-
tives to lucrative positions, employing
them as attorneys il they are lawyers,
carrying their goods fifteen per cent. less
II they are merchants; and If he finds a
case very stubborn, as well as very i'm
portant, puts down before him the hard
cash Of bribery.
But monopoly is not so easily caught
now as when, during the term of Mr..
Buchanan, the Legislative committee in
one OF our States expressed and exposed
the manner in which a certain railway
company procured donation of public
land. It was found out that thirteen of
the Senators of that State received Sl75.0
among them, sixty members of the lower
house OF that State received 5000 and
$l00O0 each, the Governor of the State re-
ceived Sc, 600, his clerk received 5000. the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS received $40 900. all
the clerks Of the Legislature received s., 900
each, while SOC, 600 were divided among the
lobby agents.
rejoice that in twenty -four States of
the Union already anti-monopoly leagues
have been established. God speed them
In the work of liberation! I wish that the
question might be the question Of our
Presidential elections, and that we compel
the political parties to recognize it in their
platforms.
have nothing to say against capitalists.
A man has right to all the money he can
make honestly. There is not a laborer in
the land who would not be worth a million
dollars II he could. have nothing to saw
against corporations as such-without
them no great enterprise would be possi-
Die; but what do say is that the same
principles are to be applied to capitalists
and to corporations that are applied to the
poorest man and the plainest laborer.
Wmt is wrong for me is wrong for great
corporations. II / take from You your
property without adequate compensation
am thief, and if a railway damage the
property OF the people without any ade-
quate compensation that is a gigantic
theft. What is wrong on a small scale is
wrong on large scale. Monopoly in
England has ground hundreds and thou
sands OF her best people into semi -starya.
ton, and in Ireland has driven multitu.
dinous tenants almost to madness.
Monopoly, brazen-faced and iron fin.
gerad, vulture-hearted monopoly, offers
his hand to this republic. He stretches
It out over the lakes, and up the Pennsyl-
vania and the Erie and New York Central
Railroads. and over the telegraph poles of
the continent. and says: "Here is NV
heart and hand; be mine forever,o Let
fhe millions Of people, North and South.
East and West, forbid the banns of that
marriage-forbid them at the ballot-box.
forbid them on the platform, forbid them
Dy great organizations, forbid them hv
the overwhelming sentiments of an ont.
ragged Nation. forbid them by the protest
Of the Church of God, forbid them hv
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