The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1886-06-17
TiINAGE'S SERMON.
Fourth Discourse of the Series on
the Labor Question
The Dangers OF Monopoly. Communism m,
InfideIity and NihIlism-The Outlook
for the Future of the RepubIIe--
OverpopulatioB.


try" His text was:
The Lord delghteth In thee, sndthy land
eban be married-Isaish 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 il makes all the difference in the
world whether we are en- the way TO a
funeral or a wedding. The Bible leaves
no doubt on this subject. In pulpits and
on platforms and in places Of public con-
course, ! hear so many Of the multi ed
drums Of evil prophecy sounded as though
we were on the wav 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 70 understand il is not 70 be obsequies.
but nuptisls; not mausoleum. hnt carpeted
altar: not cypress, hut orange blossoms;
not requiem. but wedding march, for THY
land shall be married" Ipropose 10 name
some Of the suitors who are claiming the
hand Of this Republic. This land is 50
fair, SO beautiful. so affiuent that it has
many suitors. and will depend much upon
your advice wheth ct this or that shall be
accepted or rejected.
In the first place, I remark: There is a
greedy, all. graspng monster who comes
in as suffer seeking the hand # this Re-
public. ana 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 everythin ing
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 FORK, New jersey and Penn
sylvania, for the most part. Monopoly
decides everything. If Monopoly favor
law il passes. II Monopoly oppose a law
it is rejected. Monopoly stands in this
railroad depot putting into his pockets in
one year >2o0.QDO.oOO 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-
ton. Monopoly decides nominations and
electons-citv elections State elections.
National elections With brides he secures
the votes Of legIslators-giving them free
passes, givine appointments toneedy rela-
tives 70 lucrative positions, employing
them as attorneys if thev are LAWYERS.
carrying their goods fifteen per cent less
if they are merchants: and if he finds
case very stubborn, as we'll 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. 1t was found out that thirteen OF
the Senators of that State received $40 200
among them, sixty members of the lower
house Of that State received 5000 and
$1,000 each. the Governor of the State re-
ceived $1,000, his clerk received 5000 the
Northumberland received $1,000, all
the clerks of the Legislature received \, 900
each, while $50, 600 were-divided among the
lobby agents.
This thing, on larger or smaller scale,
is all the time going on in some of the
States of the Union, but it is not 50 blum .
dering it used TO be, and therefore not
as easily exposed or arrested.
tell YOU that the oversh allowing curse
of the United States to-day is monopoly.
He puts his hand upon every bushel of
wheat, upon every sack Of sal, upon every
ton Of coal. and every man, woman and
child in the United States feels the touch
of that moneyed despotism.
rejoice that in twenty-four States Of
the Union already anti monopoly lea CUES
have been established. God speed them
in the work Of liberation. wish that the
question might be the ques ton 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 a right 10 all the money he can
make honestly. There is not laborer in
the land who would not be worth a million
dollars if ne could. have nothing to say
against corporations as such-without
them no great enterprise would be posi-
ole: but what l 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
What is wrong for me is wrong for great
corporations. If l take from you your
property without adequate compensation
! am a 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 il
wrong on large scale. Monopoly in
England has ground hundreds and thou,
sands of her best people into semi-starva
ton, and in Ireland has driven multitu
dinous tenants almost to madness.
Such monopolies imply an infinite acre.
age of wretchedness. There is no poverty
In the United States like that in England
Ireland and Scotland, for the simple rea
son that in those lands monopoly has had
longer and larger sway. Last summer in
Edinburgh, Scotland, after preaching in
Synod Hall, stood on a chair in front
OF the hall and preached to an audienc,
of 10000 people, standing in one of the
most prosperous parts of the city, anC
reaching out toward the cdsue' as me al
array of strength and health and beaut,
as one ever sees. Three hours after
preached in the Grass Market and L
the wretched inhabitants of the Cowgat'
and Canongate, the audience exhibiting
the squalor and sickness and despair
that remains in ones mind like one of tn
visions of Dante's Inferno.
Great monopolies in any land imply
great privation. The time will come
when our Government will have 70 limit
the amount of accumulation of property
Unconstitutional, do you say Then con-
stitutions will have TO be changed unit