St. Landry democrat., 1886-06-26
TALNAGE'S SERMON.
Fourth Discourse of the Series On
the Labor Question.
The Dangers of Monopoly. Communism,
Infidelity and Sihilism-The Outlook
for the Future of the Republic.
Overpopulation.

subject being monopoly and Communism
Struggling for the Possession of the Coun-
try" His text was:
The Lord deiighteth in thee, and thy land
shall be married.-Isaiah xii A.
AS the greater includes the less, so does
she circle of future joy around our entire
world include the epicycle of our own re-
public. Bold, exhilarant, unique, divine
imagery of the text! So many are de-
pressed by the labor agitation and think
verything 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 a
funeral or wedding. The Bible leaves
no doubt on this subject. In pulpits and
on platforms and in places of public con-
course, I hear SO many of the muff1ed
drums of evil prophecy sounded as though
we were on the way to National nterment,
and besides Thebes, and Babylon and Tyre
in the cemetery of dead nations our re-
public was to be entombed, that I 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 married" Ipropose to name
some of the suitors who are claiming the
hand of this Republic. This land is so
fair, so beautiful, so aff1uent, that it has
many suitors, and will depend much upon
your advice whether this OF that shall be
accepted or rejected.
In the first place, remark: There is
greedy, all-grasping monster who comes
In as suffer 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 biography. 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 P nn-
sylvania, for the most part, Monopoly
decides everything. If Monopoly favor .
law it passes. If Monopoly oppose law
it is rejected. Monopoly stands in this
railroad depot putting into his pockets in
one year $2O0,000,000 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
elections-city elections, State elections,
National elections. With brides he secures
the votes of egislators-giving them free
passes, giving appointments to needy rela-
tives to lucrative positions, employing
them as attorneys if they are lawyers,
carrying their goods fifteen per cent. less
IL they are merchants; and if he finds a
case very stubborn, as well as very i'm
portant, puts down bsfore 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 certain railway
company procured a donation Of public
land. It was found out that thirteen of
the Senators of that State received SITS, 600
among them, sixty members of the lower
house of that State received $1,000 and
Sill, 900 each, the Governor Of the State re-
ceived $1,000, his clerk received 5000, the
Northumberland received $4,000, all
the clerks of the Legislature received s., 900
each, while $4,000 were divided among the
lobby agents.
rejoice that in twenty -four States Of
the Union already antimonopoly leagues
have been established. God speed them
in the work of liberation! wish that the
question might be the CUES ton of our
Presidential elections, and that we compel
the political parties to recognize it in their
platforms.
I have nothing to say against capitalists.
a man has right to all the money he can
make honestly. There is not laborer in
the land who would not be worth million
dollars if he could. have nothing to say
against corporations as such-without
them no great enterprise would be posi-
BILE; but what I do say 10 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 I take from you your
property without adequate compensation
I 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 small scale is
wrong on large scale. Monopoly in
England has ground hundreds and thou
sands of her best people into semi-starva-
tion, and in Ireland has driven multitu-
dinous tenants almost to madness.
Monopoly, brazen-faced and iron-fin-
gered, 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 my
heart and hand; be mine forever" Let
the millions of people, North and South,
r. 4 A. L.