The morning call., 1891-11-09
FULL OF DANGER.
Shares That Beset Those Who
Would Be Popular.

Some time ago an address of great
beauty was given in the parlor of this
church. There were about thirty people
present. A prze-ring exhibition was given
on the same night in the Mechanics Pa
vilion and there were from 1000 to 5000
people present"
The suggestive statements above quoted
were made by Rev. DR.. Stebbins last night
during the delivery of a sermon on popu-
larty. He considered those qualities of
person. mind and conduct that make man
popular sources of & eat power and TEN pta-
ton Popularity, he said, perIaned to q
mans relations with the people. 1t per-
tanned to men and to things. to ST. Jacob 5
oil or to Robert Elsmere; to Sullivan, the
slogger. or Sturgeon, the preacher. Some
times IL meant nothing more than yulgarty.
To get hold Of men was ST. alluring, to gain
money or applause, that it was not TO be
wondered that charatans and ruffians ap-
pealed for place in the public mouth.
sELF-REsPECT.
All reputable people the preacher held,
wish to be thought well OF. 1t is sign of
self-res pect, but respect Is greater than
popularity and the wind cannot blow it
away. Popularity Is as near thing to
tact as anything else. 1t lives for to-day
and has no Tomorrow.
Clay was cited as an example of popular
politician.
81 heard him." said the preacher. .and
he filled me with admiration; yet he was
by 10 means the greatest man Of the coun-
try. He was not one of its greatest states
men for he thought only for the present
while statesmen think for the future. His
best speeches now read like last year S
almaDacs.'
The temptation that besets the popular
man and his liability TO failure, according
to DR.. Stebbins lies in his thinking too
much of himself. lie is tested by his abil-
ity to stand the trial and fluctuations of for
tune. Seward, Wellington and Jesus Christ
were given as examples to show that great
and famous characters may become unpop-
ular. Seward on one occasion was drawn
through the streets OF the city by the peo-
pie. A few weeks later, after having done
and said the best and truest things in his
life. he passed through the city silent and
unnoticed.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
Wellington, returning after Waterloo. was
crowned with applause, but afterward the
people forgot his great services and hooted
him in the street He gave ball at his
residence and the mob smashed the win
dows with stones. He put iron blinds on
the windows that had been broken, and
when he returned to the high table-laDd of
fame and the unShippng crowd followed
him through the streets he paid no attention
to their applause, but upon reaching his
gate waved his hand with bitter sarcasm
toward the iron shutters, bowed and iassed
in.
The hosts Of Jerusalem followed Jesus
Christ, the greatest being the world has
ever known, one Sunday, shouting hosanna,
"but we know" said the preacher. what
happened on the following Friday" The
preacher censured the hypocrisy of political
orators, who say that they use slang and
bombast in order that they may reach the
masses, when in their hearts the masses"
appear without the first letter. He also
condemned preachers and churches who
translate the new.testament into the vernac-
ular of the pot-ho in order that they
may "bring it down TO the public"