Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-11-11
TALMAGE To VOTERS.
A THRILLING ANT COLLECTION
SERMON IN BROOKLYN.
Democratic and Republican Parties
Arraigned for the Use OF so Much
Money-The Destinies OF the Nation
Weighing I'm the Balance.

] BROOKLYN, Nov. 6.-The Rev. DR.. Tai
mage to-day selected for his sermon a
subject sufficiently appropriate for
these times, when, throughout the
United States, great political questions
are being discussed and the nation is
about to go to the ballot box and de-
eide who shall rule in neighborhood,
town, city, and nation. The text
chosen was Rev. 1s:l0-"Alas, alas,
that great city Babylon, that mighty
[. syl for in one hour is thy judgment
colce
Modern scientists are doing splen-
did W vrk in excavating the tomb of a
dead apire holding in its arms dead
city, "a, ,ther and child of the same
name--.1abylon. The ancient mound
invites The spades and shovels and
crow bars while the unwashed natives
look on in surprise. These scientists
find yellow bricks still impressed with
the name of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, and they
go down into the sarcophagus of a
monarchy buried more than two thou
sand years ago. May the explorations
of Rawlnson and Layard and Cheva-
lier and Opperto and Lotus and Ches-
ney be eclipsed by the present archeo-
logical uucovering.
You see, my friends, it is no unusual
thing for government TO perish, and
in the same neurology of dead nations,
and in the same graveyard of expired
governments will go the United
States of America unless there be some
potent voice to call ha and unless
God in his mercy interieres, and
through a purified ballot box and a
widespread public Christian sentiment,
the catastrophe be averted. This ma
tion is about to go to the ballot-box
TO exercise the right Of suffrage, and |
propose to set before you the evils that
threaten to destroy the American gov
eminent, and to annihilate American
institutions, and if God will help me |
will show you before get through
the mode in which each and every one
may do something to arrest that appal-
ling calamity. And / shall plough up
! the whole field.
The first evil that threatens the an
initiation of our American institutions
is the fact that political bribery which
once ', as considered a crime, has by
many come to be considered a tolerable
virtue. There is a legitimate use of
money in elections, in the printing of
political tracts, and in the hiring of
public halls, and in the obtaining of
campaign oratory, but is there any
homunculus who supposes that this
vast amount of money now being
raised by the political parties is going
in legitimate direction? The vast
majority of it will 60 to buy votes.
| Hundreds and thousands of men will
have set before them so much money
for Republican vote, and so much
money for Democratic vote, and the
superior financial inducement will de-
eide the election. You want TO know
which party will carry the doubtful
States day after tomorrow? l will
tell you. The party that spends the
most money. This moment, while /
speak, the peddlers carrying gold from
Wall street, gold from Third street,
! gold from State street, and gold from
the Brewers association, are in all the
! political headquarters of the doubtful
States, de aling out the infamous in
! ducement.
There used to be bribery, but it held
its head in shame. 1t was under the
utmost secrecy that many years ago "a
railroad company bought up the Wis
consin Legislature and many other
public officials in that State. The gov
! ernor of the State at that time re-
ceived $4,000 for his signature. His
| private secretary received IS, 00O Thir-
| teen Aembers of the Senate received
! $175,000 among them in bonds.
/ Sixty members of the other
house received from $1,000 to
$40, 600 each. The Lieutenant Governor
received $4,000. The clerks of the
! House received from $1,000 to $4,000
each. The bank comptroller received
! $4,000. Two hundred and fifty thou
! sand dollars were divided among the
lobbyists. You see, the railroad COM
pany was very generous. But all that
was hidden, and only through the Sc
verest scrutiny on the part of a Legis-
lative committee was this iniquity dis
played. Now, political bribery defies
you, cares you, u arrogant, anu Will
probably decide the election next Tues
day.
Unless this diabolsm ceases in this
country, Bartholdi's statue on Bedloe's
island, with uplifted torch to light
other nations into the harbor, had bet
ter be changed and the torch dropped
| as a symbol of universal incendiarism.
Unless this purchase and sale of suf-
frage shall cease the American govern
ment wilt expire, and you might as
well be getting ready the monument
for another dead nation, and let my
text inscribe upon it these words:
"Alasl alasl for Babylon. that great
city, that mighty city, for in one hour
10 thy Judgment come" My friends,
IL you have not noticed that political
bribery is one of the CHASTITY crimes of
this day, you have not kept your eyes
open.
/ Another evil threatening the destruc-
! ton of American institutions is the
solidifying of the sections against each