Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-11-06
CHRISTIAN CITIZENS.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE ATTACKS THE
EVIL OF PARTiSANSHlP.

Distortions of the Truth-Nothin, but
Christianity Can Remedy the Flood OF
Indecency-BaIIot Box Perils-A Scatii-
ing Sermon by the Tanern:aele Pastor.
BROOKLYN, Nov. 5.-In lis sermon
this forenoon Rev. DR.. Tal-nage touched
On a topic which is just now upperEost,
while the agitation in political circles is
raging in all parts of the land. The SER
mon is pertinent and useful and is based
On the text, Acts xix, 80: Some there
fore cried one thing, and some another,
sor the assembly was confused, and the
1lore part knew not wherefore they were
rome together. And they drew Alexan-
Ter out of the multitude, the Jews put
ting him forward. And Alexander beck
oned with the hand, and would have
made his defense unto the people. But
when they knew that he was Jew, all
with one voice about the space of two
hours cried out, Great is Diana of the
Ephesians."
Ephesus was upside down. 1t was
about the silver question. A manufac-
turer of silver boxes for holding heather
images had called his laborers together
to discuss the behavior of one Paul, who
had been in public places assaulting
image worship, and consequently very
much damaging that particular bust
ness. There was great excitement in the
city. People stood in knots along the
streets, violently gesticulating and call
ing each other hard names. Some of the
people favored the policy of the silver
smith; other people favored the policy Of
Paul. There were great moral questions
involved, but these did not bother them
at ALL
The only question about which they
seemed to be interested was concerning
the wages and the salaried positions.
The silversmith and his compeers had
put up factories at great expense for the
making Of these silver boxes, and now,
if this new policy is to be inaugurated,
the business will go down, the laborers
will be thrown out of employment and
the whole city will suffer. Well, what
is to be done? 'tCall convention" says
some one, for in all ages a convention
has been panacea for public evils. The
convention is called, and as they want
the largest room in the city they take
the theater.
Having there assembled. they all want
to get the floor, and they all want to talk
at once You know what excitement
that always makes in a convention,
where great many people want to talk
at once. Some cried one thing, some cried
another Some wanted to denounce,
some wanted to resolve. After awhile
a prominent man gets the floor, and he
begins to speak, but they very soon hiss
him down, and then the confusion rises
into worse uproar. and they begin to
shout, all of them together, and they
keep on until they are red III face and
hoarse in the throat, for two long hours
crying out: "Great is Diana of the
Ephesians! Great is Diana Of the Ephe-
siansr'
The whole scene reminds me Of the ex-
element we have almost every autumn
at the elections. While that goddess
Diana has lost her worshipers and her
temples have gone into the dust, our
American people want to set up god in
place of her, and they want US all to bow
down before it, and that god is political
party. Considering our superior civiliza-
ton, have to declare to you that the
Ephesian idolatry was less offensive in
the sight of God than is this all absorb
While there are honest men, true men,
Christian mea, who stand in both po-
litical parties, and who come into the
autumnal elections resolving to serve
their city or their state or the nation in
the best possible way, I have noticed
also that with many it is q mere contest
between the ms and the outs-those who
are trying to stay in and keep the outs
out, and those who are trying to get in
and thrust the ms out. And one party
cries, ''Great is Diana Of the Ephesiansr
and the other party cries, ''Great is Di-
ana of the Ephesians!'' neither of them
honest enough to say, ''Great is my
pocketbookr'
( PUBLIC AFFAIRS DISCUSSED.
Once or twice year it is my custom
to talk to the people about public affairs
from what call a Christian standpoint,
and this morning have chosen for that
duty. | hope to say a practical word.
History tells us of sermon once
preached amid the highlands of Scot
land-a sermon two hours long-on the
sin of luxury, where there were not more
than three pairs Of shoes in the audience,
and during our last war q good man
went into a hospital distributing tracts
and gave tract on ''The Sin Of Dane
ing" to q man both of whose legs had !
been amputated! But hope this morn
ing topresent an appropriate and adapt
ed word, as next Tuesday at the ballot
box great affairs are to be settled.
The Rev. DR.. Emmons in the early
history of our country in Massachusetts,
preached about the election of Thomas
Jefft IN to the presidency. The Rev.
Dr. Mayhem of Boston in the early days
of our republic preached about the repeal
of the stamp act. There are times when
ministers of Christ must look off upon