Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-11-06
CHRISTIAN CITIZENS.
lEV. DR.. TALMAGE ATTACKS THE
EVIL OF PARTlsANsHlP

ChFisbahAby Oah Nemedy the Flood Of
Indecency-Ballot Box Perils-A scath.
ing Sermon by the Tabernacle Pastor.
BROOKLYN, Nov. SIN his sermon
lis forenoon Rev. DIR. Talmage touched
NJ topic which is just now upperinost.
f'hile the agitation in political circles is
aging in all parts of the land The ser
ion is pertinent and useful and is based
IN the text, Acts xix, 80: "Some there
iore cried one thing, and some another,
!or the assembly was confused, and the
more part knew not wherefore they were
come together. And they drew Alexan-
Ter out of the multitude, the Jews put
ing 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
sours cried out, Great is Diana of the
Ephesians."
Ephesus was upside down. It was
about the silver question. A manufac-
.urer of silver boxes for holding heathen
images had called his laborers together
10 discuss the behavior of one Paul, who
nad been in public places assaulting
mage worship, and consequently verv
much damaging that particular bust
sess. There was great excitement in the
,ity. 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 We're 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? "Call a convention" says
some one, for in all ages a convention
has been a 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
prominent man gets the floor, and he
begins to speak, but they very soon hiss
i'm 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 in face and
hoarse in the throat, for two long hours |
CRYING out: "Great is Diana of the
Ephesians! Great is Diana of the Ephe-
siansT
The whole scene reminds me of the ex-
c;tement we have almost every autumn
at the elections. While that goddess
Diana has lost her worshipers and her
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
ing American partisanship.
While there are honest men, true men,
Christian men, 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, l have noticed
also that with many it is mere contest
between the ins 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 ins out. And one party
cries. "Great is Diana Of the EphesiansF
and the other party cries, Great is d.
ana of the Ephesians!" neither OF them
honest enough to say, "Great Is my
pocketbookr'
PUBIIC AFFAIRS DISCUSSED.
Once or twice year it is my custom
10 talk to the people about public analrs
from what | call Christian standpoint,
and this morning have chosen for that
duty. i nope 10 say ~ Pi"0'i'"'
History tells us of a sermon once
preached amid the highlands OF Scot
iand-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 a good man
went into hospital distributing tracts
and gave a tract on "The Sin OF Dane,
ing to a man both of whose legs had
been amputated! But hope this morn
ing TO present an appropriate and adapt
ed word, as next Tuesday at the ballot
box great affairs are to be settled
The Rev. DIR. Emmons in the early
history of our country in Massachusetts
preached about the election OF Ihomas
Jefferson to the presidency. The Rev.
DR.. Mayhew of Boston in the early days
Of our republic preached about the repeal
vf the stamp act. There are times when
ministers of Christ must look on upon
public affairs and discuss them. we
need go back to no example. Every man
is, before God. responsible for his own