The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-11-17
A TIMELY TOPIC.
DE. Talmage on the Duty of the
Christian at the Ballot Box.
EsEItscai Falsehood and Political Scandals
The Misuse of Money In Political
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and
Its Results.

The Sunday before election Rev. T.
Dewitt Talmage, in sermon at Brook
9yn, touched on a topic which is now
appermost, while the agitation in po-
litical circles is raging in all parts of the
land The sermon was based on the text
from Acts, xix. 81: ''Some, therefore,
cried one thing, and some another; for
the assembly was confused; and the
more part knew not wherefore they
were come together. And they drew
Alexander out of the multitude, the
Jews pulling him forward. And Alex
ander becl1oned with the hand, and
would have made his defense unto the
people. But when they knew that he
was a jew, all with one voice about
the space of two hours cried out: Great
IS Diana of the Ephesians. The noted
preacher said:
Ephesus was upside down. It was
about the silver question. A manu-
Eacturer 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 as
llHdgt-NOISIHlD, anu COHSC-
Quently very much damaging that par
ficalar business. There was great ex-
citenent in the city. People stood in
knots along the streets, violently ges-
ticuiating, and calling each other hard
names Some of the people favored
the policy of the silversmith; other
people favored the policy of Paul
There were great moral questions in
voiveti; but these did no. bother them
at all The only question about which
they seemed to be interested was con-
<serning the wages and the salaried po-
sitions. The silversmith and his COM
peers had put up factories at great ex-
ESense for the making of these silver
SnSEes, and now, if the ew policy is to
be iRaugurated, the business will go
down. the laborers will be thrown out
OF employment, and the whole city
will suffer. Well. what is to done?
Call 4 convention" says some one: for
IN all ages a convention has been a
panacea for public evils. The conven-
fsou is called, and as they want the
largest room in the city they take the
ffieater. 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 a while a prominent
EE.aE got 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 in face and
hoarse in the throat, for two long
hours crying out: Great is Diana of
the Ephesians! Great is Diana of the
Ep!1esiansr'
Yie whole scene reminds me of the
excitement we have almost every au-
tUmn at the elections. While that god
<feSS Diana has lost her worshipers, and
her temples have gone into the dust,
our American people want to set up
god in place of it, and they want us all
TO bow down before it; and that god is
political party. Considering our supe-
ri0r civilization, l have to declare to
Won that the Ephesian idolatry was less
offensive in the sight of God than is
this all-absorbing American partisan
ship.
While there are honest men, true
men, Christian men, who stand in both
political parties, and who come into the
elections resolving to serve
their city or their state or their nation
In the best possible way, have no.
ti,cd also that with many it is mere
contest between the ms and 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 |
and the other party cries: |
S@tfrcat IS Diana of the Ephesiansr |
neither of them honest enough to say: |
Great is my pocket-booki
Once or twice year it is my custom |
Co talk to the people about public af- |
fairs from what / call a Christian |
and this morning l have |
chosen for that duty. | hope to say /
practical word. History tells us of a |
once preached amidst the high
Aal2ASS vi s1COIAdhN--t TWO
h0ng-on the sin of luxury, where there |
vxere not more than three pairs of shoes |
IN the audience; and during our last |
SSar Il good man went into a hospital /
tracts, and gave tract on
The Sin of Dancing" to a man both of |
whose legs had been amputated! But |
I hope this morning to present an APP
and adapted word, as next |
TEesday, at the ballot-box, great af-
Ezirs are TO Oe settled. Rev. DR.. EN-
za9ns, in the early history of our coun-
Try, in Massachusetts, preached about
the election of Thomas jefferson to the
Rev. DIR. MAYHEM, of
Boston, in the early days of the repub-
he, preached upon the repeal of the
stamp act. There are times when min
is9ers of Christ must look off upon
public affairs and discuss them. We
need go back to no example. Every
man Is, before God, responsible for his
own duty. If the Norwegian boasts of
his home of rocks, and the Siberian is
pleased with his land of perpetual
znovs, If the Roman thought that the
muddy Tiber was the favored river in
The sight of Heaven, and if the Lap
lander shivers ont his eulogy of his ma
1--we cline, and if the Chinese have pity
,n anybody born outside of the
1owery kingdom shall not we. born
ander these fair skies, and standing
lay by day amidst these glorious civil
md religious liberties, be public-spir-
tied? propose to tell the people very
plainly what / consider to be their
Christian duty at the ballot-box II
First, set yourself against all polit-
cal falsehood. The most monstrous 4;
lies ever told in this country are during