Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-11-11
A TIMELY TOPIC.
DR.. Talmage on the Duty Of the
Christian at the Ballot Box.
Political Fa'sehood and Political Scandals
The Misuse of Money In Political
Campaigns-Dissi nation and
Its Results.


Dewitt Talmage, in sermon at Brook
lyn, touched on topic which is now
uppermost, 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. 32: ''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 beclloned with the hand. and
would have made his defense unto the
people. But when they knew that he
was Il 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. 1t was
about the silver question. A manu-
facturer 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
saulting image-worship, and conse-
quently very much damaging that par
ticular business There was great ex-
citement in the city. People stood in
knots along the streets, violently ges-
ticulating, 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
volved: but these did not bother them
at all. The only question about which
they seemed to be interested was con-
corning the wages and the salaried po-
sitions. The silversmith and his COM
peers had put up factories at great ex.
pense for the making of these silver
boxes, and now, if the lew policy is to
he inaugurated, 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 convention" says some one; for
in all ages convention has been n
panacea for public evils. The conven-
ton 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 while a prominent
man 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
Ephesians"
The whole scene reminds me OF the
excitement we have almost every au-
fumn at the elections. While that god
dess Diana has LOST her worshipers, and
her temples have gone into the dust,
our American people want to set up a
god in place OF it, and they want us all
to bow down before it; and that god is
political party. Considering our supe-
rior civilization, l have to declare to
you 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
,autumnal elections resolving to serve
their CITY or their state or their nation
in the best possible way, have no
ticed 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 ins out And one
party cries: "Great is Diana OF the
Ephesians!" and the other party cries:
s'Great is Diana of the Ephesians!'
neither of them honest enough to say:
''Great is my pocket-book!'
Once or twice year it is my custom
to talk to the people about public af'
fairs from what call n Christian
standpoint, and this morning have
chosen for that duty. l hope to say a
practical word. History tells us OF q
sermon once preached amidst the high
lands of Scotland-a sermon two hours
loup-on the sin of luxury, where there
were not more than three pairs OF shoes
in the audience; and during our last
war good man went into hospital
distributing tracts, and gave tract on
1.-THE Sin of Dancing" to man both OF
whose legs had been amputated! But
] hope this morning to present an ap'
propriate and adapted word, as next
Tuesday, at the ballot-box, great al
fairs are to be settled.
First, set yourself against all polit-
zeal falsehood The most monstrous
lies ever told in this country are dHring
the elections stop ut the door OF
democratic meeting and listen, and