Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-11-23
PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Discusses Them
From a Christian Standpoint
The Election Contest is Usually One fol
the Spoiis Alone -The Monstrous Lies
Told During Political Campaigns
Words of Counsel to
Christian Men.

In his recent sermon at the Brooklyn
tabernacle Rev. DIR. Talmage touched
upon political affairs, basing his re-
marks on the text Acts xix, 81:
Some therefore cried one thing and soma
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 Alexander beckoned with the hand ami
would have made his defense unto the people
But when the 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 heath
en- images had called his laborers to-
gether 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 We're great moral questions i'm
volved; but these did not bother with
them at all. The only ques ton 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 viii be thrown out
of employment, and the whole city will
suffer Well, what is to be done?
Call convention, says some one; for
in all ages a convention has been
panacea for public evils. The conven-
tion 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 makes in con-
vention, where great many people
want 20 talk at once. Some cried one
thing, some cried another. Some
wanted to denounce, some wanted to
resolve. After while 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 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 |
autumn at the elections. While that |
goddess Diana has lost her worshipers, |
and her temples have gone into 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 SUI
perior civilization, have to declare to
you that the Ephesian idolatry was less
offensive in the sight of God than is
this ALA bsorbing 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 the
nation in the best possible way, have
noticed also that with many it is a
mere contest between the ms and the
outs-those who are trying to stay in
and keep the outs out, and those who
are out trying to get it and thrust the
ins out. And one party cries, Great
is Diana of the Ephesiansl'' and the
other party cries, Great is Diana of
the Ephesiansr' neither of them hon
est enough to say, Great is my pocket
bookr
Once or twice year it is my custom
to talk to the people about public af-
fairs from what call Christian stand
point and this morning l have chosen
for that duty. l hope to say practical
word. History tells us of a sermon
once preached amid the Highlands of
Scotland-a sermon two hours long
IN the sin of luxury, where there were
lot more than three pairs of shoes in
he audience; and during our last war
rood man went into hospital distrib-
lting tracts, and gave a tract on ''the
lin of dancing to man both of whose
egs had been amputated! But hope
his morning to present an appropriate
md adapted word, as next Tuesday, at
he ballot-box. great affairs are to be
ettled The Rev. DIR. Emmons, in the
arly history of our country, in Massa- ,
husetts, preached about the election {
# Thomas jefferson to the presidency I,
rhe Rev. DIR. Mayhem, of Boston, in
he early days ofour republic, preached q
bout the repeal of the stamp act /
There are times when ministers of I
'hrist must look off upon public affairs '
nd discuss them. We need go back to d
10 example. Every man is, before God, i
esponsible for his own duty. If the G
boasts of his home of rocks, 4
nd the Siberian is pleased with his e
and of perpetual snow; if the Roman Y
bought that the muddy Tiber was the Il
avored river in the sight of heaven, t
nd if the Laplander shivers out his {
ulogy of his native cline, and if the r
hinese have pity for anybody born D