The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-11-03
THE CORNER STONES.
DR.. Talmage breaches an Ante
Election Sermon.
The Need of Pure Men in Offce-The xvi
of Breaking Any of the Command
ments-ImTnoral Influence of
Bad Officials.

elections, preached for the benefit of
voters throughout the country. The
text was from Exodus Xxx. IS: And
all the people saw the thunderings and
the lightnings and the noise OF the
trumpet and the mountain smoking"
DR.. Talmage said:
On the eve of elections in the sixty
counties of this state, and in ali the
counties of some of the other states.
while there are many hundreds of NOM
inees to Office. it is appropriate and i'm
portant that preach this Before Eiec-
ton Sermon.
My text informs you that the light
nings and earthquakes united their
forces to wreck a mountain of Ara bia
Petrea in olden time, and travellers to-
day find heaps of porphyry and green
stone rocks, bowlder against bowlder,
the remains of the first law library,
written, not on parchment or papyrus,
but on shattered slabs of granite. The
wise law, of all righteous jurispru-
dence, of all good government. are the
two tai Diets of stone on which were
written the Ten Commandments. All
Roman law. all French law, all English
law. all American law that is worth
anything, all common law. civil law,
criminal law, martial law, law of ma
tions were rocked in the cradle OF
the twentieth chapter of Exodus. And
it woAld be well in these times of
great political agitation if the news
apers would print the Decalogue some
day in place of the able editorial. The
fact is that some people suppose that
the law has passed out Of existence,
and some are not aware of some of the
passages of that law and others say
this or that is of the more Importance,
when no one has any right to make
such an assertion. These laws are the
pillars OF society, and if you remove
one pillar you damage the whole struc-
ture. l have noticed that men are par
ticuiarly vehement against sins to
which they are not particularly
tempted, and find no especial
wrath against sins which they them
selves indulge. Many questions are
before the people in the coming elec-
tons all over this land, but l shall try
to show You that the most importan Mt
thing to be settled about all these can
didates is their personal, moral charac-
ter The Decalogue forbids idolatry,
image-making. profanity, maltreat-
ment of parents, Sabbath desecrat ton,
murder, theft, incohtinence, lying and
covetousness. That is the Decalogue
by which you and l will have to be
tried, and by the same Decalogue you
and 1 must try candidates for office
Most certainly are we not to take the
statement of red-hot partisanship as
the real character of any man. From
nearly all the great cities OF this land
l receive daily or weekly newspapers,
sent to me regularly and in compliment.
so see both sides-I see all sides-and
it is most entertaining and my regular
amusement to read the opposite state
ments. The one statement says the
man is an angel, and the other says he
is devil: and l split the difference.
and find him halfway between. There
never has been an honest or respecta-
BILE man running for the United States
presidency, or for judgeship. or for
the mayorality, or for the shrievaity,
since the foundation OF the American
government, if we may believe the old
files of newspape in the museums.
What n mercy it is that they were not
all hung before they were inaugurated.
If man telieve one-half of what he
sees in the newspapers in these times
his career will be very short outside of
Bloomingdale insane asylum.
l was absent two or three years ago
during one week of a political canvass,
and l was dependent entirely upon
what read in regard to what had oc-
Cured in these cities. and l read there
was a procession in New York OF 5000
patriots. and minute after l read in
another sheet that there were 1900:
and then | read in regard to another
procession that there were 10000, and
then l read in another paper that there
were 10000. A campaign orator in the
rink or the academy of music received
a very cold reeeption-a very chilling
reception-said one statement. The
other statement said the audience rose
at him: so great was the enthusiasm
CndC Willie the could
not be heard. and it was only after
lifting his hand that the vociferation
began to subside. One statement will
twist an interview one way, and an
other statement will twist an inter
view another way. You must admit
it is a very difficult thing in times like
these to get a very accurate estimate
ola mans character and l charge you.
as your religious teacher. l charge you
to caution and to mercifulneSs and to
prayer.
1 warn you against the mistake
which many are making. and always
do make. of applying different stand
ard of character for those in prominent
position from the standard they
apply fer ordinary persons However
much a man may have. or however
high the position he gets, he has no es-
pecial liberty given MIN in the inter
probation of the Ten Commandments.
A great sinner is no more to be excused
than small sinner. Do not charge
illustrious detection to eccentricity or
chop off the Ten Commandments to
suit especial cases. The right is ever
lastingly right and the wrong is ever