Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-08-23
REV. DR. TALMAGE
The Eminent New York DiVlnaS Sun :
day Sermon.
Subject: "The Worst Foe OF Labor"

Subject: "The Worst Foe OF Labor"
lowing to great grief Mt the sudden death
OF his lamented wife, Rev. DIR. L. De Witt
Talmage cancelled his engagement to preach,
but in order that the vast congregation to
which he speaks through the press may not
be disappointed, a famous and always-time-
| ly sermon delivered by him on previous
occasion is supplied for this week.
TEXT: "He that earneth wages, earneth
wages to put it into a bag with holes. -
| Haggai l., 6.
In Persia. under the reign of Darius Hy-
| staspes. the people did not prosper. They
made money, but did not keep it. They
were like people who have sack in which
they put money, not knowing that the sack
| is torn, or eaten Of moths, or in some way
/ made incapable of holding valuables. AS
fast as the coin was put in one end of the
| sack il dropped out of the other 1t made
| no difference how much wages they got, Tor
| they lost them. "He that earneth wages,
earneth wages to put it into a bag with
| holes"
What has become Of the billions and bill
| lions of dollars in this country paid to the
| working classes? Some of these moneys
| have gone for house rent, or the purchase OF
homesteads, or wardrobe, or family expenses,
| or the necessities of life, Or to provide COM
| forts in old age. What has become of other
| billions? Wasted in foolish outlay. Wasted
at the gaming-table Wasted in intoxicants.
| Put into bag with hundred holes.
| Gather up the money that the working
classes have spent for rum during the last
| thirty years, aud | will build for every work
ingman a house, aud lay out for him gar.
den. and clothe his sons in hroadcloth AMI
his daughters in silks, and stand at his front
loor a prancing span of sorrels or bays, aud
secure him a policy Of life insurance, so that
the present home may be we'll malhtalneI
after he is dead. The most persistent, most
J overpowering enemy Of the working classes
is intoxicating liquor. 1t is the anarchist OF
the centuries, and has boycotted and IS now
boycotting the body aud mind and soul OF
American labor. 1t is to it worse foe than
mononolv. and worse than associated CAPT.
tai.
1t annually swindes industry out OF
large percentage of its earnings. 1t holds
out its blasting solicitations to the mechanic
or operative on his way to work, and at tho
noon-spell, and on his way home at even
tide; on Saturday. when the wages are PAID,
1t snatches large part OF the money that
might come to the family, anu sacrinces II
among the saloon keepers. Within eight
hundred yards of Sands Street Methodist
Church, Brooklyn, it has flhy-four saloons,
and is plotting now for another. STAND Inc
saloons OF this country side by side, and 1t
is carefully estimated they would reach from
New York to Chicago. Forward, march,
says the rum power, and take possession OF
the American Nation! The rum business IS
mourning its vitriolc and damnable liquids
down the threats of hundreds Of thousands
of laborers, and while the ordinary strikes
are ruinous both TO employers and
employees l proclaim a strike universal
against strong drink, which, ii kept
IN. will be the relief of the working classes
and the salvation of the Nation. will I'M
dertake TO say that there is not healthy
laborer in the United States who, within
the next ten years, If he will refuse all lntoX-
icating beverage and be saving, may not be-
come n capitalist on small SCALE Our
country in year spends one billion live
hundred million and fifty thousand dollar:
for rum. OF course tho working classes do
a great deal of this expenditure. Careful
statistics show that the wage-earning classes
of Great Britain eXpend in liquors one hun
bred million pounds, or five hundred mill,
ion dollars year. Sit down and think, U
workingman! how much you have expeni-
ed in these directions. Add it all up. Add
up what your neghbors have expended, and
realize that insteal of answering the beck
of other people you might have been your
own capitalist. When you deplete work.
ingman's physical energy you deplete Lis
capital.
The stimulated workman gives out before
the unstimulated workman. My father saidi
81 became temperance man in early Ire,
because noticed in the harvest field that,
though l was physically weaker than other
workmen, could hold out longer than they.
They took stimulants. L took none. A
brickmaker in Englrnd gives his experience
in regard to this matter among men in his
employ. He says, after investigation: "The
| 10 hriQ G
made six hundred and flfty-nine Thousands
the abstainer who made the lowest bricks,
seven hundred and forty-siX thousand.
The difference in behalf of tho a6stainer
over the indulger. eighty-seven thousand
There came a very exhaustnS time in the
British Parliament The session was pro-
longed until nearly all the members got sick
or worn out Out of six hundred and fifty
two members only two went through I'M
damaged; they were teetotalers.
When an army goes out to the battle the
soldier who has water or coffee in his can
teen marches easier and fights better than
the soldier who has whisky in his canteen
Rum helps u man to fight when he has only
one contestant, and that at the street cor
ner But when he goes forth TO maintain
some great battle for God and his country
, he wants no rum about him. When the
i Russians 90 to war corporal passes al0n'
a the line and smells the breath of every so!
Il der If there be in his breath a faint Of in
. toxicating liquor. the man is sent back tt
the barracks Why2 He cannol endure IA
tigue All our young men knowthis. Whei
|. they are preparing for regatta, or for bal
Z club, or for an athletic wrestling, they ao
stain. Our working people will be wiser al
q ter while, and the money they fling AVA!
: on hurlful indulgences they will put into co
operative associations, and so become cap
10 talists. If the workingman put down his
- wages and then take his expenses and sprea,
them out so they will just equal, he is no
WISE [ know wOrkingmen who are In
perfect fldget until they get rid OF their las
dollar.
The following circumstances came unde
our observation: young man worked har'
10 to earn his six or seven hundred dollar
I" yearly. Marriage day came. The bride ha
inherited five hundred dollan from he
grandfather. She spent every dollar OF it o.
Y the wedding Dress Then they rented tw
'c rooms in third story, Then the young ma
-, took extra evening employment; almost eN
haused with the days work, yet took even
ing employment 1t almost extinguished hi
eyesight. Why did he add evening employ
~ ment to the day employment To get money
e Why did he want to get money! TO lay u
t. something for a rainy day9 No. To get nj
life insured, so that in case OF his death hi
wife would not be a beggar? No. He pu
TO the extra evening work to the day work tina
~ he might get hundred and fifty dollars
get lis wife sealskin coat. The sister {
the bride heard of this achievement, and wa
Up not to be eclipsed. She was very poor, an
u. she sat up working nearly all the nights &c
a great while until she bought a sealski
coat. have not heard of the result on thu