The Louisiana populist., 1895-12-06
A PREACHERS SAY.
MAMMON WORSHIPERS WHOSE
GOD is GOLD.
In a Night, by Legally Fiiching Their
Great Fortunes from the Toilers, and
Our Laws sanction It,"

welfare OF the human race every
where, is the attitude Of civil govern
ments. Civil law is elevated above
Divine law. With the great majority
of mankind human law is the stand
ard Of morality or right. IL public
sentiment or civil law sanctions any
thing it is accepted as right with the
masses. The human animal is a
strange being.
10 Russia they have. or did have a
few years ago, rogues' market. Ev-
crything that man could steal was
brought to that market one day In the
week TO sell. II the owner found his
own property there he had to pay as
much for 1t in order to get 1t, as any
one else. 1t was legal and the people
believed it was right
The great John Norton, who wrote
fine work on prophecy. carried on a
slave trade for three years after he
became a Christian, before he got his
eyes open to see that it was wrong.
Many professed Christian stakeholder
attended the slave auction. bought
aud sold his fellow men aud women
and believed it right, because the
laws sustained it.
The laws of our land sanction aud
approve the most gigantic robberies
that were ever perpetrated on earth,
and the vast majority OF men think it
right. A. Rockfellr & Co. can raise
the price OF coal oil, and by stroke
OF the pen make fifty or seventy-fiye
millions dollars. and our laws sanction
the robbery and the people believe it
right.
Millionaircs spring up like nush-
rooms in q night. by legally filching
their great fortunes from the toilers,
aud the people b, .ieve it right be-
cause the law sanctions it.
Our government, and in
deed every civilized govern
Eent in the world, Is wholly
committed to mammon- worship. The
commerce of the world is huge sys-
tenn OF mammon-worship.
The buyer and seller, the trader
and manufacturer, take no account of
their labor at all. Per cent is their
law, and the dollar their god. The
governments are run entirely by
money mongers and mammon-wor-
shippers so as to squeeze out OF the
wealth producers the greatest possi-
BILE amount of interest. The world is
overwhelmed with debt. Debts are
made to draw interest. Interest is
the sacrifice the toilers pay to this
mammon god. Interest has made
every millionaire, every monopoly,
every combine and trust. These
products OF usury or interest have re-
duced the wealth producers to poverty
and destitutiou. They have filed the
land with idle men and tramps. The
hard conditions of life produced by
usury have produced nearly all the
crime in the world.
The most painful thing in connec-
tion with this devilish system OF NAM
mon worship is the attitude OF the
churches. They are the pillars Oh
which this temple OF mammon
stands. They believe in interest.
They teach that it is right; and
practice 1t to the extent of their
ability. The government is exactly
what the churches make 1t. Every
government is nodded and made by
the religion OF the people. 1t would
amount to nothing for the churches to
condemn trusts, combines and mouop-
olies, and at the same time defend the
cause that produces them. Their
remedy, so far as they have any. is
charity; stand by and witness the
robbery OF the masses, and then beg
enough OF the stolen swag to build
and operate soup houses.
When she churches accepted the
definition that usury means .'uulawful
interest,"" and elevated human law
above Divine law, they baptized man.
mon worship into their communion.
1t is humiliating. 1t Is awful. The
consequences that have followed this
fearful blunder ara incomprehensible
TO finite minds. The world is made
into vast slaughter house by it.
Millions and untold millions are land
ed into premature graves By 1t. From
year to year want, destitution and
death mark the track OF this jugger-
naut. And 1t unavoidably grows
worse every day. As debts increase
interest increases. As interest in
creases poverty and suffering in
crease. It is nonsense to talk about
good times under the reign OF
mammon-worship. We are paying
at least $3.50 interest for every
man, woman and child in the Repub-
lie every year. And the government
Is more anxious to sell bonds and
make more debt. than anything else.
But the consequences that must and
will overtake US are frightful to think
about This mammon-worship must
and will end. Every monopoly. trust
and combine; all the great boards Of
wealth in the hands of millionaires,
are great towering monuments Of in
Justice. Sooner or later they will all
be swept away. When justice over
takes US, and " will, 1.-The rough