Smyrna times., 1896-07-08
Sunday an the M. E. Church.

Sunday an the M. E. Church.
Rev. A. Stengle gave at the Metho-
dest Church Sunday morning a dis
course appropriate to the Nations
Birth Day in view of the national
situation from this stand point, from
the passage L Kings xii-1G: "What
portion have we in David?" He ex-
planned the situation in Palestine:
Soloman had taxed the people beyond
endurance and they demanded of Re-
hoboam his son, before browning him
King, that he make the heavy work
lighter. He asked three days to con-
slider the question; the old men coun-
seled him to do it but the young men
who grew up with him advised to the
contrary, and he strangely took the adj
vice of the latter. He accordingly at
the end of three days replied to the
people and spoke to them after the
counsel of the young men, saying,
my father made your yoke heavy,
and L will add to your yoke: My
father also chastised you with whips,
but L will chastise you with scorpions. "
When Israel saw that the King bark
ened not to them they asked the ques-
ton of the text, the result being the
ten tribes with Jeroboam setting up
separate Kingdom, which was no
better.
The discourse was an able, searching
analysis of our political condition as a
nation, comparing the politicians to
RehObOam and the people to the Isre-
alites with the various means of corrup-
ton in use by politicians, and the
blind following of party whose leaders
may be as regardless of the rights of
the people as was Rehoboam.
PRESIDING ELDER SMITH AT NIGHT.
At night Presiding Elder Smith
preached. He also discoursed on nat
iOnal or rather political topics, taking
his text from Proverbs: righteous
ness exalteth a nation, but sin is a re-
prOach to any people" He showed
wherein Righteousness was a benefit
to both the ruler and people while sin
had debasing and contrary effect He
said greatness in a nation did not con-
sist i'll meeting mere economic ques-
lions that pertain to the mere affairs
of government, but in the grit and
bravery in standing up for great moral
issues such as achieving our liberty
from foreign yoke, and the eradica-
ton of human slavery. These were
issues that called for the highest men
tai and moral qualities in men, but for
twenty-five years declared the speaker,
we have been without single issue
that called forth the moral heroism of
the people. 1t has been tariff, and free
trade, the gold standard and silver 16
to 1, which are nothing more than
simple expedients in governmental adj
ministratiOn. He said while attend
ing the General Conference in Cleve-
land he heard three great lectures, the
first the greatest by all odds he had
ever Bishop Fowler on Abra-
ham Lincoln; Bishop Newman on Gen.
Grant and Major Mckinley on Gen.
Washington. He said in not one of
, the lectures on these great men was
the question of tariff, free trade, gold
or silver referred to. They were mat.
tiers that engaged only the attention OF
/ politicians. He made the astonishing
statement that the nation now was
: devoid of great men. Now they are
simply politicians after the spoils O
office and compare with the great mel
of the past only as grass compares t.
: the towering oak.
Regarding them as politicians VIII,
put party above country and who's,
= only object was to win at any cost, h
found them full of brides and corrup
tiOn--ready to sell out patriotism an,
the country for the spoils of office. H
g pictured fearful state of debaucher,
1 in both the st. Louis and Chicag
< Conventions, and besides drinking
S they got nothing more exalted thai
the questions of gold and silver. n
= allusion was made to the Pittsbur
y Convention where the delegates met t
exalt the great question of Prohibitio
t but went to pieces on the minor ones c
gold and silver.
r The Reverend speaker made yer
t fierce onslaught on the corrupt pol
S teal practices of the day, and foresa,
for this nation the fate that befe
S Babylon, Ninevah and Rome if til
great men of the nation have not
j. higher aim for it's guidance, and til
S peoplesa love of country and the high,
y virtues over the mere success of