Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-07-10
SAVE ALL THE CITIES
HOW THE MORALS OF OUR BIG
TOWNS MAY BE MENDED.

DR.. Talmage Points Dat the Way to Mu-
nicipaI Purity : Good Men Must Be
Named at tho Party Cnucus-Otiher Ways
to Improve City Life.
WASHINGTON, July 4.-This sermon
of Dr. Talmage discusses from moral
aud religious standpoint the welfare of
ALL towns and cities Of our country.
His text is Ezekiel xvii, 8, 80 thou
that art situate at the entry OF the seal
This is part of an impassioned apos-
trophe to the city of Tyre. 1t was
beautiful city-a majestic city. AT the
east end of the Mediterranean it sat,
with one hund reckoning the inland
trade and with the other the commerce.
of foreign nations 1t swung MOL
strous boom across its harbor TO shut
ont foreign enemies and then swung
back that boom to let in its friends.
The air of the desert was fragrant with
the spices brought by caravans to her
fairs, and all seas were cleft into foam
by the kecls of her laden merchantmen.
Her markets were rich with horses and
mules and camels from Togarmah, with
upholstery and ebony and ivory from
Dedan, with emeralds and agate and
coral from Syria, with wine from Hell
bon, with finest needlework from Ashur
and Chilmud. Talk about the splendid
staterooms of your Cunard and lnman
and White Star lines of international
stoamers-why the benches of the state
rooms in those Tyrian ships were all
ivory, and instead of our coarse canvas
OH the masts of the shipping they had
the finest linen, quilted together and
inwrought with embroideries almost
miraculous for beauty. It's columns
overshadowed all nations. Distant en-
pires felt its heartbeat. Majestic city,
"situate at the entry of the sea. "
But where now is the CLEAN of her
towers, the roar of her chariots, the
masts of her shipping? Let the fisher
men who dry their nets on the place
where she once stood; let the sea that
rushes upon the barrenncss where she
once challenged the admiration of all
nations; Let the barbarians who build
their huts Oh the place where her pal
aces glittered, answer the question
Blottod out foroyerl She forgot God,
and God forgot her. And while our
modern cities admire her glory, let
them take warning ut her awful doom.
Cain was the founder of the first city,
and l suppose it took after him Ill NOR
ais. 1t is IL long while before city can
get over the character of those who
founded it. Where they criminal exiles,
the filth, and the prisons, and the de-
bauchery are the shadows of such found
ers. New York will not for 200 or 300
years escape from the good influences OF
its founders, the pious settlers whose
prayers went up from the very streets
where now banks discount and brokers
shave, and companies declare dividends,
and smugglers swear custom house lies,
and above the roar of the tlrays and the
crack of the auctioneers' mallets is
heard the ascription, 1--WE worship thee,
o thou almighty dollar. The church
that once-stood-on Wall street still
throws its blessing over all the scene of
traffic and upon the ships that fold their
white wings in the harbor. Originally
men gathered III cities from necessity.
1t was to escape the incendiary's torch
or the assassin's dagger. Only the very
poor lived in the country, those who had
nothing that could be stolen or vaSa-
bonds who wanted TO be near their place
of business, but since civilization and
religion have made it safe for men to
live almost anywhere men congregate
in cities because of the opportunity for
rapid gain. Cities are not necessarily
evils, as has sometimes been argued.
They have been the birthplace of civil
cation. In them popular liberty has lift
ed ND it's voice. Witness Genoa and Pisa
and Venice The entrance of the repre-
sentatives of the cities in the legisla-
lures of Europe was the deathblow to
feudal kingdoms. Cities are the patron
izers of art and Observation-Disclosures
pointing to its British museum IN Lon
don, its Royal library in Paris, its Vat
lean in Rome. Cities hold the worlds
scepter Africa was Carthage, Greece
was Athens, England is London, France
is Paris, Italy is Rome, and the cities
in which God has cast our lot will yet
decide the destiny Of the American peo-
pie.
onlco Bearers In Big Cities.
At this season of the year have