The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-24
BOOKS OF THE TIME.
Temple Talks.

The above title is given to a collection of
a dozen or more sermons or talks by Rev.
Myron w. Reed in the Broadway Theater,
Denver, Col. Talks" is a proper term to
apply to these addresses, for they are as far
removed as possible from the conventional
sermon. They are, however, none the less
interesting for that. OF their quality moth
ing needs to be told to the mary who have
been privileged to listen to Mr.. Reed or who
have read the newspaper reports of his dis
courses. Those who have not have await
ing them a fresh intellectual sensation.
They will discover a sententious epigram-
matte style that pleases without regard to
the thing said and that will carry them on
to the end of the chapter by it's very charm,
even though they fail to agree with some
of the sentiments expressed. They will find
wit, humor, broad charity, tender SYM
pathy for the down-trodden and a love for
all humanity, except, possibly, the multi
millionaires They will find, too, that the
author is "A Socialist; they may even sus-
pect that he is drifting into Anarchist doc
trine. but they will read what he says, and
II they are not too stiff-necked and perverse
they will admit that he has some basis for
his arguments and assertions, and that at
least he is in deep earnest. And they may
secretly acknowledge that his plans for up
hitting the poor and the oppressed, unweI-
come though they be TO the selfish and the
prosperous, have for their basis the words
Oh him who long ago taught the doctrine
or love to all men. He Will at least make
tnem think, for one of the peCulIarltieS OF
mis- methods is that he lays down his propo-
sitlonS and leaves his readers to draw the
morals Some of these sermons were de.
hVered during the hard timeS-a period
when Denver mad a greater number of un-
employed In proportion TO its population
than any other city in the country, and
many OF the illusions are local, but the
moral in each is quite as obvious to-day.
livery page tempts TO quotation. OF the
SLOUGH and shutne and unmanly front is not
necessarily there because OF lack of brains
or heart The lack of shirt will account
Tor 1t. George Washington in continental
coat and powdered hair fronts the world
with Virginia look But let him hit the
road, sleep in hayStackS, eat cold Victuals
and the father of his country will not be
recognized by his child" Again he says:
II hnd that the most charitable men in their
judgment OF men are lawyers and physi-
clans. The more practice they have the
more excuses and justification they have
Tor Irregularities In human conduct" Else
where Is this: Much of the bad theology
that atfiicts the world has been concocted
in a stuffy, steam-heated room" And this:
These people who are giving great ban
nave no sense of the situation. They are
planting rose gardens on the banks Of
Vesuvlus" More than half the literary
men of our day are Socialists" he declares
The topics OF the talks indicate some
thing of their character. Not all of them
relate to socialism. There is an eloquent
Decoration day address, an appreciation, -
as the new bit OF literary slang goes, of
Francis Schlatter, a chapter on suicide one
on poetic Justice, one on Father Marquette
one on The Literature of Power" one on
Wendell Phillips, one on Easter one on
The Ninety and Nine" His dscreetest
friends, Jealous for his reputation, may wish
personal illusions to certain millionaires
and public men, but the edited speeches
would not be Mr.. Reeds, so it is perhaps as
we'll that these passages have been allowed
to stand. The volume will doubtless have
a wide reading. 1t has been published i'm
handsome style by the Bowen-Merrill Com
pany INDIANAPOLIS