New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-30
THE SERMON MARKET.

There Is bull movement in sermons AT
Marshalltown, Iowa. In fact, 1t looks much
Ike an attempt ut a corner. ana IL Is even
described by some as the beginning OF trust
At any rate II is a transaction only 10 ne de-
scrlbed in terms of the Stock Exchange lor'
while religion seems on the surface TO he IN
volved yet in reality 1t is entirely a nnanci'h
matter. 1t appears that the State OF Iowa mas
been in the market as a large purchaser vi
sermons for consumption in the pubic inS'itu-
tions. The ruling quotation has been So ana
AT that rate large blocks of spiritual rhetoric
have been regularly offered. The producers
however became dissatisfied with the returns
from the crop-that is the returns 10 thehl'
There Is no information at hand showing the
benefit to the consumers, ana no" lhuch
spiritual nutriment they were able 10 extract
from the contract supplies furnished-they De-
came dissatisfied and organized pun pool I'M
dor the name Of the Ministerial Association
of Marshalltown. The object was 10 iorce
quotations up two points and compel the STATE
10 pay s. a sermon.
lnasmuch as the State had obligations to
provide sermons for the inmates OF the III
atitutions. or. in other words. had sold SNORT,
there WAS every reason to hope for success
ful twist on the market, resulting In SUD-
stantial advance But It is about as hard 10
corner sermons rs It Is to corner wheat
When the operators think they have control or
the whole visible supply they are almost sure
TO be disappointed by the appearance OF an I'M
susnected stock or the tendency Of dealers 10
serre the trade temporarily with some sub
etituto commodities till the usual article
reaches q normal price. The sermon bulls
seem to have forgotten this. and also failed to
+oko account of the strength Of an aggressive
boar element which was as determined to keep
down quotations as they were to advance them
Whom the Sermon Trust announced that after
JuIv n would All no more orders at 3d. the
bears Immediately took counteracting steps
Tho BOARD of Control Of the Soldiers Home
which leads the bear pool. announced that *
was IFS unset bid If the Sermon Trust would
NOT deliver at that rate other steps would he
Talon The members of the Board themselves
had ora torical stocks mp their sleeves. and they
vould throw them on the market regardless
of nroats and cause a general break in prices
, rood hear argument was brought forward
from the exchange of the Mitchellville Re-
form School where spot sermons and future
deliveries for two years were quoted as low
nc So Moreover. there are producers in Mar
ehalltown who are not in the trust they are
tho Roman Catholic priests and the Board OF
Control exnects 10 draw on their holdings 10
sunn1v any deficiency in the lectures ana al
dresses of IT'S own members. So at present the
euccoss of the trusts bull movement is some
what mathematical Active trading seems TO
he suspended. and the market closed dull with
Sc bid So asked and no takers
Como neonle NAV be disposed to inject into
tbis commercial discussion questions about the
rolfore of the inmates for whom the sermons
are proyided. and suggest that missionary zeal
for nreacbng the Gospel to them does not
soem TO be a ruling passion with the Ministerial
Association of Marshalltown. But when did
or,. octonus LOT the welfare Of the consumer
Interfere with It's plans 10 control prices! Ana
whom wore the politicians who manage pubhc
,,stitutions go careful about expenditures Tor
material supplies as they are about getting
cham sermons? When every purveyor to the
c+ota is allowed to make a good thing, why
ehouId NOT the Sermon Trust get its fair snare:
rho sermons may be poor, and So as likely as
NOT may no the coffee. II must Indeed. be
nrottv moor sermon that is only worth 50, ana
20 tho State officers have been really getting
60 sornons they must have been affecting
tbeir wards and It is time the price was raised
o,d hotter article demanded. Otherwise ser
mons might perhaps as well he omitted from
fine ration As for inspiration ana apostohc
devotion to the spiritual uplifting OF the IN
stituton population. that has nothing TO 90 Win
tho case That can be had when IL can De
had at all. for nothing as easily as TOT %
That sort of preaching Is not bought ana sofa.
The question In Iowa is simply about the mar
kot price of a commodity convenient Tor COLI
sumption in State institutions. What IS re-
ouircd Is a fair quality at reasonable rate
and II seems to us that the best economy Is IN
favor of paying for the better quality OF goods
and then insisting on having 1t. AT the same
fine we would not attempt to defend the
Sermon Trust any more than any other oc-
topus or uphold its attempt to restrict pro-
ductIon to enhance prices.