Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-07-30
TALMAGE SERMON.
CONCLUDED FROM THIRD PAGE.

with your liquid poison. out. agents
of darkness. out. Outw No. that IL
not the way the different conventions
spoke. In their suggestive silence they
say: ''Bramble alcohol. we may yet
elect you king-but not now. However.
If you promise to help us now we will
promise not to hurt your trade here
after" Am l wrong I'm stating that
bramble alcohol Is one of the threaten
ing dangers confronting the future
sovereignty Of this land?
Evils of Licentiousness.
would like. IL there had been time
enough, to have spoken OF another
form Of evil threatening this land and
bidding for kingship. l allude 10 the
bramble Of RIGHTEOUSNESS or OF immor-
atty. I know that most people will
lift their hands In horror as l speak
and say. "Why. there Ii no danger like
that threatening u.s. Yes. there Is. my
friends. When an honest man In elect
cd 20 the highest executive Office OF a
city he finds out. much TO his surprise.
he cannot shut mp the brothels as he
would. He cannot stop the immoral
evils Of the low dance halls. Every
where our cities are honeycombed with
vice. merely because the voters at the
polls back up dishonest officials In their
willingness 10 allow these evil resorts
TO exist. l have spoken only the sober
truth when l have warned you that
bramble atheism. bramble gold. bram
BILE alcoholism and bramble licentiOus
ness. the four great evil forms of the
would he bramble king, are trying to
take possession of our American liber
ties and throttle out their life.
WELL" says some one. how. then.
are we to keep the bramble-the hate
full. worthless bramble-from becom-
ing ruler I'm American politics" All,
my friends. the direct teaching OF this
Jothams fable tells the whole story.
When did those delegates of trees
down in the valley Of Shechem do?
They first offered the rulership to the
olive tree. then to the fig tree. then to
the vine. But these three practically
said Nay. we would not leave our
responsibility and comfort to go and
mingle i'm dirty politics. We would
stay off here alone I'm dignity and
quiet and ease" That is the whole
story. The reason the bramble be-
came king in Jothams fable was be-
cause the olive. the fig and the vine
refused the rulership for which they
were so eminently fitted. And today
the reason the bad element predomi-
mates in so many of our city and cOun-
ty and state elections Is because so
many of the better element refuse to
go To the primaries refuse to be can
didatcs for the humber offices. refuse
to see that public moneys are admins
tered rs honestly as private funds. 1t
Is said that when Michael Angelo was
painting his most famous picture i'm
the Sistine chapel of the Vatican there
was member of the pope's household
who himself would do nothing to right
the wrongs of the Vatican. All that
this member OF the household would
do was to stand around and find fault.
Thus when Michael Angelo painted
the archfiend I'm his great canvas of
'The Last Judgment he painted the
face of this fault finder. this critic.
who was also do nothing. So today.
IL we would draw verbal picture of
one of the greatest evils Of American
politics. we would not describe the dis
honest official who for years Is n chron-
ic candidate and holder of public Of
fee: we would describe the so called
Christian man who Is the stay at
hOme:" we would picture the Chris
tan olive tree, and the Christian
fig tree. and the Christian vine. who.
like those in GOthams fable. refused
the scepter and lazily and indifferently
allowed the destructive bramble to be
elected king.
Thus Jotham's fable or parable
teaches us that a man has RESPONSE
bility to his government as well as to
his home; responsibility to those who
shall rule over him as well as TO those
under him. BY this statement am /
here to tell you for whom to vote? Oh,
no! I would speak to you just as that
great and good man Andrew Jackson
said to that great future statesman.
Richard Thompson of Indiana, when a
young boy he went with his father to
call upon the president After a short
conversation Richard Thompson's ia
Their turned and said: MIR. President.
my son Dick is not of my political
faith. fear he is going to vote against
you I'm the next election" Instead OF
upbraiding the son. "Old Hickory"
turned and said: young man. l have
no advice to give you except this: AL
ways think for yourself and let your
conscience he your guide" So in the
coming election l say to you. las
Christian man think for yourself and
let your conscience he your guide"
But hereafter. in the home or on the
street and In church. always make your
public business your Christian bust
ness. Always make your duty to your
city. to your state to your nation. your
Christian duty. Then the great dan
gers which threaten this our native
land from the rulership of the worth
less bramble and Its kind will he done