Milford chronicle., 1904-07-29
CalnnaQe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, D. D.

national conventions as a theme and
an oriental fable as text the preacher
makes some timely reflections on GER
tain evils that afilict our politics and
threaten the well being of government
and people The text is Judges tx, IA,
"Then said all the trees unto the bram-
BILE Come, thou, and reign over us"
This is the year of great national
conventions. The Republican party
sent its representatives last June to
Chicago to nominate their candidate
for the presidency of the United States.
The Democratic party this month met
in St. Louis to nominate their candi-
date for the same Office. The Prohibi-
tion party, the Populist party, the La
Dor party, all have had their conyen-
tiOns and nominated their leaders.
Thus the first great political battle for
national office in America is not fought
over the ballot box at the November
polls. but in convention hall. There
the different political parties agree
among themselves on which of their
members shall be chosen as the stand
ard bearer of their party's principles
We. rs intelligent men and women, are
COnyersant with the struggles which
the different political parties made in
late convention halls 1t is not inap-
propriate, therefore, for US to take as
our sermonic theme today the vision
which Jotham had when all the trees
of the forest came together in conven-
tion in the valley of Shechem, with the
blue dome of the heavens for a roof, |
and selected the useless, destroying /
bramble as their king.
This famous parable or fable of /
Jotham was truly realistic in more .
ways than one. For a convention of |
trees it had a perfect topographic set /
ting. On the southern side of this IA
NOUS valley is mighty Mount Gerizim.
ON the northern side hoary headed
Mount Ebal lifts its scared and wrin-
kled face. These two mountains as
sounding boards tossed the echOing
voices OF the cheering delegates back
ward and forward Here the gurgling
waters Of many fountains sounded a
musical accompaniment to the MUIR
murings of many voices trying to win
votes for their favorite sons. Isaiah,
i'm prophecy saw "all the trees Of the
fields clap their hands" lothian. in
vision, saw the trees. as convention
delegates, with moving hands, moving
feet. moving lips and sparkling eyes.
Their rustic was to him articulate
speech. Their branches were out
stretched arms. Their names were
symbols to him of honor and truth or
of dishonor and disgrace.
Hardly had this great convention of
trees assembled in the valley Of She
chem to select a king than it became
self evident that the great majority Of
the delegates were ready to be STAN
pcded for one tree. Come" the ma
jOrity cried, "come, let US make the
olive tree our kingw To lothian the
olive was the symbol Of strength and
wealth and power as well as of heal
ing But the olive tree would not be-
come king. 1t declined the scepter of
kngship over the trees. Then this
great convention wanted to elect the
fig tree king The delegates next Of
fered the nomination for rulership to
the vine, whose rich blood had made
the vineyards of Shechem famous. But
the fig tree and the vine both refused
the scepter of the forest, even as VIII
liam T. Sherman. when his friends
wanted TO nominate him for the presi-
lcncy, replied: Il will not accept your
)fer. If am spoken Of in yonder CON
gention hail. tell my friends | am not
4 candidate. If I am nominated. I will
not accept the nomination and will not !
'un If l am elected, will not serve.
am a soldier, not a statesman; a war
'iOr, not politician" I
The Bad Elements Got Control. d
But in this Jotham parable, after the /
live and the fig and vine had all re- d
used the scepter. the worst elements I
rot control Of the convention hall. I
.hen these bad elements said to each a
ther; LET us nominate a king after 5
ur own spirit. Let us make the curse q
f the field our king. Hail, bramble, / 5
King Brambe. Hail, bramble. our fu- u
IRE ruler" As the undesirable ele- il
lent Of the old Federalists nearly STAN o
eded congress in 1896 to elect Aaron "
.urr president of the United States. so @
he evil clements of Jotham's parable v
the convention of trees in d
he valley Of Shechem and elected the D
.orthless bramble king p
Jotham's purpose in this parable was D
show danger which menaced his o
wn country ana has menaced our III
luntry all through its history. There >
ave been in the past as there are to- ie
ny. men who conspire to get control p
tie political parties in order that II
icy may nominate men utterly unfit D'
" the high Office Of the presidency Of IL
e United States Thank God they n
I'VE not succeeded vet, for the men Do
no have been nominated by the vari- OF
IS parties are men of high character at
ID sterling worth. But we need to be al
our guard against the cOnspirators, IA
no will never cease their efforts to pc
IN that great prize. Let us identify IN
ON thof we may spdulOusIv guard ID