Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-07-30
CalnnaSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, d. d.

an oriental fable as Il text the preacher
makes some timely reflections on GER
tain evils that afflict our politics and
threaten the we'll being of government
and people. The text is Judges ix. II.
"rhen said all the trees unto the bram-
BILE. Come. thou. and reign over u.s."
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
I'm st. Louis TO nominate their candi-
date for the same Office. The Prohibi-
ton party, the Populist party. the La
Dor party, all have had their conven-
tons and nominated their leaders.
Thus the first great political battle for
national Office I'm 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
ard bearer of their party's principles.
We. as intelligent men and women. are
conversant 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 lothian had when all the trees
of the forest came together i'm conven-
ton i'm the valley of Shechem. with the
blue dome of the heavens for II roof,
and selected the useless, destroying
bramble as their king.
This famous parable or fable of
Jotham was truly realistic i'm more
ways than one. For n 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-
killed. 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.
in 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 We're 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 n king than II became
self evident that the great majority Of
the delegates were ready TO be STAN
peded for one tree. Come" the ma
jOrity cried. ''come. let us make the
olive tree our king-' 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
kingship 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 L. Sherman, when his friends
wanted to nominate him for the presi-
dency. replied: Il will not accept your
offer. If | am spoken of i'm yonder con-
vention hall. tell my friends | am not
n candidate. If am nominated. will
not accept the nomination and will not
run. II am elected. will not serve.
i am soldier. not Il statesman: war
riOr. not politician"
The BAD Elements Got Control.
But i'm this lothian parable. after the
olive and the fig and vine had all re-
fused the scepter, the worst elements
got control of the convention hall.
Then these bad elements said to each
other: Let us nominate king after
our own spirit. Let us make the curse
Of the field our king. Hail. bramble!
King Bramble. Hail. bramble. our fu-
ture rulerv' As the undesirable ele-
ment of the old Federalists nearly stam-
peded congress In 1876 to elect Aaron
Burr president of the United States, so
the evil elements of Jotham's parable
stampcded the convention of trees in
the valley of Shechem and elected the
worthless bramble king
JOtham's purpose in this parable was
TO show n danger which mcnaced his
own country and has menaced our
country all through its history. There
have been in the past. as there are to-
day. men who conspire to get control
OF the political parties In order that
they may nominate men utterly unfit
for the high office of the presidency of
the United States. Thank God. they
have not succeeded yet. for the men
who have been nominated by the vari-
Gus parties are men of high character
and sterling worth. But we need to he
on our guard against the conspirators.
who will never cease their efforts to
win that great prize. Let us identify
them. that we may sedulously guard
against fhair inSidiotIS attacks