Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-07-29
Calnase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talnaee. ID. ID.


national conventions as n theme and
an oriental fable as text the preacher
makes some timely reflections on GER
tain evils that aftlict our politics and
threaten the well being of government
and people. The text is Judges TX. ii.
"Then said all the trees unto the bram-
bic. 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
in st. Louis to nominate their candi-
date for the same office. The Prohibit
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 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, as intelligent men and women. are
conversant with the struggles which
the different political parties made in
late convention halls. 1t is not inaD-
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 in conven-
ton in the valley OF Shechem. with the
blue dome of the heavens for roof,
and selected the useless, destroying
bramble as their king.
This famous parable or fable of
lothian was truly realistic i'm more
ways than one. For n convention OF
trees IL 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 gurglinS
waters OF many fountains sounded n
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 90 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 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
1ority cried. "come. let us make the
olive tree our kingr' 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 rulcrship 90
the vine. whose rich blood had made
the vineyards OF Shechem famous. But
The Zig tree ana the vine both refused
The scepter OF the forest. even as Will
liam L. sherman. when his friends
wanted TO nominate him for the presi-
dency, replied: Il will not accent your
offer. If am spoken of in yonder con-
vention hall, tell my friends l am not
a candidate. If I am nominated. will
not accept the nomination and will not
run. If l am elected. l will not serve.
am soldier, not statesman; war
rior, not politician"
The bad Elements Got Control.
But in this lothian parable. after the
olive and the fig and vine had all re-
fused the sceptcr, the worst elements
got control OF the convention hall.
Then these bad elements said TO each
other: LET us nominate n king after
our own spirit. Let us make the curse
of the field cur king. Hail. brambIe!
King Bramble! Hull bramble. our fu-
ture ruler"' AS the undesirable ele-
ment OF the old Federalists nearly SIAM
peded congress in 1Io6 To elect Aaron
Burr president OF the United States. so
the evil elements OF Jotham's parable
stampeded the convention OF trees in
the valley of Shechem and elected the
worthless bramble king
Jotham's purpose I'm this parable was
TO show n danger which menaced 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
or the political parties in order that
they may nominate men utterly unfit
Tor 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 be
on our guard against the conspirators.
who will never cease their efforts TO
win that great prize. Let us identify |
them. that we may sedulousiy guard |
against their insdious attacks.
First among the Satanic conspirators
are the inadels. They say: 1--WE can
not fight God in the open. We cannot
as yet blot off the American silver dol
lar the sentence. In God we trust But
we can plead for so called religious NIB.
erty. We can say that the Bible should
De driven out Of the public schools.
We can demand that no session of the
national legislature shall be opened
with prayer. We can place upon the
statute books thestatemcnt: The United
states government is entirely a human
government. No divine hand is today
guiding the helm of state rrherefora
no name Of God and no prayer to any
God shall ever be heard in any of its
legislative buildings or public halls.
we. the people of this fair land, can
decree that hereafter we can attend to
our business. We Will make no public
recognition OF an overriding Divine
Providence"
My friends, as intelligent Americans,
nave you not recognized the fact that
the infideis, the agnostics. the atheists,
inc deists and ali those who would
ieny public recognition of God are fry.