Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-07-07
C1alr1,ase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaae, D. d.

Los Angeles. Cal. July In this
sermon. appropriate 10 the lndepend-
encc day festival. the preacher makes
a powerful appeal for II further indie
pcndcmce which shall result In the re.
dcmption Of our cities from official
corruption. The text is Jeremiah vii.
IL. "Secst thou not what they do in the
cities of Judah:"
This Is the Sunday preceding our ma
tional holiday. During the coming
week we shall commemorate the time
when our forcfathers signed the Dccla
ration OF Independence, which declares
that all men are born free aud equal
This is the hour when thousands OF
patriotic sermons are being preached
over this land. most of them In eul0-
CYSTIC strain. to prove that this country
IL the greatest of all countries. our peo-
pie the best of all people and this mar
vclous national conuIti0n OF affairs the
direct result of the work of the Con.
tinenial congress which assembled In
nan at July
4. i1TG But though allow no man TO
stand before me in admiration Of the
immortal document penned by Thomas
jefferson. yet am not one who would
cry. Peace peace. when there il no
peace" ! am not one who would as
sert that our government and our
people have reached the acme OF per
lection, for as our ancestors had
wrongs to right in l1IG We have gov
ernmental wrongs 10 right In 1906. |
want this morning TO place my finger
upon the most fragrant weakness of
our national life. This is not the weak
ness OF national or state legislation.
II Is the weakness of municipal cor
ruption. which we find in most OF the
large cities scattered over our land.
The cancer which is gnawing and
eating toward the vitals of mans phys
icnl body is even more fatal in its re-
suits than the dangers which are threat.
enng him from without Indeed, the
only enemies which are threatening "a
undermine our national foundations are
tuiiltSiH lbfN anu bOA
Mr. Lincoln in one of his addresses well
said: AT what point shall we expect
the approach of national danger
Shall We expect some transatlantic mil
itary giant TO step across the ocean and
crush MS at blow: Never. All the
armies of Europe. Asia and Africa
combined. with all the treasures OF the
earth tour own excepted in their mill
tary chest. and with Il Bonaparte for
commander. could not by force take
ii drink from the Ohio or make track
on the Blue Ridge In Il trial of II thou
sand years At what point then. Is this
approach of danger To he expected
Ii IL ever reaches us II must spring up
among us IL cannot come from abroad.
II destruction be our lot, We must our
selves he It's author and tinsler. AS u
nation of frecmen we must live through
all time or die by suicide" That state
ment is literally true No foreign foe
can Sublngate us. England could no
more conquer us upon our own ground
than we could land AT the Liverpool
docks and conquer England. The At
lantic and Pacific oceans are two great
moats. thousands of miles wide which
say to foreign foes. Keep out" and
also to Americans, Keep in" No
drawbridgeS will ever he made big
enough to span those meats. As long as
an invading army has to come to Amer
lea 10y ship that army is doomed to de-
feat before II starts.