Milford chronicle., 1906-01-19
Caln1ase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee' D. D.

90 tile republic ana lilaL IL IS Il BIOWliS
Gather than decreasing peril is shown
al this sermon. the text for which the
preacher takes from Isaiah iii, 8. They
declare their sin as Sodom; they hide
it not"
The study Of the lives of great men
mas always been with me passion.
Next TO reading the works of the great
authors and the speeches of the great
orators l have always had a longing to
know how these leaders of thought
looked and lived and acted in their
public and private lives. Thus as
Young man when had the opportunity
Of entertaining in our home DR.. Byron
Sunderland, who was to preach in the
Brooklyn tabernacle a couple of Sun
days, l literally pumped the old man
dry of all his "reminiscences. Great
was his well Of information and per-
sOnal experiences
DR.. Byron Sunderland for nearly
half a century had been a resident of
Washington. He was not only known
Ms the pastor Of presidents, but for
years he had been chaplain of the Unit
I'd States senate. Webster and Clay
and Benton and Piarce and Lincoln
aud Conkling and Blaine, all the
mighty political giants north, south,
east and west, had been his intimate
friends or acquaintances. Hour after
hour would speed by as the old man
talked to me- remember well the last
afrTlnA TOO nv.1rv
j o'clock in the morning when said:
"Dr. Sunderland, you have been de-
scribing to me many men. Tell me
The strongest personality you have ever
known" Then the old man said:
The scene was not In Washington; it
was in Salt Lake City. The man was
not Webster or Clay; he was Brigham
Young. Many years ago the Mormon
church challenged the gentiles to a de-
hate. and some of the leading ministers
Of the east took up the challenge. Bish-
Op John p. Newman of the Methodist
church and myself were delegated to
meet the Mormon representatives. The
debate took place in the Mormon taber- |
0acle, which holds some 10000 audi |
tors. The debate had been going on
for some days, and we had come to the /
closing night. Bishop Newman was
summing up and making his perora-
fiOn. With the skill of an accomplished
orator be was wheeling his facts into
line. and he said substantially: There
e - this is so and if that is so and
other thing is so, then we are fore
the conclusion that MOrmOnism
for nothing else besides licensed
inism and wholesale fraudp Ten
sand angry men and women in
tly leaped to their feet and began
press down toward the platform.
cry was taken up everywhere:
nch him! Lynch him! Kill him!
ID the heretc's heart! Kill himl
nch him nowg
'I sat beside Newman at the time"
bntinued DR.. Sunderland. 'I did not
ee one avenue of escape. Suddenly
Brigham Young arose and stepped to
he front Of the platform. He swung
IFS arm out over that cursing, swear
ng, angry mob and uttered just two
words. Sit DOWN. They dropped into
heir seats as the grain falls before the
lss of the scythe. That was to me the
most marvellous scene l ever witnessed.
Is / came under the leaders spell ]
ealized that he was one Of the greatest
+ men and one OF the most dangerous,
{ not the most dangerous. to American
berties who had ever trodden Ameri-
an soil"
What Byron Sunderland said to me
yer fifteen years ago was absolutely
rue. Brigham Young was one Of the
reatest and one Of the most corrupt
len who ever lived on American soil.
lis evil Influence is bringing forth its
alefuI harvest today.
I have been to Salt Lake City. have
read many Of the books writ
n both for the advocacy and for the
Of MOrmonlsm, and from
ne mass Of conglomerate testimony
ito which 1 have delyed can come
&C to one conclusion-that Joseph
mith was a crack Drained epileptic,
'ho, with his fits Of hysteria, was just
ie man for a little while to appeal to
ie ignorant and superstitlous people
iifh whom he came In contact. But
oaeph Smith could never have created
ie Mormon church. It needed more
IAN an epIeptic visionary to do that
o sooner was Joseph Smith dead (and
e died some fifteen years after he had
egun to proclaim himself a propheD
ian this monster manipulation, this
Iodern Blue Beard this leprous Frank
1stein, this robber Of mems gold and
Z women's morals, Brigham Young,
.epped forward and gathered together
mith's crazed followers and nodded
lem together into a social organism
: wlddh he was to be the chief blood
ltlng vampire. And all that Brigham
oung stood for fifty years ago the
-asent head Of the Mormon church
nnds for today. though the claw may
ave temporarily sunk out Of sight In
,e soft fesh Of the tigers paw
stands the Same Today.
To show that the Mormon church to
Az stands exactly where It did IN Brig
am Youngs time I would quote part