The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-12-06
HIKING cnuKCn AND STATE.

yet great many people Will con-
tinue to regard him us worthy OF the
exalted patronimic. Thanksgiving day
had its origin, in this coutry, i'll
Plymouth church. In 1920 the
first members of the Plymouth colony
landed in New England, and in 1921
Gov. Bradford sent four men out, that
they might after a more special man
ner rejoice-together." These four, men
it is presumed, are 1.-The fathers" after
whom we must rejoice and give
thanks. This was the first mixing of
church and state il this country.
which was so heartily con-
demned, in after years, by
another set of fathers, Who gave us
the grandest popular document the
world to-day knows-the Federal
Constitution. Plymouth church was
radical, and the persecution and muir
der of witches in New England, grew
out Of its radicalism. Thence came
the Blue Laws, under which Il fellow
could not even kiss his sweetheart on
Sunday, Under which times to laugh
were prescribed, and by which the
most radical social and religious obi
cations and regulations were imposed.
Plymouth soci ty first imposed
thanksgiving, and so it was kept UP.
The first very notable thanksgiving
day was named by President Washing
ton, because of the adoption of the
Federal Constitution and that was
something to be thankful for. In 1898
he again appointed day of thanks
giving, on account of the suppression
of insurrectioD. No doubt the people
had exhausted thanks for UGH deliy
erance before the president named
the day. In 1915 President
Madison appointed day for thanks
giving. because war was ended and
peace restored. Still thanksgiving
day was confined to New England,
under the influences of Plymoth So
ciety, and the first time it was Off
cially recognized in New York state
was in 1917. Governor Johnson, of
Virginia, named day of thanksgiv-
ing, in 1850, this being the first in
stance in Il Southern State. Plymoth
Church fanaticism began to implant
itself at last in section where states
men and patriots grew. In 1857, how
ever, Governor Wise caused the peo-
pie to reflect upon this custom 10y re-
fusing, when asked, to even name a
day for thanksgiving, because t
himself unauthorized to interf re in
religious matters" In the next year
eight Governors of Southern SITES
appointed thanksgiving. President
Lincoln named special days for
special Thanksgiving in 1862 and 1863,
because of the wholesale slaughter of
Confederates, and in 1863 and 1864 he
named the day, fixed now as theannual
day of thanksgiving, the last Thurs
day of November. BY a school of
political centralists it is known as
the National" thanksgiving day.
Within the last few years Gov. Rob-
erts, of this state, refused twice to
name Thanksgiving day, taking the
ground, as did Gov. Wise, that
a civil officer has nothing to do with
religious matters, that state and
church should not be miysd. He and
Gov. Wise were undoubtedly correct,
and some of the churches hold SINH
lar opinions. But, like many customs,
this one has grown until, even with
out any reason for thanksgiving,
the state proclaims the day for
churches to offer thanks.
But the president of the United
States has said we must offer
thanks, and the governor of
Texas seconds the motion. 1t
may be possible that The STATES
MAN was not in view when the state
order was made, but it is here, and it
has as much right to express thanks
as any institution or individual in the
state. 1t is especially thankful that
it still lives, in spite of wind and
storm and political earthquakes; it is
thankful for the smiles Of it's friends,
and it does not care Il continental for
the frowns of its enemies; it is thank
full for the very great prosperity of
the capital city of Texas, and can
mention this rs but a reflex of what
ought to be the condition of the en-
tire state; it is thankful, in this
connection, that the fence
cutters have not yet invaded the pre-
cinrts of the Capital City, and that
they are yet content to exercise their
peculiar and now apparently vested
right alone in the rural districts.
We are thankful that the military arm
of the state government, to which our
people may appeal for protection
against the "cormorant and the COM
mune," is at our backs; we are thank
full that there is NJ other state
election this year, and will
be more than kful when this farce of a
city election overland when at least
few of these everlasting ward poll
ticians will take an appropriate
trip up salt river. In the name of the
people of Austin we thank the good
people of Texas for their manifold
blessings, given. by no means, in dis
guise; for the temple of learning they
have seen fit to place on one of these
everlasting hills, and for the grander
monumental structure that, in the
early coming years, is to lift its rotunda
toward heaven, on capitol hill. THE
STATESMAN is thankful that our
political condition is no worse than it
is; that along with fence-cutting we
have no Billy Malone; that there is
but one Democratic congressman
from Texas, who has given
in his adhesion to that mon
strous tyrant, protection; that
Tom Oehiltree does not stand
at the head of our congressional dele
cation; that the unrighteous sway of
monied rings, bolstered by the strong
est powers, has not prevailed over our
legislature; that in Texas there has
been accomplished partial emancipa-