The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-12-10
Mnch TO be Thankful For.

sermon preached by DR.. w. w. Duncan
of Wofi0r1 College, on Thanksgiving
Day, and published in the Spartanburg
Spartan, and contains much food fol
reflection, especially at this time, when
the cry of hard times is heard all over
the land:
There are some general reasons why We
here in Spartanburg, should be profound
ly grateful for the great multitude Of
blessings we have. First and lowest
down our physical wants are all supplied
The wages of the average working man
is higher by so to so per cent. than in
England, France or Germany. The
price of food is cheaper here. The an.
nual tax Of our people is less than in the
European countries and each mans share
of the national debt is much less here
than in the old world. Then We have no
standing army, only one man out of every
1000 having to enter military service.
In the European States this burden
and a large per cent of the population
have to enter the army.
An extract was then read from tho
New Yorl: Herald showing how cheap a
man could board and lodge decently in
that city. Right here in Spartaaburg a
man can live on S4.00 month and get
decent board and lodging at Sl1 to So a
month, yet men are dissatisfied aud go
about the streets whining out "dull
times" "cotton is too low," nothing
doing. The sober and industrious
foreig gners who come here without cent
in their pockets and go to work at any.
thing they can do soon have stores and
homes of their own and are living and
constant rebuke to our native Carolinians
who stand around and grumble and
complain and adapt their mode of living
to some rich mans conditions. We
should also be thankful for the general
diffusion of wealth in our country.
There are no great and overshadowing
monopolies of land here. Every hearty,
industrious, economical man can own a
home if be desires it. There is no pau.
perism here except amongst the vicious
poor of both colors. When one looks at
our great and growing country aud con-
siders lis capabilities, its railroads, tele.
graphs, its generous soil, its genia!
climate, it does not seem that one could
be so mean as to walk about with his
head down saying: "It's poor old
country, hard times, nothing to live tor"
It is wonder that God does bless such
people at all.
Passing little higher we have great
reason to be thankful for our educational
blessings. From the almost perfect
school system Of Charleston to the hum
blest log school house in the backwoods,
the children of the State have the priyl-
lege of learning to read the printed page.
This is an unmeasured and immeasura:
bic blessing. Thon we have books, and
papers and periodicals multiplied in
great variety and they are so cheap that all
can possess them. Then here on our
Square we have the Kennedy Library,
which should be great help and bles.
sing to our boys if they would only ap-
preciate it.
Our moral and religious privileges are
very great. The old Baptists and Pres.
byterians Of Virginia thought they had
hard time in colonial days when,
besides supporting their own churches,
they were taxed to keep up the establish:
ed church. But now we have freedom of
worship. There is no priest or govern.
ment that will dare to interfere with the
right of every man to worship as be
peases. For this We should be very
thankful. Christian unity is another
blessing we now enjoy. The very
presence of all the Protestant deuomina-
tions of our town, uniting in this service,
bears evidence that the old sectarian lines
are fading away and far above our little
denominaIional troubles and special
creeds rises the broad, universal Christian
Church, wide as humanity, high as
heaven itself. Infdels and some so called
Christians may indulge in pessimistic
cries, but the Christian Churches are
coming closer together. Then we should
be very grateful for benevolent insthu-
tions, hospitals, orphan homes, Z. NJ. c.
Associations, w. G. I. Unions, and all
these organizations that tend to raise
humanity to higher planes. Tie speaker
did not wish to offend the "patriarchs"
who prate of the good old times and
who are thankful that they are so near
their end. These "good old days" were
not the best. Persons here remember
some Of these good old times, when on a
sale day, is was dangerous to be on the
Public Square and merchants were forced
to close their doors and men would
collect to see tho saleday fights. Let us
be thankful that these good old times"
are now impossible in our town with law
and order and decorum prevailing.
Be thankfu full that you are man. -Four
hundred years before Christ, Plato said
that he was thankful that he was man
and not beast-a Greek and not u
Barbarian. That is the privilege of the
humbest boy in all this land. He eau
be a man. Let all assert the dignity Of
manhood and not go with head bowed
down complaining Of hard times and the
low prices of cotton Such men arc not
worth bale OF cotton. They own no
cotton, the cotton owns them body and
soul. 1t is great thing to be a man and
5or this privilege let US give thanks.
Above all let us be thankful for per-
sonal knowledge of Jesus Christ, Gods
greatest gift to us. He is our model and
Savior. 1t is our privilege to know him
as such, and hc who fails to secure this
knowledge lives below his duty and priv.
ilegc. We should be profoundly grateful
for the patience Of our Father in Heaven.
He bears with our waywardneas and
passes by our shortcomings Day after
day and year after year he deals with us,
not according TO cur sins, but according
to his grea: patience. But sometimes he
says, "You have gone too far. You must
stop right here," and in the midst ofdays
he is cut off and the living is called to
bear his body to its final resting place.
We should thank God every day for
homes and family and friends. MONEY
cannot buy the smiles of wife and the
ioyousness of children. Then our social
privileges are continual source Of
Thanksgiving. There are no classes of
society here. The poorest woman may
have ready access 10 the richest, the
meanest may so to the greatest. Tho
poor boy may rise from the humble cabin
to be United States Senator, as did
McDufIie in our own State; the tow path
on a canal may be the direct road to the
White House, or quiet Presbyterian
home may send forth another President
who issues tie proclamation calling Us
together to day The protection Of
person and property are well guarded,
and the American citizen was at perfect
l;hnrtv ro .ro and como without the fear