The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-28
THANKSGIVING DAY.

1O-Ndy lLO 4Odu pSOpAC VIII IdhC a
holiday, and largely give themselves up to
such enjoyment as they can find in over
indulgence in turkey and the other features
of the feStal dinner. In their feasting and
merriment let US hope that none will forget
or mistake the true import of the occasion.
The Thanksgiving day means more than
mere iollitication and animal qualification
If it did not imply more than these the ma
ton and the individuals comprising it would
be better without the annual holiday The
festival was ordained for loftier purpose,
and unless that purpose is appreciated we
should cease to call the occasion one of
thanksgiving, o., what would be still bet
ter, abolish it altogether.
The proclamation of the President makes
Thanksgiving day for all the people, and
while it is a sacred festival, it is deprived
of everything of sectarian character 1t
is a day for the people, black and white,
Jew and Gentle, rich and poor, and all are
expected to observe it without regard to
religion, race or condition. All of cur other
holidays have a more or less limited scope.
but this is so broad as to be universal in
the national sense. 1t is not commemora-
tive of events and achievements belonging
to any party, class or sect, nor is it
symbolic of anything that has passed into
history. The day and the occasion belong
to the present. THANKSGIVING furnishes an
opportunity for a people to express their
thanks to the Almighty for the happiness
and success enjoyed by the nation, 1t
thpppfOpa commandments
than individual feasting and iollity, embrac-
ing within its true and full meaning great
peoples gratefulpess to God for His kind
ness, His consideration and His watchful-
ness to, for and over the republic. The
broadness and generosity of the idea and
spirit of the idea were strikingly illustrat-
ed in 1855 and are again shown this year
Last year, Just before Thanksgiving, the
great political party which for four years
had been in control of the government, was
defeated in a popular election, the judg-
ment of the voters running against it;
but there was thankfulness in the hearts
of all Democrats, for they realized
that the Lord had been kind to the Ameri-
can people in awarding them prosperity,
peace and plenty. Now, as partisans the
Republicans are the victims of popular de
feat and reputation, yet as members of
the American commonwealth they will
enter into the spirit of this day as fully
and sincerely as the victorious Demo-
Gratis.
To-day there is much for which the
American people are thankful. Our coun-
try continues peaceful and progressive
and keeps up its marvellous growth and de-
velopment in wealth, power and influence.
The harvests have been wondrous in their
famine, disease aud pestilence
have not come upon US, and Affections have
been light and local. In truth,
the year whose close is hard upon US has
given manifold causes for rejoicing and oc-
casion for few regrets. In our history as a
nation there has rarely been time when
there was more or better cause for CRATE
fulness or thankfulness than now. While
the merits of the bird which
today is more national than the soaring
eagle, let US all make mental note Of Gods
towards the American people as
demo nstrated IN the manifold blessings
upon this land. To do this will
not dull anyboiy's appetite, but it will
have tendency to make of US all better
people and prepare US for the more faithful
performance of the duties of citizenship.