St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-25
LOCAL VALUE OF HOLIDAYS.

| and with each other. A new country
needs Opportunit. es and incentives for
this sort of thing, anu a country in our
stage of development needs them, per-
hapS, more than would one which was
older or one which had shorter his
tory. Christmas serves purpose in
this direction, because it is the worlds
holiday. The story of ChriSt'S birth
means great m my different things in
great many different ways to great
many different people, and to some
great deal, and to Others very little.
But somehow or other, the man Christ,
who, in spite of certain defeat stead
tasty set his face to 20 70 Jerusalem,
is an inspiration to the agnOStic In
! his study as well to the sweet young
| girl and her mother. and to the lonely
| missionary in the fever-heated plateauX
| of tropical Africa. And so. if we leave
/ out that which is personal and indivtd-
ual. Christmas from the common stand
| point shows the oneness of man. and
| that in the matter of emotions and the
! ideal, if in nothing else, there Is fed
Grafton of nations. Tnis is true also.
and everybody will agree that it is a
good thing to recognize it.
Local holidays and national holidays
have similar significance. They sug-
gest the existence of community of
| int crest and inheritance among those
who celebrate them. And they help to
hold these together, if they are already
| one people; or if they are of different
| tongues and traditions, they help to
weld them into a state coherent and
| homogeneous. As | have said, there is
| perhaps more need among us than else
| where for what will make toward this
end. When a settlement is new but
small, the c0ercive force of few great
personalities stamps character on its
common thought and gives it direction
and motive. Where men have lived for
| long while there is prevailing idioln
which expresses it elf in language, in
action and in point of view. The
stranger coming in is pOwerless to resist
its influence and he swells the current.
driving through hundred eddies. bu.
in one direction and towards common
| sea.
But our colony has 1000 people who
| have gathered with amazing haste from
| all quarters of the world and for all
sorts of reasons, bringing with them
| hearthtires unrelated and from thou
| sand different learths. Here are 200
| 900 people whose fathers never knew
each others fathers. Two hundred
| thousand people without the memory
of common fatherland, a common lit
| erature or a common faith.
I Two hundred thousand people freed
from the discipline of contact with kim
bred and the past, immersed in a lone
some race, some for wealth, some for
| life. All the agencies which are avail
able are needed to tune the common
voice of such place to harmony.
l think that moStof these are at work.
| and that there is no reason to fear about
the result. The schools and the news
papers no debut are doing a great deal,
and the theaters and 3hurcheS-the
| Protestant churches and the Catholic
| church under It's wise, brave leader.
The greed for Office and partisan zeal
| are of value. The man VINO compares
the weather for successive winters past
! with his chance cemrade on the street
| FORCES q link in the chain which makes
us one. do not forget all these things,
| and a thousand more. But L believe
that the national aud the local holiday.
| and what goes with them. count towards
this goal in way which a good many
of us do not seem to appreciate.
L - nh aat- for in
men does not come through their rea-
son and their carefully balanced judy
ment. Men distrust their reason and
their Judgment. But when their feel
! ings are touched, they have guide on
which to rely. The faulty construction
! of some of Christ'S syllogismS has not
made men hesitate to die for him. 1t
was not the logic of Golden which es-
tabIished industrial freedom in Eng
land. Ii was the hunger of the poor
under the corn laws. In the same way,
to make and keep US, who are
of every blood and prejudice,
one people. and that people Amer
leans, we need the inspiration
which comes from something other
than comparing the theory of our own
institutions with the theory of those
which other nations have. Pride in a
past of common glory and the hope of a
common future of high purpose make
nation. The heart of the most igno-
rant foreigner can be made to respond
TO the story of our fathers deeds, and
the love of country which nursed such
men will grow from knowledge OF
what they have done. The value of the
national holiday, like Washington's
Birthday and the Fourth Of July. is
therefore very great in a heterogeneous
community like ours, because it calls
attention to these things. 1t is as great
as that of the worlds holiday, like
Christmas, only in different way.
The same thing, too. can be said for
local holidays like our carnival, wheth-
er with or without an ice palace. They
would serve high purpose. even if they
did not bring single stranger to our
gates. They tend TO get mems thoughts
outside of themselves, and to induce a
local pride and a civic enthusi
asm. This is important in thu
line l have already suggested.
It gives us a common ground OH which
to stand-it unIfes us. 1t helps, along
with other things, to create local at
mosphere in which we may breathe to.
gether, and a local spirit in which We
all share. When we have these well de
veIoped we have the community in ;
condition for further movements, NOR
serious and more important. A eOnstit
ueney coherent and homogeneous, in
spired bya love Of its city and pride il
its progress, will respond effectiyel.
when the problem is lower taxation, Of
cleaner streets, or better transporta
ton. 1t is possible to rouse to actor
men who partake Of the heritage OF
great names when the work is to get rit
of impatient, or preju1iced or procrasti
mating judges. The stock company
idea of municipal government. when tn
people will manage their own public
works and provide themselves Will