Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-27
MANY REASONS FOR THANKFULNEss.
Rabbi stsrn's Address ~ the Eighth Street
Ae6rew resnple.

MANY REASONS FOR THANKFULNEss.
Rabbi stsr,'s Address as the Eighth Street
Ae6rew remPas.
eua CONDITIONS coxrnAsrEp WITH rHosx Pre-.
vAILISe IN RuRorH-A LAND OF FREEDOM
AND ToLEsAScx-EE ANSWERS THE QUESTION,
WHAT u rEY coUxrnY?'
Thanksgiving services wero held yesterday
afternoon by the Warrington Hebrew coegre-
cation In the Eighth Street Temple. A feature
o. the service was the music, which was ospe-
cially we'll rendered. Rev. Louis Stern, the
rabbi, delivered an interesting and eloquent
address.
'You all have heard" sid Rev. Mr.. Stern,
.'of the man in Holy Writ who lay fast asleep
in . ship while q furious storm was raging, and
all the crew frantic with fear, cried aloud, every
man unto his God. And the shipmaster came
to him, saying: "what mcanest thou, o!
sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God alsol' And
the mariners. wondering at this mans strange
behavior, asked him these question: "What is
thine occupation and whence cdAest thou9
What Is thy country and Of what people art
thou?" This question formed the text of the
address
He referred to the little part the answer to
the question What is thy occupstion?" played
In the estimate OF a man worth and character
in this country, and he eloquently summarized
the great blessings for which the nation should
be thankful and he spoke Of the different con-
ditions in Europe.
whence contest thouy" he said. 1.-THE
cradle of the inhabitants of this wide land or of
their ancestors stood in European lands.
Europe, with its numerous empires, kingdoms
and crowned potentates, its manifold conflict
ing interests and constantly burning ques-
nons. may DO hkened to q living volcano.
Terrible upheavals sooner or later must occur,
and when occurring cannot fail to be OF the
most disastrous Consequence. The very air is
freighted with dread anticipations as to the
future, and this feeling of anxiety and uncer
tsinty exsrts its depressing influence upon all
classes. from the royal palace down to
the poor peasant behind the plough and
the ill-paid mechanic in his work shop.
Fully realizing the dreadful calamity which a
general European war would imply the people
OF Europe yearn for peace, but peace can only
be maintained at immense sacrifices. Enor-
nous Is the numerical strength Of the standing
armies Of Europe, made up Of the flower
of Europe's manhood, depriving useful labor
and industry Of millions of sturdy arms and
skillful hands. Appalling are the sums con-
sumed annually BY the maintenance OF such
colossal armies, and next to intolerable tho
consequent burden of taxation and poverty
and starvation stare thousands in the face. 1t
is to be wondered at that such state of affairs,
aggravated by more or less illiteral,
oppressive measures peculiar to q monarchial
form OF government as existing in most all the
principal European countries, should produce
feeling of unrest and discomfort, deep
and lasting, permeating especially the hard
toiling iaboring classes, far surprising in Bit
tsrness and intensity anything of the kind that
may have come under our own observation. Is
it to be wondered at if the patience Of much
abused populace ceasing to be a virtue ever
and anon gives way to acts OF violence, to
frantic efforts to shake of the heavy yoke
placed upon their necks by the tyranny of au-
tocrats or the pressure Of peculiarly unfortu-
nate circumstances, which, it appears. in the
natural order Of things cannot be removed: Is
il to be wondered at that certain countries of
Europe are veritable hotbeds for the worst
forms OF socialism, nihilism and communism
natural outgrowths Of misrule and a diseased
body polite?
WHAT rs THY COUNTRY?
'"And now let rs turn to happy contrast by
considering the question: what is thy coun-
try?" the country thou dwsllest in, whether
by choice adopted citizen, or to the
manor born! A country blessed abundantly
through the goodness Of the Creator like no
other country on the face Of the globe. a coun-
try of amazing wealth and boundless resources,
great and formidable in vastness and strength.
fair and beautiful-but blessed by even more!
Ours is free country! Ours is government
needs no large standing armies. In lee. and
hottest interests are protected by the majesty
Of the law, the only earthly sovereign to whom
the American freeman pays homage, and by
the pride OF citizenship and love of country by
which he Is distinguished. This patriotism Of
the masses is our safeguard; in it consists our
strength. And conscious Of this strength,
under the protection Of Almighty God, Amer
lea may view with calmness and eomposure any
national or international difficulties as they
hor arfaa md Arvosv1 No.
of history. True also America is more or less
affected by the disturbed social conditions of
society abroad the social question and its solu-
ton, the various complaints Of our own wage
| earners and their demands for proper adjust
ment OF their grievances are earnestly and in
| diligently considered by the people. But these
questions do not present near a. alarming or
dangerous an aspect as they do abroad. Every
| wrong by which our people suffer may be
righted by the people themselves. They are at
once plaintiff, jury and judge. Our excellent
public school system renders them fl to form
| an intelligent opinion. Our daily press, gen.
| orally speaking, affords them sound legal sd-
vice, and the ballot is their means Of seeking
| and finding redress and obtaining every right
| and privilege guaranteed them by the Consti-
| tuition Demands that are just and lawful will
| and must prevail in the end, while every at
tempt at lawlessness and anarchy will be
promptly crushed by the sovereign will of
| God-fearing abiding and intelligent people.
NATIONAL FAuLIa
eve undoubtedly have our faults faults which
may be justly termed national, like our fast
| and hurried mode Of living, working and en-
joying oarselvss-so Aftsn contrasted with the
essy, se-as-you-please manner fthe Germans
cali it 'gemuethlich'] in which they live in the
country whence we came Yet it is fact
that Americans visiting the old world and OBJ
serving things With . calm unprejudiced mind,
return to their own country with hearts still
more aglow with pride and patriotism, glad
snd happy TO set their feet once more on the
shores OF country that is the queen among
the lands and without a single peer.
And this thought will impress itself 30 much
more deeply upon our minds when considering
the last query: OF what people art thou?
1t 10 our glory and our pride, and We may add,
one Of our chief causes for Thanksgiving that
in q country like our own, with all the hetero-
geneous elements Of its population merged
into one grand and equal citizenship, that
question OF what people art thou Of what
nationality, Of what religion, has az little
weight in forming an estimate Of ones value
rs tho question what 10 thy Occupation?
Under the glorious banner OF the stars and
stripes the south this day JOINS hands
and hearts with the north, and no
discord o. dissonance disturbs the per-
feet harmony Of common brotherhood.
Under the Ame national emblem the natural
lied German meets the citizen Of French ex-