Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-24

to every part of the English speaking
world.
Much of the old narrow purltanism
has been obliterated. 1t is one Of the
things most worthy of consideration
that the spirit of thankfulness to God
the giver, gratitude to a supreme in
telligence ruling with infinite love,
and infinite wisdom, as eXemplifed by
our puritan forefathers still prevails.
Through all the cavil, and socalled
liberalism of latter day free thinking
voicing the intrusive cry of ''liberty of
thought, ''liberty of Speech" which
means license, and persecution the
old reverence for religion remains.
The belief in personal God, and life
everlasting is as mistaken as the
mountains, and enduring as the shares
of the new world sought as refuge
where those beliefs might be enjoyed
unassalled.
What have we to be thankful for?
What have we not to be thankful for?
Through famine and cold, through
the heat of battles, and pestilence,
through panic from fratricidal foes, and
foreign oppression the country has
grown and prospered, alien enemies
have sworn allegiance and gather round
our hearthstones in glad Thanksgiving.
The words slavery and oppression are
not written, like the mark of Cain on
the brow of the laborer There are
strikes to be sure, and bitter feuds en-
gender between capital and labor, but
capital grows more considerate for the
red handed sons of toll, as they in turn
learn the values of money, and by the
same rule as the capitalists invests his
money to bring the larger profits, will
each wage Garner look for investments
that pay the biggest per cent.
Free schools, universities, Academys
of science, public libraries, and expert
mental stations take the place of the
little log school house of a century ago.
The primitive wilderness and the un-
broken prairies vie with mines of gold,
silver, copper, and iron to fill our Golfers.
No more need we bring fruit from
France or Spain nor perfumes from
Arabia. No more need foreign looms
mark our textures. Inventors and
artists clasps hands with skilled work
man, and from the farm, the mine, the
forests, from all nature animate and
inanimate, from land and sea wrest
tribute for the sons and daughters OF
America.
Electricity penetrates the darkest
caverns and lights up the most inaccess-
ible places having power almost in
finite. We control it by touch of the
finger and guide it by silken cold.
In religion, the corner stone of our
grand republic, Catholic and Protest
ant, Calvanist and Liberalist meet on
common ground in most christian
fellowship to advance the federation of
the world for God and Gods humani-
| ties.
4
Woman stands side by side with her
| brother in all things that tend toward
ennobllng the race. tits womans age
and this nation more than any other
in all the world, has made it SO. The
'uncrowned queen Of American demo
cracy" are welcomed to our Mother
Country by crowned heads and royal
hands, with no thought on either side
of condesencion or pride.
The sons and daughters of our insti.
tutions are eagerly sought for, and
given generous recognition from pole
to pole. All this and more gives s
peculiar and happy significance tc
Thanksgiving day.
This city has entered upon an era o
prosperity. Business has been better
than for long time. Manufactures
are all running full forces, and en-
larging their capacity for work almos