The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
A MERRY CHRISTMAS.

10 all the host OF its readers THE CALL
wishes merry Christmas. 1t sends forth
an edition of extra size, interest and
beauty to add what 1t can to the gladness
of every home to which it comes 1t ex-
presses more than the sentiment of itself
alone. Never did it more truly ''speak for
al" than it does this morning, when it
comes to the people with words of cheer
and joy, conveying all the thousand feel
lngs of kindliness that are summed up for
Us in the salutation of the day-'Merry
Christmas"
The world is better than it was when we
celebrated this festival last year. It is not
only richer and more prosperous, but its
prospects of the coming of ''peace on
earth" are brighter than ever before. 1t
is true that in the world beyond the
borders of our country there still are cru
elites of war and outrages against hu-
manity, but even over the lands where
these dread deeds are being done there
dawns with this day the hope of a near
attainment of peace and the tablish-
ment of that law whose foundations are
justice, and the keystone of whose arch
is love.
Europe looks upon Armenia and we
regard Cuba with a more resolute de-
termination to put an end to the cruel
expressions which are crushing them.
The songs of peace and love sung in our
churches to-day will increase in US the
fervor of our hostility to tyranny and
wrong, and out of the Joy of the festival
there will come an added strength to the
popular sentiment in favor of using all
he nf cixyiI aff
of the earth to redeem the world as far as
possible from the barbarisms that now
wage savage warfare against every interest
of man.
1t is no idle dream that we may yet ac-
complish through the right exercise of our
great power among the nations of the
earth an influence which will be helpful
to every people that needs help. 1t is not
for war, but for peace, that we have armed
ourselves and made our strong Republic
ready for the performance of every duty
which her own destiny or the cause of hu-
manity may impose upon her. We are
nearer to a permanent peace this Christ
mas than last because we are better fitted
to compel it, and in the might OF our mill
tary and naval ornaments, therefore, as
well as in the beauty and holiness of our
churches. we feel conscious that we have
drawn nearer to all which we hope for in
the celebration OF our Christmas day.
Turning from the bloodstained fields
and ruined homes of Armenia and Cuba to
regard the conditions of our own land, We
find innumerable evidences of approach
ing prosperity to all classes of our people.
1t has become with us a commonplace to
say that we are about to enter upon new
era of prosperity. The dawn of that era
has already begun to shed its Frightening
rays over the land, and all who look up
ward and forward are gladdened by the
sight of them.
1t is not material prosperity, however,
in which we rejoice most to-day. This
festival is a celebration of the heart. Its
joys are those which emanate from pure
and unselfsh feelings. It's glao ness is
that which comes to us from the con-
sciousness that along with this increasing
wealth there comes also an increasing de-
velopment OF fraternal and kindly feeling
between man and man.
The close of the long struggle between
labor and capi tai, the end of personal an
tagonisms among citizens, and the cessa-
tAoA VI pTeIuulceS anu rlValrleS DetWeen
the people of one region and those of
another are still afar off. Nevertheless
we are nearer to them than ever before in
the worlds history. We are growing
more and more to appreciate and value
the true spirit of the philosophy of Him
whose birthday we celebrate. 1t is to-
ward these things our deeper thoughts
will tend to-day, and they will add much
to the fervor and the earnestness with
which we will greet our friends with the
wish for "a merry Christmas"