Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-30
THANKS WITH some RESERVE
Governor Poynter Introduces a Ghost
at the Feast,
FIRST PROCLAMATION IN NEBRASKA
some Early Observnnccs of the Day
on the American ContIncnt-Mns-
snchusctts Pilgrims Were
Not thc First.

Not tkc First
| LINCOLN. Nov 29.-(special.) There
appears to be only one instance on record
where a governor of state has expressed
fear in Thanksgiving proclamation that
the exalted mission of the republic and the
government would be forgotten by the reo-
! pie.
For nearly a century Thanksgiving day has
been observed in America and 1t has been
the custom OF the people to meet in their
4 places of worship on these days and give
thanks for the good things in the world, for
| the advancement of civilization and for His
many blessings and tender -mercies. The
procamations issued by the governors OF
! the various states this year set forth in
! glowing terms why thanks should be given,
! but Governor Poynter is fearful lest the
fundamental principles of the government
shall be forgotten and he embodes this
thought in his proclamation to the people of
Nebraska in the following words:
acknowledging with grateful hearts His
guiding hand in our growth to our present
greatness, let US seek His aid lest we be-
come proud and lust of power cause us to
forget the exalted mission of the republic
and a government OF the people, by the peo-
| PIE anu lOT lUt ptuple, ptllSu llOui luS
! earth"
In explaining his proclamation Governor
Poynter said that he was prompted to use
this expression by the tendency manifested
! in the writings OF many able men who advo-
cate a colonial policy and large standing
! army, either of which he holds to be con-
trary to the fundamental idea of the repub-
lie, but he has not explained what this has
| to do with the giving of thanks on Thanks
| giving day
Day American, but Custom Old.
After the close of the revolution move
ment was begun to make Thanksgiving day
| a regular holiday or festival and Governor
John Jay of New York in 1895 issued proc
| lamation designating such day. This act
| was said to be a political move and it was
not repeated until several years later The
criticism offered was that Governor Jay ap-
peaed to the religious prejudices Of the peo-
pie for his own political gain. The records
do not show that he embodied in his proc
lamation anything of political nature.
Thanksgiving day rs an annual festival
| is an American institution but the idea OF
appointing special days for the giving of
thanks is as old as the human race. Under
the Hebrew dispensation the seventh day
after the annual harvests was observed as
that in the early days of New England set
Elements day was set apart each year for
fasting and prayer because OF the many sor-
rows and calamities inflicted upon the peo
pie and the same tradition has it that the
day was changed to one of thanksgiving be-
| cause CT the few good things that had been
bestowed upon the people This story Is
| given little credit by historians, and it GER
| tainly is not based on the early New Eng
land records.
| The first thanksgiving services held in
| North America were conducted by an Eng
! lish minister by the name of Wolfall on the
shores of Newfoundland in 1878 The rec
ords of this event show that on that day
orders were issued banishing card playing,
dice, swearing and filthy communications
and that it was agreed by the people of the
colony to serve God twice a day with the or
binary services of the Church Of Engnald.
| The first thanksgiving services in the
present territory of the United States were
held in 1907 by the Popham colony, set
tlement at Sagadahoc, on the coast of Maine.
The following quaint record of this event
has been found
"Sundaye being the 9th of August in the
morninge the most part of our hole COM
pany of both our ships landed on this island
the which we called st. Georges island,
heard sermon delivered unto us by our
preacher giving God thanks for our happy
meetinge and safe aryvall into the country
and so returned aboard again"
| These services were held fourteen years
before the landing of the Pilgrims at Ply
mouth and three months after the landing
OF the company at jamestown in Virginia.
On the same day was held the first popu
lar election that took place in the territory
of the United States and the first officers
to govern an American commonwealth were
| chosen.
First of Pilgrim Services.
In 1921, fourteen years later. the Pilgrims
held their first Thanksgiving services in the
autumn following their arrival. The fruits
of the harvest had been gathered in, God
had bestowed His blessing upon their labors
and it was decided to have a feast of
THANKSGIVING Historians differ as to
whether Governor Bradford sent out his
famous fowling expedition this year or two
years later, and there appears to have been
no record kept OF the number of turkeys
consumed on that day. Venison was abund
ant in those times, and 1t Is presumed that
1t was as characteristic of Thanksgiving day
as turkey has been in the later years of
the twentieth century. The people gave
themselves up to recreation and the great
for three days.
History mentions no day of thanksgiving
in the year 1922 but in the following year
Governor Bradford appointed a day for
thanksgiving, not as harvest festival, but
because OF the arrival OF some provisions
from England No other days of thanksglv-
ing at Plymouth were recorded for over half
a century. Distinct religious societies may
have observed such day annually but there
is no record of any official proclamat!ons be-
ing issued. From 1861 until the revolution
thanksgiving days were appointed each year
and sometimes twice a year. Some of these
were appointed by the royal governors some
by the king or queen of England and some
by the home Board of Trade. On numerous
occasions the people were ordered to be
thankful when an heir to the throne was ex-
nected
The Massachusetts general court, under
date of Thursday December 10, 1888, Issued
the following proclamation