Mexico Missouri message., 1900-11-15
Thanksgiving Day.

wonderful century in the history
of mankind. The time is most APP
propriate for reviewing with graft
tude the causes which, under the
blessing of God, have, during the
past 100 years, conspired to give
us the first place among the peo-
pie of the earth.
The fields, mines and orchards
of the commonwealth have album
dainty responded during the past
twelve months to the intelligent
labor of our people.
The countless agencies repre-
scented in shop, factory and store,
for sending our products abroad,
and for bringing, III turn, the re-
sources of other States to ourselves
have been unusually active. A
thousand instrumentalities, from
day to day, make every home the
center of comfort and plenty. All
the complex activities of commerce
united to place every person into
corresponding relations with all
the world has to offer for food, raj
ment and for shelter.
But better and higher than all
the ministries which supply the
physical necessities of the people,
we should recognize with profound
gratitude the constant and varied
increase of the blessings which
satisfy the hunger of the heart,
the mind and the spirit.
The parental providence of faith
er and mother more and more tend
to mirror the safeguarding provi-
dence of our Heavenly Father, and
this is followed by the increase of
filial tenderness and devotion, and
also by the enlargement of the
confiding affection which binds to-
gether the hearts of brothers and
sisters.
We should remember with deep
thanksgiving the growing DISPOSE
ton on the part of those who have
been fortunate i'll the accumulation
of great wealth, to establish insti,
tutions, the object of which is to
give to the whole people, in high
err forms, the riches they have Sc
cured by toll and self-sacrifce.
The money they acquire by the
application of intelligence and
skill to the raw material furnished
by the bountics of nature they use
to feed the common mind, thru
institutions of learning, thru pub
lie libraries and thru galleries of
art. The culture, the high ideals
and the noble aspirations fostered
by such public institutions, tend
infinitely more to enrich a State
than more eXpanse of territory, or
vast material wealth, unwisely
boarded for selfish ends.
With science, learning, art and
religion pouring their soft and
mellowing light upon the lives of
all our people, abundant scope
and opportunity will be furnished
for the development, not only of
the richest country the world ever
saw, but also for the fullest growth
of the wisest ana most humane.
That citizens of our State within
the past year have given to the
cause of education amounts of
such magnitude as to excite the
attention of the world, is cause
sufficient to thrill the hearts of our
people.
We should remember with pro-
found gratitude that we have been
preserved from great loss by fire,
or flood or storm, and that our
people have responded with hearty
ananimity to The calls for help
which have come to us from see
tions of the country that have suf-
fered.
Therefore, | proclaim Thursday,
the Doth day of November, 1900,
a day of general and public thanks
giving, recommending that the
people of this State suspend their
secular avocations and assemble in
their respective places of worship
and render grateful offerings of
praise to the bountiful Giver of all
good, with devout supplication for
His abiding favor and protecting
care. In these services charitable
consideration for the poor and
sympathy for the sorrowing will