The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-26
Thanksgiving Day.

Tomorrow is lnanKSSlNllS LAY, LTdul-
tionally a home day, day for family re-
unions, to bring all the living members
again under the roof-tree; to secure the
rapprochement of alienated members. And
1t is additionally a day with a religious
element in it, a binding back to the reli-
gious influences Of childhood; day upon
which to recognize the fact of the Supreme
Creator, actively governing the universe,
and in divine personality caring for his
creation from the highest to the lowest
form Of it's redundant life.
There will be in the public assemblies
tomorrow, discourses delivered, both opti-
mistic and pessimistic, for usually the
clergynen make the national status and
national outlook the theme upon which
they speak.
Generally the optimistic discourse pre-
walls with due f1avoring of precaution-
airy warning, the latter certainly being
commendable. The late DR.. Oliver Wen
dell Holmes once said: II find the great
thing in this world is not so much where
we stand, as in what direction we are
moving This is a potential suggestion,
embodying a true philosophy of life. Thus,
while it is proper to point with pride"
to our great national uplift in wealth,
prosperity, Importance among the nations
Of the world, our material and intellectual
achievements, it is a necessary, pruden-
tial question to ask, TN what direction
are we moving?' Extreme champions of
evolution like Benjamin Kidd, insist that
under the law of evolution the world is
irresistibly advancing to betterment of
social conditions; to perfection, indeed,
and we may give ourselves no concern
about the future. This doctrine is flaw
ored with fatalism. the oriental Karma
and Kismet. Men are like chips helpless
~ borne upon swift, answering current.
Tyndall and Haekel advance the same
. ideas. Our ''life cells are continually
working toward perfection in a mechanical
way. But when, from the national stand
point. it is asked. I'm what direction are
we moving?' it must be admitted that as
nation we are moving just whittier the
men and women composing the nation are
moving. The character of nation is not
made by an memorable resistless force,
but by the choice and action Of the indiv-
iduals, choosing between the rightness
and wrongness of things, as set forth in
mans consciousness Of moral obligation.
universally prevalent. The people and
nation who ignore the moral consciousness
which. leads to consciousness of God, are
in very bad way and are going in a di-
rection which leads to moral chaos and ma
t1onal decrepitude. 1t is necessary for
this nation to turn aside occasionally and
take an account Of its stock Of morality
on hand The purely commercial idea,
the dominance Of the absorbing passion
for money getting, together with the ire
mendous growth of self Indulgence and
political corruption are features of the
present, which present matter for serious
Consideration. There is, it is true, much
philanthropy and social betterment en-
deavor to set off against the darker phase
of the situation, but the shadows remain
: The single vision Of mans inhumanity to
4 man in the 4S0 square miles of the anthra-
cite mining region is sample of a moral
arottenness which cannot be disguised by
miles of statistics showing what a great
and rich people we are