Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-12-25
THURSDAY, DEC. %, 1902.
"MERRIE CHRISTMAS"

With full hoart--full Of gratitude
for the year that IS passing and Of
hope for the many years that are-we
trust, coming to it, the Democrat cN-
tends to all its readers congratulations
and renewed vows Of future service to
their interests and their welfare.
The holiday season makes this mat.
ter Of proprIety on our part We are
at the close Of year in which tho sun
has shone, and the carly and later
rains have fallen upon u.s. with the rc.
suit that bounteous crops are ours, ana
the earth has yielded to the industry
and the wit Of man the product Of her
mines, and caverns Of wealth and hid.
den storchouscs, in lavish profusion.
The Great and Good Ordaner and
Providcr Of all things surely has dealt
kindly with the children of men in the
year that Is past, If in the outcome
Of H. all there is aught Of inequality in
the distribution Of His bounty, or Of
folly In The use OF His gifts this *
the doing Of man, aud IN no wise les
sens our debt Of gratitude for the good
things which were ours to enjoy, II
our wisdom In dealing with them had
been equal TO tho boncliccncc of the
Giycr.
This Is season when, so far as our
people arc concerned, there Is, literally
peace on earth and good win toward
men. We desire to make It equally so
with our ncighbors and with our enc
mics, II we have any.
We have conceived 1t to bc a part
OF our duty. as in some sense director
of public opinion, to crltiCisc, and
upon proper occasions to praise or con
denim, tho acts and conduct Of our fcl-
low,men in matters Of concern to the
commonwealth. of which all are mem
bers, and In the affairs Of which all
must bv In common gamers or losers,
according us Its affairs are well or Ill
administered by It's servants. We have
done this without fear, but from no
spirit or habit Of consciousness or
faulthndlng And If IN aught we have
erred in this respect, the error has
been Of the head aud not Of the heart,
mn error Of Judgment and not Of motive
or purpose.
Hut today In quite another mood, we
gladly cast off the mantle of the cen
sor and drop the sword Of public iudg-
mont, ana join IN the FESTIVE joys ot
the occasion, all rorgctruI Of the rival
rles and competitions Of other times
and hopeful that the season, In all its
peaceful intcudmcnt, may make IT.
blessed influence felt IN the days thar
are to como, ana long artcr 1t shall have
gone into the dusl,y twilight OF mem
ories
In the golden age Of Greece, one
spot-thc little island Of Dclos, wae
consccratcd TO everlasting peace No
mailed hnnd could knock at it, trmpl,.
doors; no shield or bucklcr could pro
fame its groves; no warliIr Dwnpcl
could start the crlrocs Of ils .Norr&
Al our land ought to he equally au
cred to the Divinity Of peace, Il the
lessons of this day ure taken by Us to
heart, by us transmitted to those who
nre to come after us, and by ~ proIccl-
cd into future history, IN the spirit of
the hour this blessed contamination
may bc-not indeed ours, but our coun-
uy's In the hereafter and our poster
fly may look with wonder in some
museum Of their Time upon a cannon,
whose bwHru tongue shall then be all
the more eloquent for It's long dsusc
OF the stern language Of the battle field,
nnd may listen to the story Of hostile
nayics, grateful that it belongs to an
almost forgotten age.
We rejoice in "Mcrrie Christmas" not
less than did our fathers before us, and
we hail 1t ms the prcsagc Of future in
finitely more laden with hope than to
them would have been possible.