Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-28
Thanksgiving Day.


Tomorrow will be the day set apar
by the president Of the United State,
and the Governor of the State of Wash
ington rs day of National thanks
giving and prayer, for the many bene
fits and blessings vouchsafed to u.
during the year that has past and gone
The mere mention of the word Thanks
giving Day has a power TO revive tht
pleasantest memories and recall the
brightest scenes of other days in many
hearts, Every image of peace, con.
tentment, competence, abundance anC
JOY comes back TO each of us on the
return of this national festival Many
of our people wrongly imagine it to be
a day of Thanksgiving for material,
rather than spiritual, blessings. The
origin of the day was with a people
who were eXiles from their native land
for the sake of religious truth aud
liberty-a people who gave a soul to
the widely scattered colonies of the
western hemisphere who were at that
time mere babes in English long clothes.
There was great scarcity Of food in
the little colony that settled on Mass
achusetts Bay they were threatened
with actual famine. The future looked
dark and ominous to them, although
they were brave, god-fearing people,
and their anxiety grew very keen for
all that, not knowing where to turn for
earthly aid. Ii was the wont of those
early prilgrims to turn to God in times
Of need and the elders decided that a
special day be set aside for fasting and
prayer: Before the day arrived, how
ever, their long expected boat hove in
sight and the day set aside for fast
irg and prayer was transformed into
one Of good cheer and general thanks
giving. White this was the first gem
eral thanksgiving day of which we have
any record, it was by no means the
''act. VI osNi a tcIitNlN llJN SUI
cessive presidents and governors have
set apart days for special thanksgiving
for some propitious event in the ma
ton : lie until ii has become the Gus
tom. for Jhe president TO each year
name day usually the last Thursday
in Novomber-on which the people, in
their places of religious worship and
in their homes, meet together with
more reason and occasion for gratitude
chan has any other nation on the face
OF the earth. 1t is 4 day of rejoicing
as well as thanksgiving, day that
rich and poor alike can spend as they
will.
1t mas been said taking the world al
together, it never has more than about
= 1''-' '>7''- El'o' ~~ovisior az Grain in it's
garner. The failure of Il single har-
vest all over the world would depop-
u!ate the earth, so it seems to be evil
dent that God does not intend that
men should be independent of him.
He feeds them from time to time as
they may need. He does so by the
continual recurring succession of seed
time and harvest. Gods provision for
men has never ceased TO be a fact.
Harvests have failed here and there;
droughts have oppressed in this place
and that, but take it altogether, seed
time and harvest thus far have not
failed At all events, they have never
failed 10 such an extent that the pro-
visions accumulated in The world
storehOuse have not been sufficient to
tide over. Man table has been spread
with abundance and his larder has been
kept well filled; the problem which is
being considered and discussed more
than any other in this generation is the
proper distribution OF this abundance.
The feeling is widespread that it isn't
apportioned. Ii is charged
that while the banquet of life is bounti-
fully spread and that while all men
should be partakers, the real fact is
that one man gorges himself while a
dozen OF his fellows cannot even Sc
cure places at the table Now be this
true or be it false it must be borne in
mind that the real problem of life is
GLOW TO properly distribute Gods
bounty, and the first condition is that
all men shall recognize that the good
things OF life ARE Gods bounty.
Abraham Lincoln once said that
nothing 1t ever settled until it is set
tied right and only when men fully
realize that they are all alike children
seated at their Father table will they
cease to snatch, and begin each to
serve the other before himself.
Wheat Lands