The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-11-19
THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION.
President Roosevelt Names Nov. 70
as Day to Give Thanks.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLA-

STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLA-
NATION.
"Once again the season is at hand,
when, according to the ancient custom
of our people, it becomes the duty of
the president to appoint day of prayer
and of thanksgiving to God.
"Year by year, this nation grows in
strength and worldly power. During
the century and quarter that has
elapsed since our entry into the circle
of independent peoples, we have grown
and prospered in material things to a
degree never known before and not
now known in any other country. The
thirteen colonies which struggled along
the sea coast Of the Atlantic and were
hemmed in but few miles west of tide
water by the Indian haunted wilder
ness, have been transformed into the
mightiest republic which the world has
ever seen. It's domains stretch across
the continent from one to the other of
the two greatest oceans and it exer-
cises dominion alike in the Arctic and
tropic realms. The growth in wealth
growth in territory. Nowhere else in
Ou0 WoTlo 10 Uu0 dtOIdHo VI luultluudl
comfort and material we'll being as high
as in our fortunate land.
"For the very reason that in material
we'll being we have thus abounded, we
owe to the Almighty to show equal pro-
gress in moral and spiritual things
With nation as with the individuals
who make up nation, material well
being is an Indispensable foundation
But the foundation avails nothing by
itself. That life is wasted and worse
than wasted which is spent in piling
heap on heap, those things which minis.
ter merely to the pleasure of the body
and to the power that rests only on
wealth. Upon material we'll being as a
foundation, must be raised the struc
ture of the lofty life of the spirit, if this
nation is properly to fulfill it's great
mission and to accomplish all that we
SO ardently hope and desire. The
things of the body are good; the things
of the intellect better: but the best O
all are the things of the soul; for in the
nation as in the individual in the long
run, it is character that counts. Lei
us, therefore, as people, set our face,
against evil, and with broad charity
with kindness and good will TOWARD
all men. but with unfiinching determin
alton to smite down wrong, strive will
all the strength that is given US To-
righteousness in public and private life
"Now, therefore, l, Theodore Roose
welt, president of the United States, d.
set apart Thursday, the Goth day O
November, next, as day of genera
Thanksgiving and prayer, and on tina
day recommend that the people shal
cease from their daily work and in thei
homes or their churches meet devoutl
to thank the Almighty for the many an
great blessings they have received i
the past, and to pray that they may
given strength so to order their live
as to deserve continuation of thes
blessings in the future.
"In witness thereof, have hereunt
set my hand and caused the seal of tn
United States to be affixed.
"Done at the City of Washington, thi
thirty-tirst day of October. in the yea
of our Lord, one thousand nine hundre
and eight, and of the independence
the United States the one hundred an
thirtythird.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
by the president, Alvey A. Ade'
acting secretary of state