The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-11-23
RANDUM THOUGHTS
ABOUT THE GREAT AMERICAN
THANKSGIVING DAY.

ABOUT THE GREAT AMERICAN
THANKSGIVING DAY.
Some Reasons Why We All Should
Observe 1t and Give Thanks for
Blessings.
While you are thankful do some
thing to make others thankful.
The darkness Of life is never 80
great but there is some ray OF light
to be thankful for.
Let US be thankful! that most men
are blessed with the righteous desire
to do good and to deal fairly by their
|neighbors.
Thanksgiving is the peoples day;
the day that stands for homo and
happiness: for gratitude and benevo-
lence; for plenty and peace.
As we go back to the old home to
spend Thansgiving Day with father
and mother and sister and brother,
let US have a thankful THANKSGIVING
and a joyous one.
The greatest Of feast days in Amer
lea should be one of rejoicing and
Thanksgiving by all the people. This
is the harvest time for the ingather-
ing Of thanks for the blessings Of the
year.
There are holidays and holidays.
Christmas and New Years are cosmo-
politan-are the property OF no par
ticular people, but yet are joyously
observed by many. But Thanksgiv-
ing is purely an American holiday,
original in conception and growing
from small beginning until 1t has
reached the dignity Of a national
event.
We are thankful for the Thanks
giving bird we chanced to spy, roost-
ing low and on an object near by;
for our good luck and excellent grip
that held him firm with nary slip;
that we made nc miscue In our steal
thy hobble, but wrung his neck ere
he'd time to gobble; SO we've no
cause this day to be cross, since we've
both turkey and cranberry sauce.
In 1853 President Lincoln forever
established Thanksgiving holidays by
proclaiming a day Of Thanksgiving,
his action being promptly followed by
the individual proclamations Of the
governors Of the states, who named
the same day. Since then, by COM
mon consent, the first announcement
Of the day Is found in the president g
proclamation, and the day so named
is also named by the states.
Washington, during his admins
tration issued two Thanksgiving proc
lamations, one in 1889 and the other
in 1875, just after the suppression
or the whisky rebellion" which had
threatened the peace Of the country.
and President Madison issued one
upon the declaration Of peace in
ISIS. However, in the early years OF
the nation the rule was for the CO.
lonial custom to be followed and the
proclamation made emanated from
tho governors.
This is the harvest time for
thanks. True, there have been trials,
calamities in some places, homes de-
stroyed, losses and SORROWS, but TAX
ing the country over our blessings
have been very many and far cut
numbered the dark appalling things
Of life. In spite of many evils there
has been as much of true sympathy,
Of genuine benevolence, Of cordial
spirit, of .brotherly love and good fell
lowship. We can keep \our thanks
giving In the spirit of the scriptural
admonitica. "Be ye thankful"
Thanksgiving day was first estab-
lished In the United States by the
Pilgrims at Plymouth, New England,
replacing Christmas as the great
family festival, and has been gradu-
ally adopted in other parts Of the
country. Congress recommended
days Of Thanksgiving annually dur
ing tho Revolution, and Washington,
In 1889, after the adoption of the
constitution Other days of national
thanksgiving have boon proclaimed,
and since 1858 the last Thursday in
Novem Dor has been annually pro-
claimed by tho president as nation
nj Thanksgiving Day.
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