The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-11-27
CITIZEN enters
Strong PROTEST
BELIEVES THAT IT is UN-
PATRIOTIC AND WRONG FOR
THE CHURCHES OF THE
CITY TO REMAIN CLOSED. ON
THANKSGIVING DAY.

To The Forum: Please allow me
space in your valuable paper, to enter
a protest, an an American citizen, to
the action Of our churches with refer
ence to Thanksgiving day.
When and where do we know of any
Thanksgiving days, set aside by any
body of people? Fol one moment let
us turn back to the pages of history,
and what do we find? We find the
feast of Thanksgiving lasted during
one phrase of the moon, called the
harvest home festival, which accord
ing to Jewish historians was called the
feast of tabernacles.
viii the readers Of this article, open
their Bibles and read the first chapter
Of Ella? So the joys and feasts of
Thanksgiving were handed down to
u puritan fathers.
Then turn to our own beloved hist
DRY, when the pilgrims seeking a
heaven, or a place of rest from
persecution of their religious beliefs,
sought the shores of q new found
country, where it's streams and forests,
were Astounding in fish and game, and
where they could worship God accord
ing to the dictates of their conscious
ness.
William Bradford, the leader of the
ifty-five survivors of the MayfoWer,
followed the proclamation of Moses the
law -giver, to invite the stranger with
in the gates. So he invited ninety
and one strangers, one being Indian
Chief Massasoit, and ninety of his
braves, and from there it was handed
down to their children.
/ Until our most beloved president, A.
Lincoln, after he had steered the ship
of state, through the most trying
period of u country's history, in
1864, issued his proclamation, calling
on the people of this country, to as
semble themselves in their various
churches, to give thanks and sing
praises to our God, Great Jevoah, for
his goodness, and his mighty deliver
ance Of the people of these United
States.
Since Lincoln, every president has
issued his respective proclamation,
calling on the people to gather in their
several houses of worships to render
thanks to a grateful God for his
bounties.
In the year 1912 President Taft, and
Governor Burke of our own state, is
sued their proclamations, calling on
the citizens everywhere, to gather to-
gether in their respective churches, to
give thanks and praise to the AIl-Wise
father for his bountiful goodness to
us during the past year.
Then ii became q matter of history
in the city of Fargo, for the pastors of
the Protestant Evangelical churches
to say no. No, but we will hold a
union service in one of our churches
on Wednesday night instead.
A little more of your valuable space,
DR.. Schutter, president Of the civic
commission found his greatest argu-
ment in law enforcement, for the clean
up and the uplift of the moral tone Of
our city. He called attention tt the
lynching held at Dawson, a result of
the d~isrespect of the country lays by
her citizens.
DR.. Creegan, the toast-master of the
evening, said that he could not prom
Use the parents OF the boys and girls
who come to school here for two or
three years, to return them to their
homes as morally clean as when they
came, under existing conditions.
All of the show houses, all of the
pool rooms, will be running wide open,
and the saloons over In Moorhead,
with an extra crew for Thanksgiving.
All of u churches closed, closed, and
our minister, and our people sitting
at home in their easy chairs, thank
ing God that they are not like the
poor devil that is going down under
the mighty influences that tend to
drag our young men down.
/ protest that 1t is unpatriotic. 1t
shows d~isrespect for our president and
governor. 1t is a slur upon a time
honored custom. 1t gives the devil all
OF the show that it is possible to give,
and I hope before another year rolls
around our preachers will, by the
| grace of God, have seen their mistake.
/ do this o in the spirit of fault
finding, but for the love of my country,
love Of home. and the hope OF our
young men.
Your fellow citizen,
e. George Thompson.