The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-24
PLENTY OF REASONS FOR A
CHEERFUL CHRISTMAS

If, as the philosophers tell us, We
know pleasure and pain by contrast
and the rule holds good between
nations, as in the case of individu-
ais, we of America should enjoy
with an added zest the Christmas OF
1914 whose eve dawned so brightly
today. Our mother lands across the
sea are plunged in such sorrow and
agony as they never knew before,
not even during the darkest of the
Dark Ages, and Death broods like a
visible horror over nearly the whole
of Europe, taking it's most terrible
and repulsive form-wide-spread,
pitiless war between civilized men
armed with the most effective in
struments of slaughter that human
ingenuity has been able to devise.
Crushed like child caught in a
collision of enraged giants, whole
nation over there lies bleeding,
helpless and starving, it's homes
in ruins, it's fields mere waste places
furrowed with new-made graves, it's
cities largely destroyed and it's men,
women and children, dazed by the
stupendous horror of their calamity,
heartbroken mendicants kneeling
before the world, begging for
enough food and shelter to keep
body and soul together. The GEN.
turtles have heard no more prolon ged
or piteous wall than that of ruined
Belgium, but few months since a
busy, contented little country Of
100000 people among whom peace
and plenty dwelt. now the Niobe Of
nations, kneelimg wan, haggard and
starving, clad in rags, amid desola-
ton unspeakable and fallen with
out a crime" Differing itself in
the degree of the suffering, the ma
lions around her lie weltering in
blood, writing with each other for
the mastery like monster beasts Of
prey, and there is no end in sight
to the reign Of hell all over Europe.
But contrast with this widespread
war and ruin, this nightmare Of hor-
rors brooding over half the world,
our own great country, never so
great as now, knowing only peace
through all her borders;. and, while
the paralysis Of Europe has hurt
both our commerce and industries,
our trouble are trivial compared with
those that have come upon hundreds
of millions as good and deserving in
the sight of God as we. BY the
sheer force of the contrast we should
be shamed into thanksgiving on
this eve of an anniversary that
makes us remember the Prince of
Peace and all the beautiful teach
ings of His life and words. We have
less to complain of than any people
in the world. The sum of our pros
perity right now is greater than that
of any other nation on the earth;
and while there are men out OF
work and families in distress, the
so-called hard times of today are not
nearly so hard as they have been
repeatedly within the memory of
men not yet past the prime of life.
We are so much better off than the
rest of mankind, so much more
abundant in the resources and as
sets that make prosperity and that
are now rapidly recovering from the
shock of world war that came
without warning in a night, that
We have every reason to make this
a cheerful if not merry Christmas.
The croakers may croak and the
grouches may crouch, for tbs
their nature to" and they prefer IL
to any other form of enjoyment, as
1t costs nothing and involves nc
sacrifice of time, labor or money on
their part in contributing to the
happiness of others, but these great
United States of America are strict.
ly all right, and by the consensus OF
opinion among our biggest and wis
est business men, our captains OF
commerce and industry and our
shrewdest thinkers into economic
causes and effects, we have passed
the worst places in the road and the
year ahead of us is going to show a
steadily rising tide of prosperity.
There isn't reason in the world
why it shouldn't. There is neither
panic nor near-panic in the land.
Our banks are full of money to be
had on reasonable terms. Our crops
were never more abundant, and the
very misfortunes Of our kin across
the ocean are contributing to our