Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-11-26
MANY RETURN THANKS
PRAISE SERVICES ARE CON
QUOTED LAST EVENING.
Rev. George n. Bennett Delivers
Forceful Sermon Before Large
Congregation att Church.

Unstinted praises for the mercie'
of the past twelvemonth were suns
in Dallas last evening, wher
members of the various protestant de
nominations of the city assembled a
the Evangelical church ITO appropri
ately observe the annual day oi
thanksgiving Thanksgiving, the great
est of American feast days, is usual
ly celebrated by the smaller commu-
mites of the commonwealth by all
denominations joining in a unior
praise service, and this commendable
plan was successfully carried into
effect in this instance. There were
special music and special prayers fol
the service, and the Rev. George FL
Bennett, pastor of the Methodist
church, delivered sermon fitting the
occasion, "The Boon of Altruism,
Peace and Plenty" the burden of
the human cry, being his theme. A
synopsis of his discourse follows:
"Happy thoughts and full stom-
ach are near neighbors. | am sure
this audience is in very amiable
frame ofmind, together with the rest
of the hundred million American peo-
pie, owing to the abundant blessings
a kind providence has bestowed upon
us. While so much of this old world
is torn with war, and is faint with
hunger, and sunk in woe, there still
remains one place where the prayers
and hymns Of praise and thanksgiv-
ing may ascend from happy hearts.
The universal theme of thanksgiving
in song and prayer today in our ia
vored land, has been that Uncle Sam
is ait peace with all the world. For
this happy fact we are most pro-
foundly thankful But American
peace in the midst of world-war is
not accidental. 1t is not due to our
geographical position beyond broad
oceans. 1t is due rather to the wise
and pacific spirit and lofty ideals of
the American people,, and to the su-
perior craftsmanship of our christian
president.
"We are truly thankful for the grace
of patience and patriotism possessed
in such marked degree by Woodrow
Wilson in dealing with Mexico in her
suicidal revolutions. Our small sacri-
fees endured wisely and with patience
have saved us from more costly sacri-
fees in treasure and precious Ameri-
can lives-and today we rejoice in the
dawning of peace and a brighter day
for afflicted Mexico.
"Our president policy has wit
messed the pacification of that suffer-
ing people-an end which might have
been attained by the more costly pol
ley of Intervention and invasion.
Peace without Intervention and its
complications is far better than peace
by Intervention. We rejoice that peace
has come to our sister republic at a
minimum cost to Mexico and ourselves,
and that today the nations of the
western hemisphere are bound togeth-
er by closer ties of confidence and
friendship than ever before.
"We are deeply thankful that the
plea of the ultra-pacifist party in our
country for ''peace at any price"
has been repudiated as dangerous fol-
" in these trying times by the Amer
lean people. "Provide for the COM
hon defense" is written in the pre-
gNble of our CON- altion. 1t is a
saered duty imposed upon every cit
! lT by the constitution. When our
y Ldent urges adequate measures
'Iof6ur national defense, he is only
performing his oath of Office and con-
stitutional duty to his country. And
the citizen who opposes adequate
measures for the common defense is
simply denying the people their right
under the constitution. He is assum-
ing there is no such thing as public
danger of invasion. Such men are
worse than dreamers. They are pub
lie enemies who are playing into the
hands of possible foreign foe, by
lulling us to sleep and stripping us
OF the means of repelling that foe
when the crucial day arrives.
"Peace at any price" is a VIOLA
ton of the constitution which COM
mands "provide for the common de-
fense." 1t is a sacrifice of the in
mate laws of life, liberty and the pur-
suits Of happiness. SO long as any
nation maintains a powerful army
and navy, just so long must we main
tain an army and navy competent to
repel invasion by that nation. Be
cause we are peaceable and unambi-
tious of foreign conquest, we must not
beguile ourselves into believing we are
safe from attack and conquest so long
as ambitious and unscrupulous mon
arch sit on the thrones of armed ma
tions. So long as all the people in
town are honest, we may sleep with
open doors-but when robber comes
to town, every door must be locked.
We are thankful today that Uncle
Sam is wide awake to the necessity
for adequate preparation-not for
foreign conquest, but for home pro-
lection. And We hail with JOY the
signs of the times which point to the
day coming when the spread of de-
and the confederation of ma !
tions will see the final disarmament
of the world.
Chow glad we are today and thank !