The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1917-11-23

to toce, are We to content ourselves
With thanking an all-powerful God
for life and health and plenty
material plenty9 Are We to look
no further than the mere creature
comforts with which he has 30
bountiiuily showered us3
Some may answer. For what
else should We thank Him? Has
not the madness fallen upon ms,
too? Are not our young men
thronging to the sacrifice. and are
NOT our wives and mothers and
sisters and brothers and fathers,
with bleeding hearts. helping them
ON their wayl"
Again. let Us see.
A century and q half has flown
since o band of consecrated men,
with vision that reached out far
into the future. determined that on
this our loved soil should be rear
ed an edifice such as the world had
never before witnessed-a nation
wherein should rein that immortal
trinity of human beatitudes, Free
dom, Equality. Justice. To this
they dedicated unselfsh lives. for
this they fought. and for this they
died. But their lives and their
deaths and their unselfish sacrifices
prevailed, and today that edifice
stands the wonder Of the earth-a
land grounded and built on the
eternal principles that guarantee to
one and all the right to life, lib.
erty and the pursuits Of happiness"
But these benifcent principles
are not all-prevailing. In other
lands are forces that would set
them at naught and make of their
advocates serfs and vassals. 1t is
with these forces that we are now
at variance, as were our fathers
before u.s..
Can we, then, thank an ALL
Father that our fathers left to us an
inheritance of Freedom that we
must now defend with our lives
and our all9
Let us suppose that our hearts
could not feel this gratitude-what
then? Suppose US a people, de-
scended from heroes with whom the
glorious vision of a free earth far
outweighed any thought of self
we. the children of those heroes,
willing, like Esau of old. to barter
our glorous heritage for a mess Of
the pottage Of ease. so our selfish
enjoyment of the creature comforts
be not interfered with.
But what red. blooded American
could entertain the thought?
People of America, let us raise
one mighty shout of gratitude to
Almighty God that when the hour
of our testing came, it found in US
hearts that pulsated with the same
rich red blood that in days agone
tertilized and made sacred the soil
that has nurtured us. Let us give
thanks that the spirit of Is is still
the mighty force in American life.
Let us give thanks that our hearts
can choose rightly between present
ease and future glory. Let us give
thanks that when the hour of our
trial came, it found us worthy to
call ourselves sons of our fathers.
Let us pour out our hearts in graft
tude that upon these hearts has
been indelibly engraved the immu.
table DEGREES of an all-wise God,
DEGREES that would make of this,
His glorious world, haven of
safety for every immortal soul.
And as willingness without op-
portunity is but a negative virtue,
let US give thanks that, when His
plans for the great uplift of man.
kind needed champions. He found
as worthy instruments upon which
to lay His hands.
For this thy greatest of all mer-
cies - that thou has found us
worthy-Father above, we wonld
most humbly thank thee,