Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-11-22
THE NATIONS
THANKSGIVING

The people of the United States cele-
brate Thanksgiving day with more and
more accord every year. Indeed. one
might say they have more and more
hemmed i'm between "A Wilderness and
the sea, watched their doubtful crops
in anxious memories of other years of
famine. When they found that once
more there was fish enough and pork
enough me corn M beans and pump
kins and squashes turnips enough
to carry them through the winter they
met to thank God, knowing fun we'll
how many hazards they had passed
through. for those days as compared
with today We're days or pinching pow
erty. The New England historian, Dr..
Palfiey. says, with a certain drNness,
which shows probably some personal
preferences, Baked beans point to the
time when it was desirable to make
the most of the ommonest vegetable
by flavoring il with the flesh of the
commonest animal"
All this is happily changed. For the
world, indeed, the old peril of famine
is we'll nigh forgotten. And why? The
American of today gives thanks that
famine is we'll nigh impossible.
First of all, he remembers that he is
no longer dependent on the crops of a
few hundred square miles or the fish
ing voyaSe of a single summer. Thanks
to the providence of God as it has
worked in history and TO the work Of
brave men who believed they were chill
dren of God, the petty colonies which
were thus described are now one nation.
OF that nation the meanest citizen, h
most foolish. the weakest n the poor
est has every right and privilege before
the law which belongs to the strongest,
the richest and the wisest, though he
We're born in the purple of luxury. To
the Widows son of the poorest citizen
of that nation, then, there will come his
daily bread in answer to his daily
! prayer, though it come from the milling
of California wheat or be the salmon
caught at the falls Of the Spokane, with
out let or hindrance from any power on
earth. If there is food in plenty i'm one
region, as by the fall of an avalanche
down a mountain, it will certainly seek
consumption in another region. And
this the American boy and girl owe to
\ the good Providence II to the brave
men who made this country one and
hav kept it one.
1t is too much the blindness of or,
time to speak as if such "a simple bust
ness as Caily food came to US as a mat.
ter of curse There is, indeed, Il care
less habit in which Americans often
speak, as If. because they are .Ameri.
cans. they have everything without 50
much as asking for it. Fourth of july
orators and street corner ~braggartt
alike talk of the natural products OF
this country almost in the tone of the
emigrants who expect to pick mp q
donbloon upon the sidewalk. One is
tempted to ask such braggarts why the
country did not produce such wealth
100 years ago or 900 years ago. Why
WAS Dakota then q desert? Why were
the hills of Alabama only n hiding
place for a few thousand Creek In
dams: Why did they not forge the iron
under their feet? Why did not the Iro
uuois in western New York pick from
their trees the peaches and the pear!
such as have been growing there tli:
autumn?
The answer is this: All the wealth o.
America comes to her from the work %
her men and women. The victor.
which yields it is their victory. 1t i!
the victory of spirit conquering matter
1t comes in the daily miracle OF dali.
life, where children of God, led by Tod
taught by God, alive in his life and fel
low workmen with him, carry out nj
designs and subdue the earth. 1t il
neither sensible nor grateful to speak o
teem;ng granaries. of increasing trade
of new mines. of oil, Of iron or of ga
as if these things We're wealth in them
selves. They are only wealth wllel
man strikes the rock and it's water
flow. And this man must he not TIL
savage man who cares only for his owl
child of God. seeking a future bette
than today, determined to bring in
nobler age than that which he lives III