The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-11-29
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER %, 1917.
THANKSGIVING, 1917.

Cl0Se your eyes anu IiotulV, II
YOU can, old Governor William
Bradford back in Plymouth Bay
today. and in attendance at the.
Thanksgiving church services at
IL a. M, eastern time. Try to
think what that stalwart old 'clt,-
zen would say. if Boston news
paper reporter stopped him on
the way to inquire what he was
most thankful for.
We guess the old governor
would rest his rifle on The
ground, tell the women folks to
hurry along 50 that they would
not be late. aud turning to the
young man with the notebook.
would say something like this:
well. son, | am not much al
a talkcr, as you know. People
talked less and worked more IN
my time. OF course, there have
been d good many changes since
] started this Thank Sgivlng bust
ness in the colony 296 years ago.
Perhaps the world has improved
since then. as some people say,
but ! am not sure. When ! see
what is going on across the ocean
I wonder sometimes whether
things could be worse. We old
timers struggled pretty hard to
make This country Il place where
honest men and women could
work aud live III peace and sccur-
ity, worship God as their con-
sciences told them, govern them
selves as a free people aud ENJOY
the rights of human liberty. We
succeeded. too. but unless YOU
people of today gel busy, The lol
NAV have Ia be done all over
What have ] to be thankful for!
Well, YOU might run over the isl
of things that We old puritan>
stood for and established in This
country. and if you think then
Of value. say that am Thankful
il there is still Il desire and vii
on the part Of the people to cher
i>h. maintain, and better yet. Il
fight for them Now. don't mis-
quote me, and don't put this tall
M in The big headlines that ar
new since my time. All, here
comes Captain Standi>h. ! vii
walk on With him. \ pleasan
Thanks giving to YOU.
Yes. we may rejoice and b.
thankful that there is still will
us survival Of the flaming
spirit Of our Puritan ancestors
We may we'll thank God for til
inheritance from these men VIII
gave up home, fortune, station t
take their chances in a wilder
ness of sayagcs rather than aban
don by iot or title their rigl
to the fruits Of human freedom
''thc free donation Of the cterni
God when he made us to be men.
1t is that torch of the King
killing roundheads of the reign {
Charles the First, handed dow
by successive generations .
fighting. liberty flowing Amer
cans that is leading Us OH in thl
worlds greatest struggle for tn
preservation OF all things wort
having. Let us be thankful hi
day that its flame burns With tn
old light Lei us be thankful ths
il leads Us. as it led lIampde
and pyn. Roger Williams, an
Washington and Lincoln, and til
purilanS, the Catholics. the Quad,
cr> and The iluguenotS, VIII
came to make u home FOR the OF
pressed of all the world, plac
where all could come for the it
enjoyment Of the cardinal pril
ciples of jllsi and righteous es
l>tencc. freedom of conscience
the rights of free speech. pctitlo
and seli-goNcfnmcnt.
\ year ago some Of H. thAnhr
God thai We were not al war. I1
day we may thank Him for In
conviction that there are thin:
worse than war. We may than
Him for The vision Of duty tia
leads lis to battle for he freedom
of the world against HE clutch
ing hand of pru>Sian tyranny.
And. as we are thankful for tn
spirit Of truth, of justice and I'M
mainly that has aroused This ia
ton from his slothful ease [
battle for its very life. let lis ais
steel our hearts against the day
of sacrifice and suffering that ar
to come. Let ts resolve to :
conduct ourselves that the nrN
Thanksgiving will find liz Wit
clean garments and undlsmayet
even though The task be unfin
ished
li1rADlA