Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-11-22
AND SHALL WE THANK HIM?

AMI Cf1ALL WE AANANN AAAA'
The season is again with when from custom and
from the inner prOmpngs of the spirit are wont to Lift
grateful hearts to q mercifu and bountful Creator In
thanks and gratitude for His dealing with us during the
year that is past
And shall we yet thank Him? Let us see.
At this same season one short year ago we thanked
Him from full hearts that He had kept us from the madness
that was devastating knsmen across the waters But
today we have beaten the pruning hook into sword and
from ocean to ocean the tramp of armed forces resounds
In view of the staggering issues with which our people
arc face To face are we to content ourselves with thanking
an apowerful God for life and health and plenty-ma-
teral plenty? Are we look further than the mere
creature comforts with which He has so beautifully shower
ed us?
Some may answer, For what else should we thank
Him? Has not the madness fallen upon u.s. to0 Are not
our young men hrongg to the sacrifices and are not our
wives and mothers and sisters and brothers and fathers
with bleeding hearts, helping them on their way?
Again, let us see.
century and half has flown since band of con-
secrated men, with vision that reached out far into the
future determined that this loved soil should be
reared edce such the world had never before wit
nessed-a nation wherein should reign that immortal
trinity of human beatitudes Freedom Equality Justice
To this they dedicated nsesh lives for this they fought
and for this they died But their lives and their deaths
and their unsesh sacrifices prevailed, and today that
edice stands the wonder of earha land grounded and
built on the eternal principles that guarantee to and all
the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness
But these benefcent principles are not aprevailng
In other lands are forces that would set them at naught
and make of their advocates serfs and vassa is with
these forces that variance fore
fathers before u.s.
Can we, then, thank AlFather that our fathers
left to US inheritance of Freedom that must de-
fend with our lives and our all?
Let US suppose that our hearts could not feel this graf
ttude-when then. Suppose u.s. people, descended from
heroes with whom the glorious vision of free earth far
Outweghed any thought of se-we the children Of those
heroes wiling like Esau of DID, to barter glorious her.
itage for of the pOtage of ease; willing to submit
to degradation, 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 mighty shout of
gratitude to Almighty God that when the hour Of OUR
testing came found in hearts that pusated with that
rh red blood that in days agone fortified and made
sacred the soil that has nurtured Let give thanks
that the spirit of re is still the mighty force in American
life Let give thanks that hearts choose rightly
between present and future glory Let give thanks
that when the hour of trial it found worthy
to call ourselves of fathers Let pour out
hearts in gratitude that upon these hearts has been in
deby engraved the imuabe DEGREES Of alwise God,
DEGREES that would make of this his glorious world haven
of safety for every immortal soul
And willingness without opportunity is but neg
ative virtue let US give thanks that when His plans for
the great upf of mankind needed champions He found
US worthy instruments upon whom to lay His hand
For this thy greatest Of all mercies-hat thou hast
found US wOrthy-Father above would most hurbly
thank thee.