The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-01-04
Celebrating the New Year

The opening Of every year has
about it always a certain solemnity,
an anticipation of new opportunities.
a sense Of the passage Of time. a
foreboding of eternity. This is the
natural sentiment which has prompt
ed New Years celebrations, to throw
a pomp and ceremony about the
years beginning. But in the whole
history Of our country there have
been few new years that called for
a more prayerful and thoughtful
celebration than the one which we
shall call nineteen eighteen. 1t is
doubtful il anyone now living can
realize the crisis that is upon us.
Every great war in the worlds his
tory has brought great and perma-
nent changes in human institutions.
and its influence is in proportion to
its greatness. So, by an easy con-
clusion from past history, We may
expect from this greatest of wars
consequences which we can even yet
only dimly conjecture, but which are
intensely momentous to every indi-
vidual, to our nation and all human
society. Moreover, it is becoming in
creasingly clear that the course of
events is passing out of the control
of all human authorities and influen-
ces. The issue is in the hands of
God.
At such new year it is appropri-
ate to ask, in the name Of humanity
and of decency, that the celebration
which greets its beginning be suited
to the times and to the solemnity~of
human feeling. New Year s-has be-
come for too many mep~and women
season Of silly reyef. for some a
time Of wild dissipation. They be-
gin the new Year not in prayerful
thought oVer the passage of time OF
lin anticipation Of eternity, but
gfovel in drunkenness and license,
and drown all solemn thoughts Of
the season in orgies that would dis
grace self-respecting pagan.
In ordinary times such conduct
might 60 on unrebuked, because it's
indecency would not be so apparent.
But at an hour like this one may well
protest against 1t most resolutely. A
pleasant and festive celebration of
the day Is always seasonable. and as
We hope this year will bring the war
to conclusion with honor to our
country and profit to all mankind.
therefore 1t is proper to rejoice. But
the silly and wasteful revels. with
their accompanying disgraces of in
decency and intemperance. are more
than ever inexcusable at this time.
Any wastefulness or even useless
self-indulgence in excuses of eating
and drinking Is inexcusable now, be-
cause the world at large Is pitifully
in need of food and drink. Every
year OF late the papers have publish
ed startling accounts OF the sums
spent ON food and drink at New
Years revels in our great cities, and
the aggregate is so vast that to dis
courage even a part of this wasteful-
ness would at the present time be a
substantial service to the nation.
But these New Years revels are
more obnoxious still on their moral
and religious side. To offend God
deliberately by wanton intemperance
pd11he indecency that SO often goes
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