Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-08
Should We Eliminate Christmaso

Should we eliminate Christmas,
This is the question that confronts al
one hundred per cent Americans to.
! day: this is the acid test of loyalty
and true patriotism. Shall we harbo,
a custom which was born and Graded
iron: the sentimentality of the utmost
! German culture? Shall we hug close
! about US a merace which is fast
growing into a well defined evil. as
al things rnust whose foundation is
/ based upon falsehood, or pretense ?
! Christmas celebration is distinctly a
| German custom-that is, the materi-
alistlc, the sentimental, the Christmas
OF commercinlism, which leads to the
leNefed excitement of Christmas shop
ping; to the thcfts that are committed
| by both ycnng and old to obtain the
means with which to buy the fatuous
| gifts which they can i'll afford; to sat-
! isfy wanton desire to compete with
his neighbor. To the average man of
salary Christmas proves but an ex-
| penslve luxury He must provide every
member of his household, from the
hsping tot to the white haired grand
mother with the required funds to
purchase gifts for all their friends as
Wen as FOR each other, including him
SELF. Is 1t any wonder that he pleads
not to be remembered? Yet most of
US love our Christmas as much al
does the German. To eliminate it will
prove the acme of loyalty. We viii
have to pass through the mint of ma
riotism and come forth stamped with
sincerity and ringing true.
Chris Kingle, or Santa Claus. is the
evil in a less exaggerated and more
fantastic form. but nevertheless an
evil, because it is not true. Is il
right to raise our children on the be-
lief and sentiment of borrowed
falsehood or ideal?
A few years ago I spent the Yple-
tide season as the guest of an excel
lent Christian family. on Sunday I
heard the mother once or twice expos-
lllating with her son lest he be tardv
FOR sunday school, the morning was
far spent. Finally the father came in
and he also reminded the youngs,er
that 1T was past the time of his GUS
tomary departure The boy, who was
then about seven years of age, re-
plled with determination beyond his
years, am not going to Sunday
school any more" The astonished
parent questioned the reason and the
young hopeful replied II don't be-
lieve in this God business, and [ am
not going to be fooled again as | was
about Santa Claus" Upon further in
quiry the father found that the child
had discovered in some irregular way
that he had been deceived at the most
vital point of his faith, in that which
he loved best. He had learnt his first
lesson IN the school of hypocrisy-tho
discipline was too severe. 1t was a
tragedy t6 his morals and a calamity
which played havoc with his standard
OF right and wrong. Perhaps the
Christmas truths had never been un- |
folded to his child-mind and to him !
Christmas meant nothing more than
from some impossible source !
To the children OF the poor, whose
homes Santa Claus never visits, it |
means still less, but the nuisance must |
be bourne by the community in which |
they live. 1t is the interest we must |
pay on every loan, and to be a eenu- /
inc American we must eliminate this
borrowed evil which we have made |
2 bosom companion because it is moi I
American; 1t is not even Christian.