The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-11-27
The PEOPLES FORUM.
THANKSGIVING.
Another year has gone, and what an


for the mercies of the year. The divine
gifts have been many. "He daily load
eth us with His benefits" Our hearts
go out in thanksgiving at the thought
that the war is over-the bloodiest,
the most diabolical war of the worlds
history, yet people had been preach
ing abiding peace-and that
warwas thing of the past, land upon the
heels of this soul-inspiring propagan-
da, which had more high sounding
rhetoric in it than practical wisdom,
we were plunged into war waged by
the so-called Christian nations of the
world, a war that would make the
Huns of old set up and take notice,
that oUtdid for barbarism the most
barbarous nations of the past. But
peace has come, at least we try to
persuade ourselves that it has, though
we are having war in our own country,
there is no booming of Big Berthas
nor deadly gas emitted. We are not
through with war yet. The unrest
that is abroad betokens a condition
that may stir the country at any time.
Gladness will reign in our homes for
the most part, but in thousands of
homes there will be vacant chair, a
loved one that will never return. His
body is sleeping in the blood-soaked
fields of sunny France. Hearts that
ache because of the mandate of France
that no body shall be removed before
three years. Is this the way that
country shows her gratitude to her
deliverer? Will the Government of
the United States quietly submit after
her assurance that all who fell over
there would be brought for burial
among their friends. The Govern
ment has had an awakening of late
brought about by the protest of sixty
thousand parents demanding that the
pledge made them before the war be
fulfilled. Already the United States
has allowed too much time to elapse
before this sacred pledge was re-
deemed.
1t is matter of thanksgiving that
thus far the country is not in the
clutches of the influenza. Last year
100000 victims was CLAIMED by it.
1t was more destructive than the war.
1t played havoc with our soldiers.
Remember, too, the many thousands
who are crippled for life. Some of
them are sightless; some of them have
lost their minds and must be confined
in asylums-a living death. Death
itself is more to be desired than the
lot of the hopelessly insane. 1t is said
that per cent. lost their reason by
reason of the shock of war and the
experiences incident thereto.
Glad, we are, too, that our crops
have been so good. Only once has the
yield been greater than this year.
There is an abundance for all, though
the price is rather high. You need
step ladder to reach some of them.
Why? Profiteering, largely. The
farmer sells his dressed hogs and beef
to the butcher from II to IS cents per
pound. The consumer pays as usual
80 cents for beef and for pork. Good
business is the meat mans nowadays!
A hog that costs him SIT or SIS q
hundred pounds nets him plenty
We may rejoice in the strides taken
by temperance of late The war helped
that on not little. Sentiment has
been growing in it's favor for some
time and now it looks as if national
prohibition has come to stay The ben
efits are beyond computation. It is
predicted on what seems to be very
good authority that England will be
dry within five years. How anyone
can oppose it on rational grounds is
beyond comprehension.
We may be thankful that the ma
tons are recovering from the effects
of war.
Little Belgium, though she suffered
greatly, is finding herself again. She
is being born again. She was scourged,
but she was an illustration of the law
OF retribution that is absolutely Just.
She realized something of the horrors
she as nation had inflicted on the
defenseless people of the Belgian Con-
go. Now she is rapidly recovering
from the effects of the war and it's
industries are returning to a normal
condition. It's railroads are practi-
cally normal. rs
This year showed a greater revenue
than did 1913. At the time of the
armistice there were 100000 unem-
ployed in their own works. In June of
this year there were 100000. The
production of glass is 40 per cent. of
pre-war production. Spinning and
weaving in Flanders are normal. Crops
have been splendid. A large part of
the devastated region is under cult
walton The c1IOar yrod,,o+;o,, -. T,.1