The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-12-29
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

r OR fifty wears iokcsuiths have done their best to destroy the once
solemny observed custom OF making New year reso,u,lohsj a
= custom that was the most important part of the once widely prae-
ticed custom Of watching the old year out and the new year in, with
an accompaniment of prayer. The jokssniths have made some prog
RES, but they have not wholly destroyed the custom. Many men and
women still make New Year resolutions and are. better men and
women Cor having made them. a
our genernton TO the custom Of New Year reves, and these, unfor
tunately, have been patterned afterth the reyels pfaeticed in the white
light district OF New York. The custom Of the New Year jag very
largely replaced the New Year resolution IN our country.
Now, however, there is more than a chance for the old-tfme OBJ
one to return, with all its benefits. New Year revehng is a very easy
matter il one is reasonably filed with alcohol. To the man o n woman
who is cold sober there is bound to come an arrestng thought anu a
minute or two OF serious reflection that one more OF the extremely
limited number of his or her years, has gone into the discard.
Ihere Is 10 more chance lof hiettere Hhg OF ne NeW ear
revels. To the grown man " woman IN full possession OF all iacul
ties, footing a tin horn or standing ON a cafe table in the midst OF
hooting and dancing is a difficult, il not an impossible situation. The
New Year celebration as broadway established the custom and as 1t
has been aped from Boston to Tacoma and from Albuquerque to
Pierre, has passed out along with John Barleycorn. The pair will
not be missed The way is open for the return of the old watch night
custom, d beautiful and a helpful one. We hope to see it return. We
will all Be better for it.
Even at the height Of the fling of the New Year revel custom
there were few men and women, we believe, who did not give at
least "A little Of serious thought to the mistakes Of the passing year,
and to resolutions for better things daring the year ahead. IL is
true that thu claims of the iokesmiths are ~justiRable. Far m1re New
Year resolutions are broken than are kept. But the few that are
kept represent just that much net gain in personal advancement and
In the two days that are to lapse before 1921 we believe it will
be found profitable by every man and woman who will take the time
TO review briefly the year that is gone; to catalog its mistakes and
20 take stock of character gain or loss. Such a personal inventory
is sure to lead TO some resolutions for the guidance of personal con
duet during the new year Not one of us can be hurt by such resolu-
lions and in most cases we will be helped by the effort tC keep them,
even if the effort is but temporary. ~. raa
~ II a little prayer, no matter how or where II be made, accom-
panies the making Of these resolutions, they viii be found much more
resistant. Nt |
~ Cafe revels on New Years eve are done; and we are none the
worse for their passing. III we could substitute for that now dead
custom the old watch night service in the churches; if Albuquerques
eherches and the churches OF every city and town throughout our
land could be aight and crowded ON New Years eve, a great net
gain in national character would be the result Of the passing days
Of 1921 and we IS a nation, as well as individuals, would be helped
IN meeting the serious problems with which the New Year comes
laden.