Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-20
HSenns Yesterday l4UOO
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1sa
Kecp Thanksgiving Day Apart


II u proposed to have Thanksgiving
p,y set esch year for November IL, so
that we may return our thanks Tor the
g,,s.ins-xs of the Infinite at the same time
az are c-Iesrating the end Of the World
War. The plan would lessen the number
II holidays that we are adding TO our
.Ir~adv long list, and while thst would
b. moat desirable, from the busy man $
point Of view, the merging Of the two
,h~rysnoes would lose 60 each It's dis
finctivc individuality. And, again, the
s~o OCCASIONS are 30 widely different in
PURPOSE that they could hardly be APP
rripristely blended, however desirable
-1oh step might seem TO be.
We must do nothing 10 detract from
,hr significance Of our annual day OF
Thanksgiving and prayer; but on the
other hand. we should do everything
possible 10 restore il 20 its early signif-
canoe and value The nation should not
lo~e sight that Thanksgiving Day IS set
aside for offering thanks and expressing
gratitude for Divine guidance and protec-
ton. and for the good things gwen us
- generously 10 enjoy" We have. un-
fortunately, turned the observance into q
9ay Of sport. and games, and feasting
and amusement, until prayer almost seems
crowded out. Il IS the oldest holiday on
the American calendar, dating back IN
thi. country from the frst sight Of our
shores the party aboard the Mayfiower
gained ON its way 20 the Massachusetts
mainland. Its first public observance oc-
,urr,-i 800 vearr ego, when gratitude was
expressed for the bounteous yield OF the
Pilgrim eardens AT Plymouth, and 1T has
been day set apart for yearly Thanks
giving ever since that early date.
Prsyvr. and Thanksgiving were always
the r-scour,e of our ancestors; 70 them
they turned IN times OF good or seeming
evil. for there were, and always Will be,
blessings 70 be grstcful for even IN ad-
dit,on 20 the protecting care OF the
Father. Never did our forebears turn
with trust and confidence u the 'GIver
oi all good gifts" in vain, snd, indeed,
accounts Of the demonstrations Of gDd-
Anoe and care bestowed in times OF peril
rad almost Ike tales Of fiction, and in
crease our faith in Assurance Of the abtInd-
snne Of good everywhere, awaiting only
our asking that il msy be available NO
wonder the Indians regarded the mani
s-stations Of the white mans God with
awe and venerstiOn after witnessing HIS
works, in times OF great stress
Il would be regretted 4 any action
should be taken 20 even partially bedlm
shn religious feast day, through which We
obtained direction almost every step Of
she WY from Plymouth 20 the present
hour To days of prayer and expressions
n, gratitude Washington turned when his
frcops were starving and freezing at
alley Forge, and again, when the young
experiment. in government Tor the people,
of the people, and by the people was in |
ir trying, infantle testing period. A |
day for Thanksgiving has become part |
II our national Constitution, one might |
.irnos, assert, and we cannot mix with 1t !
any other thought or purpose; but We /
caD restore it more nearly 20 its original |
intent, 70 bring the people into closer COM
uunion with the Father
Armistice Day, too, is deserving of /
IN observance 70 mark the natal day of |
the worlds freedom and liberty. 1t |
also emphasizes the triumph Of right |
over the brutality Of might, and the
demonstration of Omnipotence, giving t
the assurance that good must always be
the victor.
II 10 essentially military fete day,
when men-at-arIns march again, and
when for almost all time to come the
valor Of the heroes who saved civilization
from the yoke of intolerable oppression
will be told and retold. Armistice Day is
a day apart from all other holidays. It
stands, every one hopes and prays, to
mark the end Of wars and the end Of slay-
ing Of brethren in battle, and emphasizes
the arrival Of the era Of good will TO all
mankind Il is fixed event in our cal
endar; us date cannot be changed
We might, however shift our day Of
Thanksgiving forward to October, for
the date matters little, as there is always
occasion for returning thanks To
change the day 10 the earlier date would
probably ease the pressure Of holidays Ia
the closing two months of the year, when
the Christmas celebration is often so
prolonged. let US, therefore, resort to
almost any other expedient rather than
combining these two great feast days.
They both are essential; we need the les
sons OF both
II the nation should lose half billion
dollars by cessation Of all industry each
day il stops work, one can believe there
is adequate compensation to be derived
from the teachings of the two days, be-
sides the inspiration for nobler effort that
elast come ~ our people