The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-12-01
Why We Shonld Be Thankful

We publish herewith the three adj
dresses presented by VIM. Folsom
Merrill. Clyde II. Smith and l.. l.. Wal
ton at the tfnion Thanksgiving service
Fin the Federated First Baptist and
Congregational Church last Thurs
day.
CAUSES FOR THANKSGIVING IN
THE NATION
tWm. Folsom MerrilD
We are this day thankful that the
United States of America occupies a
pre-eminent place among all the ma
tons of the world Ii is not in n
spirit of pride that we boast of this.
but rather In a spirit Of thanksgiving
for the many stages in the history OF
our development thai have made this
an established fact.
We are thankful that the Pilgrims
and Puritans three hundred years ago
had the courage to come To this CONT
nent and brave its dangers and com
bat the ravages Of disease. starvation
and hostile Indians that this ciyiliZa-
ton might take root. Il is well also
TO ever remember that i was religious
convictions that impelled these people
10 separate from their native land ana
found the beginnings Of our country.
We are also thankful that the fore
bears of this nation were the lteYolu-
tionary Fathers, who. after they mad
won a righteous war. wrote a new
chapter in the political history Of the
world in our immortal Constitution,
declaring that all men are born Tree
and equal, and thus made our Nation
land of equal opportunity Repub-
lies are today very numerous. but they
did not evolve by chance, they are the
product of the genius of our foreiath-
ers here in the United States.
And so. il seems to me, the things
for which we should really be most
thankful are the things we are born
right in the midst of, our liberty, our
security of life and property things
which we enjoy the benefit of and are
so accustomed to that we scarcely
ever think of unless we are in some
measure deprived of them. But none
Of these things came to us by chance.
they were vouchsafed to us by earn
est, conscientious men who saw the
vision and were willing to do and dare
to achieve it. and counted not the
cost.
Again, we are thankful that sixty
years ago we had a President who
said, Eve cannot exist half-slave and
half-free." and though the country
was quite nearly equally divided on
that fundamental question, today
there is no thinking community in
the world that conscientiously be-
lieves in slavery.
Akin to that question, which in the
days of 81 seemed a mooted question
is the statement today that the manu-
facture and sale of Intoxicating liquor
is contra bonus mores-and many OF
us assembled in this service will. /
feel sure. live to see the day when
the whole world agrees with us. and
will have enacted its beliefs into laws
| similar to our own, which has been
enacted, never to be repealed. For
this. also, we are deeply thankful.
Again are we thankful that in 1898
we proved to the world that this ma
| ton would not permit neighboring
state to be oppressed, and we went
to war with Spain, not for economic
or territorial expansion, but from the
secret-springs Of the Christian Faith
which guided the master-mind OF Mr..
Mckinley, our President.
And nearly twenty years later that
principle had seized upon the whole
nation, which was asking. who is my
uelghbor?" and the answer was our
entry into the world war, to the aid
of the oppressed on the far side OF
the sea.
At this time, it is altogether fitting
that we should give thanks that we
are at last approaching what bids fair
to be solution of the race-problem
which has for six decades been him
lrance to our national life and prog
ress. ! hope that all who have not
studied the speech of our President,
recently made at Birmingham, Alaba-
ma, will do so in the near future This
could not be brought about by his din
ing with n Booker 7. Washington, but
rather, by a dispassionate appeal to
reason and adaptability of common
sense to conditions, without bigotry or
hatred playing any part on the one
side or the other
But what Is the glory of all these
things? Is it merely that this nation
has gathered these laurels into its
own crown? All. no. But rather,
that this nation with such heritage
OF the past, is. because of these things
done time and time and again, the one
nation which the world trusts and
looks to to do even greater things.
Charles +. Hughes is not merely the
Chairman of the United States dele
CATION at the Disarmament Confer
ence at Washington; he is the spokesA
man of the world inspired by the
principles of our Saviour who died
that we might Slvc For these reas
ons. It was allotted to him to put forth
a concrete program for the limita
ton of armaments.
And so. here, we are not selfishly
thankful that it was an American who
had the honor of doing this, but rath-
err that the result already seems so
sure of realization. Whenever this
noble spirit of losing oneself in the
cause in hand has been uppermost,
that cause has succeeded. and when