The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-11-23
FOR DANGERS SAFELY PASSED

n iE hardy Pilgrim fathers who founded the great national holiday
hat is distinctly our own, made IL the occasion for thanksgiving
- for blessings that we Of today would regard as startingly meager.
Their harsests were scanty but sufficient for their needs. Surrounded
by very definite physical dangers, they gave thanks for dangers safely
passed. These were no fancied dangers nor imaginary peris They
were very real Continuance of life itself was cause for thanksgiving
Our hsryess OF today are more abundant; we know nothing Of
any threat 10 our ample feasting. We may growl at the seasonal adj
vsnce in the price Of turkey. perhaps with just cause, but we find the
wherewithal 20 buy the turkey no matter what magic is worked with
the price. Our dangers, however, while less tangible than the war
whoop and the scalpng knife, have been none the less real and we
may we'll join tomorrow in reverent thanksgiving for such of them
as have been safely passed.
AT this time a year ago this nation was well into a period of eco
monte conditions in some ways more serious than one of those sweep
ing panes of other days The financial panic of old, its terrific forces
generated in the mixing clouds of uncertainty and fear, struck like
a tornado. 1t left wreeksee, hut it passed quickly, and wreckage is
quickly cleared away. The economic uncertainty and business de-
preston out Of which this nation is now slowly emerging has been
compared to various postwar periods in history. But il has been like
none Of them. The economic barometer dropped to the danger point
and below it--and nothing happened 1t dropped still lower and
with every storm signal set we waned-and nothing happened. Edi-
son, Gary, schwab and other leaders in practical affairs have chided
the American people for yielding 10 fear. But the people were not
10 be blamed justly for harborrng fear; because something was due
10 happen the moro terrifying because there was no one TO tell us
what to expect Every s~oothsayer and doctor, political and economic,
undertook to tell us. None Of them succeeded, because none of them
knew. A world was staggering up out Of insanity; masses of man
utter indifference. There is small wonder that men harbored fear
In our own country, crisis after crisis was safely passed. The
greatest economic war in our history threatened and was averted. We
saw here a, our own doors ruin threatening the livestock industry
everywhere. We saw great numbers Of people unwilling to work
while complaining bitterly of unemployment. We saw a veritabie
cloud " nXerH swarm1ng, each with a cur III carried economic pol
son and social menace.
And nothing happened. Slowly, surely, one by one, danger after
danger has been safely passed, until now we are able to see the way
back TO firm ground and safe paths insanity soothed or restrained or
far behind us; peace ahead and well in sight.
One wonders if those who have complained against the frantic
struggles TO set the world TO rights overnight, have been right in in
sshng that what men needed most was TO be let alone. Theirs was
perhaps an unspoken faith in the processes of an Advise Providence
to set things right; For IL is fairly plain that out Of the muck Of UNI
certainty and stark fear, conditions arr emerging that we recognize
as normal; - men and events re falling naturally and easily into
their accustomed places. Things and thoughts are righting them
selves and il is equally PLAN that those who's remedies and Strgg
giles have been most violent have had precious little TO do with the
rightng of things.
In any event we know in a measure the dangers that have been
safely passed; not the war-whoop and the scalping knife il is true,
but dangers before which the resolute courage Of the founders of
Thanksgiving day might well have qualed.
Certainly we may well unite in our varied ways of expression to-
morrow in profound thanksgiving that things with MS are $ they
are that out Of uncertainty has come a new assurance and a new
courage that has crowded out fear. Those who grieved when gross
materialsni appeared instead Of the spiritual awakening that was ex
pected to follow the war, may take new courage and lind new faith
as reason reasserts itself and RICH; prevails, despite rather than be-
cause Of frantic efforts TO force the hand Of Divine Providence.