The Coconino sun., 1926-11-26
AMERICA AND HER BLESSINGS
Thanksgiving Address by State Senator Walter Runke Flagstaff
Flagstaff Rotary club meeting November 23

gift. We did not create the Mississ-
ippi valley or the fertile prairies of
the west, or the beauties of the
southwest where halos of color and
sunshine surround our homes. We
did not put the gold and silver into
the crevices of the mountains, or the
coal and iron in the pockets of the
hills. We did not plant the giant for
ests or start the mighty rivers, even
the Colorado, rolling towards the
sea. All our vast domain is gift
from the Almighty. Even our basic
institutions were given us. The Fam
lily, the State, the Church. They also
are importations. They were created
in the old world and transported to
the new. Even our ideas of law, art
music, ETC., came from across the
sea. What do we have that we have
not received? Our ideals of God, Of
duty and of character are gifts from
above.
The Almighty has given us more
than gold and silver, coal and iron
wheat and lumber He has given us
men. In every generation he has Civ
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every crisis we have found a strong
man ready. Let us thank God for
our presidents. Twenty-nine men
have sat in the White House and
every one of them was good man.
Not all were great men, but all were
true. Not all were brilliant but all
were faithful. No man ever sat in the
presidential chair who was dishonest
or cruel or mean. Several of them
were great men, two of them, Wash
ington and Lincoln, have taken their
places among the immortals. They
rank with the greatest men of all
times. Around the world their port
rats are in the homes of all the COM
mon people, and in the parliaments
and schools of every land their words
are repe tied. All our presidents have
looked to the Almighty for guidance.
A hundred and fifty years ago the
great word on the lips of Americans
was Liberty" Today the supreme
word for every mouth is duty" We
have won our rights. 1t now remains
for us to do our duty" We are
mighty, we are strong, we are fam
Gus and it should all be used for the
building of a better world. There
should be no desire to dominate, for
that is sign of weakness. If as
Americans we desire to be great then
a clearer, more practical and more
real eXemplification in our lives of
the shining motto of your own splen-
did organization-the Rotary Ser
vice." Service to mankind can and
will bring its rewards.
1t awes the heart to think that God
is a God of nations as well as of in
dividuals One wonders what His
thoughts are now concerning our
American people and what He desires
us to do There is no doubt he wants
us to serve.
Thanksgiving day thus becomes a
day of rededication to our republic.
Heroic men founded it and only he
roes can maintain it. Unselfish men
started it on its career and only un-
selfish men can keep it strong and
victorious. Sacrifice brought it forth
and only by sacrifice can it be made
a continued success.
The great God gave US wise men
and men brave enough to found new
republic, the greatest nation on
earth, and He has also given each
one of US the privilege of making a
contribution, however humble to per-
petuate its principles.