The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-11-22
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

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brated In the United States7
IN why by the Pilgrims at Ply
mV \ mouth In 1921 of Counsel" you
W reply.
But you're wrong
Its true that the Pilgrim Fla.
Tiers held a Thanksgiving day
celebration that year. but since Plymouth was an
English colony 1t isn't strictly accurate to say
that 1t was celebrated In the United States be-
cause the United States Of America didn't come
into existence until more than 100 years later.
The first Thanksgiving day celebration held
after we had become a nation took place In
1889 and II is analogous to our present
day observance of the holiday than the Pilgrims
Thanksgiving because 1t came about as the re-
suit of Presidential proclamation. Most Amer
leans know that 1t was George Washington who
issued the first Presidential Thanksgiving day
proclamation but few perhaps. realize that the
Idea originated In the mind of Alexander Hamil-
ton. our first secretary of the treasury, and that
the first official step toward carrying 1t out was
taken by congress rather than by the Chief
Executive
Last year while Col Edwin A. Halsey, secre-
tary Of the United States senate, and James D.
Preston. senate librarian, were unearthing many
old documents which date back to the beginnings
of the republic and having these manuscripts
restored and bound In specially designed books
to preserve them for future generations. they
came upon the congressional resolution which
brought about the first official Thanksgiving day
celebration In the United States.
The story back Of this historic first Is In
terestIng, even though 1t Is not story In which
we can take much pride any more than we can
be especially proud of the celebration which re-
suited Involved In 1t Is the story OF the jeal-
lave nda naY
iltnn and Thomas Jefferson. story In which
politics, as usual, played none too admirable
part
The idea of Thanksgiving day celebration
originated with Alexander Hamilton who
preached the subject at meeting Of Washing
toms cabinet In New York city then the capital
Of the nation In August 1884, Hamilton.
prime mover In securing the adoption Of the
Constitution. had succeeded In getting his own
state of New York to ratify 1t and this made
sufficient number of accentances even though
North Carolina and Rhode Island were still out
side the fold to assure the nermanence Of the
new government So Hamilton must have felt
that the nation. as well as he personally. Ind
cause for Thanksgiving
1t is probable that Hamilton. instead Of press
Ing the matter In the cabinet where 1t was GER
tain To meet with opposition from Thomas JEFF
fersnn, the secretary or state ana Hamlltnns
political enemy engineered the matter so that
the movement for national Thanksgiving day
would come from congress. AT any rate. on Fri
day, September Or, 17sa. Elias ReHainat. A mem
her OF congress from New Jersey. took the floor
of the house OF representatives and offered
resolution calling nnnn the President to issue
Thanksgiving day proclamation.
In moving that the resolution be adopted, Bou
dnot said that he could not think OF letting
the session pass over without offering an oppor
tunity to all the citizens Of the United States Of
Joining, with one voice, In returning to Almighty
God their sincere thanks for the many blessings
Ne had poured down upon them"
Boudinots resolution was not unexpected AND