Publication information

Source:
Truth Seeker
Source type: magazine
Document type: editorial
Document title: “Thanksgiving Postponed”
Author(s): anonymous
Date of publication: 21 September 1901
Volume number: 28
Issue number: 38
Pagination: 597

 
Citation
“Thanksgiving Postponed.” Truth Seeker 21 Sept. 1901 v28n38: p. 597.
 
Transcription
full text
 
Keywords
William McKinley (recovery: religious response); McKinley assassination (religious response: criticism).
 
Named persons
William McKinley.
 
Document


Thanksgiving Postponed

     Only a few days ago the religious public were determined on having a day set apart for national thanksgiving, when the people should meet in their accustomed places of worship to return thauks [sic] to Almighty God for the recovery of President McKinley. The only detail not settled was the manner of of [sic] its appointment. National thanksgiving days being unwarranted by the Constitution or law, and their appointmeut [sic] being a usurpation of priestly authority by the executive, there was a question whether the proclamation should be issued by the vice-president, the presideut [sic] of the Senate, the speaker of the House, or the secretary of state. The death of the President left the problem unsolved. The day of national thanksgiving will not be held. But why? Does not God, in the belief of his worshipers, do everything for the best, and is not the best good enough for them to be thankful for? Does not the tacit declaration that the thanksgiving is “off” contain an implied censure of the course the Almighty has taken in this matter?
     The ways of God are past finding out. He also is himself past finding out. It is not for men to sit in review upon his acts, for the reason that those acts, or the acts attributed to him, are often of such an atrocious nature that to judge would be to condemn.
     When the devout Christian beholds the discomfiture of his euemy [sic], or some fate befalls an evildoer more terrible than human hand would inflict, he is wont to say, “Just and righteous are thy judgments, Lord God Almighty.” If he is sincere he must repeat these words by the form of the murdered President.