New-York tribune., 1874-07-07
JOHN PAUL'S 4TH OF JULY.


or , pocKrr STICK AND CATHERINE WHEEL
truoy AN occAsIoxAl co oRREsPoNDENT OF IHR TRBUNEl
BRoox1YS. July 6.-What luck did you have
IN NewYork day before yesterday We contrived to
kin two children and seriously mutated about twenty
more for our Fourth 1t n't very good day for
children, either,
Among the casualties have mentioned the wound
ing OF two by policemen In mad endeavor TO shoot
mad Dogs" for do know that this was dene by
way OF celebrating the day In this you have nothing
more than is liable to happen any day OF the week.
when imported "cops," who could MT h the broadsde
of barn with a shotgun provided with revoiVers
and empowered TO take snap shots up ana down Tue
any dog that has enough to run for dear
life the he OF their ugly mugs coming
round After the police force have perforated
few more citizens in the exercise OF this new duty
of shooting dogs perhaps they Will be reegated TO rst
principles ordered confne their achievements 10
the regular and original routine OF clubbing drunken men
and arrestng small boys on the edges OF large ero"oS
is not the suppression of the policeman that call for
though the danger Of allowing him TO run at large has
been several times demonstrated Of late Nor do ad
vocate handwriting him, obliging him TO carry
his club tauntiy and in position which would
make it handy TO than is when swinging gayy
from his wrist, thus forcing upon him time for mo-
monts thought before dropping the first head that
came Ia bis way No would not suppress the police
man, sbaeke his free limbs for wall would then
20 up from the cook In the area complaint came from
more important constituent
But would muzz!e the Fourth Of Juy shear 1t OF all
the clements OF fatality which make IL terror to
the land conflne IL within safe and decent bounds.
Every year OF the accidents which
signay distinguished yesterday ay-deahs maim4ngs, de
structon Of property by fire, drunkenness, disorder
generally. Beyond doubt this absurd manner OF cele-
bratiug Independence Day Will TO end in time.
But why not nowi Why wait for elimination In some
terrible fatality conGagraton which shall the
aof tho Ia ne
Of this inolerable nuisance imperatiyei movement
In the right direction might be inaugurated at once the
time ripe for It, and there no reason why the next
Fourth OF July should not dawn upon us peacefully
and and out like other Christian days, Win
no smell smoke and with bad record. instead OF
flashing upon in fame soaring our eyeoals with ts
Iurld glare it passes and leaving behind it trail OF
death and fire. like a baleful star.
Our forefahers won independence for us; It remains
for US TO emancpae ourselves from Independence Day
The evil is apparent. gcancnota word can be said in
defense why should IL be tolerated longerf Ali that
is necessary is the united action Of few righhinkng
women ana meD With but slight effort proper muni-
cpa action might be secured in every town. fitting re-
straint in every village and TIN fearful nuisance would
glide like a dismissed ghost gra uly into the past.
Saratoga the only know Of that has yet taken
sensible action in the matter. After having been burned
down several years IN succession by ecrackers the
Fourth the villagers concluded that they had paid
quite dearly enough for this most silly whistle, and
prohibited the sale of fireworks OF any
description In the village, while the letting Of
them of maNe offense punishable
with penalty terrible that has yet been able
20 certainty what it Ia dark whispers Of
its nature about but nothing definite Is known and
far have cared to inform their ignorance by
violation Of the ordinance. In consequence you can
pass Fourth in Saratoga comfortably and safely
though you in the bosom of the Methodist Church.
with not hre-cracker moest a torpedo to make
you afraid The eminent need Of such ordinance
brought 20 Saratoga by OF terrible lessons
Why Will not villages generally, the country through
learn this theirs instead OF insisting that
the experience shall upon them before they
take warning or action.
Think OF the millions which annually fixed away
in gunpowdcr and fireworks, setting the attendant
fatalities and expenses entirely one side The display
is for the deecaton Of the poor it is urged Were the
poor allowed vote in the matter. do you not think they
would prefer flour TO fireworks elect roass instead Of
rOckets3 We but the slaves OF precedent In this
thing We do 1t year because 1t has been done in all
years before. Brooklyn aud Boston have fireworks
because supposed that NewYerk is going to. and
the example spreads like smallpox, till towns as
email Philadelphia become inoculated and the
eruption finally breaks out in burghs where you would
scarcely think there for o single pimple Of
powder.
With individuals 1t Is matter Of precedent as well as
with towns. When my little girl asked If would not
lay fireworks for her and exhibit them in the
evening, the idea seemed absurd to that laughed
at H broadly and ony. But when she informed me that
Mr. Smith in the next house one side OF us had his
cellar bali full OF Roman candles and sush things, said
I'd think about it and when we actually saw Mr.
Brown IN the other side Of carrying
fagots fecracker stacks Of tOrpedoes and poles OF
punk" thought about it no longer; but taking Pau
lima by the hand started for the round
corner, without waiting TO put on my hat; for
1t would never do that children should be
behind our neighbors in anything. II blowing up was
the pastme OF the hour they must be blown up
high and come down in small pieces anybody
elses children. The result was that returned with
armfu OF "nigger-chasers" pin-wheels," rockets"
.bombs," flower vases" ," Roman candes"-every dia-
bocal device perverse ingenuity Of the pyro
technst has been able to evolve.
1t looked like rain along toward evening, and hoped
for rain prayed for rain, for never prided myself
INV skill as a pyrotechnist and the smallest excuse
would have been gratefully received The rain came,
but so long had waited in hope OF deliyeranoe from
the trouble that the neghbors and the Ieghbors chill
dren having exhausted their fireworks, came
TO see ours THIS pleasant, for always did Like to
make a spectacle Of myself before strangers
The simple part OF the exhibition went of very well
got number Of little boys who had gathered on the
sidewalk Of the house 10 take the recracker out
into the street and let them off, whole packs at time
But as for the complex pieces soul misgave The
rockets did toeraby except that only the dozen
got away from the ground The other eleven, perhaps
because OF having their tails too firmly planted In the
virgin soil Just stool still and sung parks around with
making effort seemingly, 70 rise But this did MT
look particularly bad, did 1t hurt body the
stoOp. And the pin-whees did rather pTettily TIL
came TO the largest which had Intended 10 for
the last but persuaded to introduce 10 into the
middle Of the performance for fear that 1t might rain.
When applied the match 10 this interesting frewOrk
81 went of at and with IL went entire side of