The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-05
The FOURTH Of July Nuisance,

VIC are Ou cue eve VI Tue great AuuuAI
patriotic holocaust. The undertaken and
the coroner, a. they behold the deadly
array Of Catharins-whe rockets, toy
cannon and fire-crackers In 1.-The windows
Of the pyrotechnist, smile the smile Of
satisfaction, or, hearing the explosion of
the premature squib in some secluded
backyard, snuff up sweet smell Of pow
der and are we'll pleased. Azrael, the
angel Of death, floats above the public
schools as the Morse Valkyrias were wont
TO tioat above rlval armies on the eve of an
engagement, and numbers up the tale of
the death-devoted small.boys who shall
have for one Fourth of July too much of
old rse-pistols. The fire fend makes
ready to devour hay-stacks, barns, lumber
yards, tindery tenement houses and other
places most affected by the runaway
rocket. Well may these destructive
agents and agencies rejoice. Not alone is
this centennial year and therefore to be
celebrated with noise and nuisance multi
piled an hundredfold, but the Fourth falls
upon Sunday and thus affords an excuse
for doubling this maximum, or, it the Gel
ebrant hold liberal, continental views con-
-cerning the observance of the Sabbath, for
trebling it. 1t is safe to assume that we
shall light up one thousand houses, not to
mention smaller buildings, on the altar of
liberty. and offer up a literal hecatomb as
a burned offering to the names of our rev.
dictionary forefathers. Behold how great
a matter little fre-cracker kindleth. The
patriotic mall-boy casteth it into the barn
that is filed with hay, and straightway it
---apropos OF Hay-"goeth up in lire"
The rash youth dischargeth rocket at
venture and fires the ephesian dome Of
mansion in another ward. The street
Arab to whom George Washington is but
name frequently borne by colored wait
ers and newsboys, edihes bonfire on the
sidewalk and topple down corner groceries
and moss grown tenement-houses. The
school. boy, with his grimy Fourth of July
or the hands or heads Of his companions
dear, with the frail toy-cannon or the over
loaded horse-pistol which, like Samson,
The humber pyrotechnist buries glass
bottle filled with gunpowder in mud
volcano, and returning with his merry
mates to see why there is 50 much fzz and
so little explosion, is qualified for writing
hAobOLAGop VI Dliuu pACdChOLS
or being led about by a confused and hum
BILE little dog whose leadership is as futile
and conflicting as that of an independent
newspaper. Children of larger growth
ram egregious charges into hot can
mons and have their arms torn out by the
roots or ply the anvil till it bursts, and
closes the village green up with the village
dead. The practical joker drops a squib
upon the gauze skirts of female friend
and gives the local reporter chance to be
called upon to chronicle another shocking
fatality in his midst, or bombards the cas-
ual horse with the resonant torpedo and
smiles to see the animal NOW a swathe
through the crowd that has gathered tC
see the fireworks. And so for one day OF
more "a nation of forty millions of people,
as several thousand orators will observe
gives itself to promiscuous arson, murder
and sudden death.
What makes it worse is that there Is nc
opportunity offered for those whose tastes
lie in other directions to avoid being deaf
ened, blinded shot and burned alive. L
the peaceful resident takes the wings of thu
morning excursion boat, and flies unto thu
uttermost parts of Far Rockaway, ever
there is the bursting anvil aud the large
company doth encompass him with fire. Ii
those sequestered spots where the hotel
are called taverns and mixed drinks othe
than gin and tansy are unknown, one shal
find q review and celebration wherein tn
inaudible schoolmaster huns and blushe
over the Declaration and the young law
yer who has aspirations in the direction Q
the legislature is exposed in the arena O
oratory to the American Eagle. Of course
some of the features of these celebration
are less heinous in their enormity than 9th
ers. One man may conduct you to such
gathering but ten cannot make you liste
TO the ''oration." The offenses of tn
steamboat-owner who puts too many pas
seugers into his vessel, or the keeper {
the refreshment booth who does not pu
any lemons in his lemonade, one may COZ
done. But these are but minor offenses q
compared with those committed in tn
name of liberty against the lives. limb:
ears, peace and property of people VIII
are powerless alike to resent or prever
the outrage they did not provoke.
The annual homily before our fiery AL
Fools Day and the annual list of kille
and wounded after it will, however, be {
none avail. The right of the youthful NAL
American to shy 6re-crackers is as dear q
ever was that Of his seniors to bear arm!
All that the citizen of sense can do is t
hope that the percentage of innocent pei
sons who are this year made lame, main
ed, halt or blind in our excess of pyrotect
mic patriotism will be as small as it MAY
and that at some happy tide it may com
to pass that the Fourth of July may be r,
garded as q festival more honored in tn
breach than in this sort of Observance
y World.