Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-10
The Glorious Fourth.
Bob BURDETTE ON THE sTUMP-THE WAC
OF THE WEST HELPS CELEBRATE.

BOB BURDETTE ON THE sTUMP-THE WAC
OF THE WEST HELPS CELEBRATE.
Bob Burdetle OF the Burlington Hawk
eye burst out of his sanctum on the Fourth
aud desolated suburban town with an ora.
tion, from which we quote:
"Why have we assembled here to-day?
| What means this vast concOurse of people,
these waving banners, these strains of soul
stirring music, this glttering array of
beauty, patriotism and intel.igenceH As l
face this immense multitude, am impress
ed with one thought that rushcs' upon my
very soul and struggles in vain for utter
ence. 1t is the thought that l am not going
TO be able to make one-half these people
hear word say. IT is not grand thought.
| 1t Is not even brilliant thought. But II
is true, and the truth is worth far more
than briliancy. And / will tell the truth
every time get an opportunity. 1t isn't
often that get the chance. What with try
Ing TO reconcile Tice's weather predictions
and the Presidents policy, man has TO he
vigilant, and lie awake nights and watch
his chances, in order TO get an opportunity
to tell little truth, once week, and yet,
this has nothing to do with the Turkish
war.
Why, then, l repeat, are we assembled
here TO- day? To rejoice that we are free
people, endowed with the inalienable rights
of life, liberty and the pursuit Of happiness
at long range. TO rejoice that the precious
boon and heritage of freedom is ours, be-
queathed us by the fathers who fought, bled
| nj ihoI I nj
your, might breathe the air of freedom.
And we rejoice to-day, we are proud and
happy and glad, glad, glad, that our fathers
died for us instead Of compelling us TO die
for them. They we've great, grand men.
In fact, they were, many of them, great
grandfathers.
II is sweet TO die for ones country. 1t
seems 10 me that I, too, would gladly, oh
how gladly, add my name 10 the list of the
great and good, and die for my country-of
old age. l would die sooner if it was
thought necessary, but haven't got time.
am too busy. But if any sacrifices are
needed next centennial they may call on me,
and l will either come or send hand.
Our fathers died for us. They died
willingly and gladly. But if they could
come back to-day and see what Kind of a
crowd they died for, quarrelling over the
Presidents policy, wrangling over the cur
rency, and some of them trying to pay a
dollars worth of debt with ninety cents
worth OF money, talking politics twenty
three hours a day, and praying SO seldom
that our knees get rusty drowned out by
rain, devoured by grasshoppers- they
would, if they lad it to do over again, live
nine thousand years and only die then
when they had to.
And yet ours is glorious country. A
wonderful, magnificent country. 1t is mar
vellous. AS high school girl would say, it
is mice" Look abroad over our land, turn
the pages of history, and see what the
mighty genius of progress has wrought.
But one short century ago the cornerstone
of this mighty fabric was laid, amid the
thunder OF cannon and the rattle OF musk ct
ry, canopied by the smoke of battle and ce-
mented with blood. A little band of strug-
Cling, needy patriots, half clad, poorly fed,
with only a few dollars in the national
treasury. To-day the sun of l01 years
breaks upon the land-wherever it isn't
storming-and where do We stand? Two
billion dollars in debt.
Our fathers died, but they had no rail-
roads. II they had, they might have died
with less expense and trouble before they
got to war. Our fathers never knew the
estate pleasure of leaning out Of car win
dow and getting a red hot cinder as big as
pea in their eye fefUre they could see a
tree. They had no telegraph, and never
hat N ! IN
cents TO send message 50 miles and then
have The dispatch come tagging a day or
two after tho man had died of old age.
They had no kerosene lamps, and never
knew what it was 10 light kitchen tire
aud take a balloon ascension out Of tue
same can. They had no United States sig
nal service, and never had 45 rainy days in
a month, with a tornado every wash day.
Their wants were few and simple. They
didn't need great deal of weather, and
what they had was regulated by the ground
hog, and that reliable weather bureau new
er made mistake.
These men have passed away. In their
simple habits, their sterling honesty, their
grand patriotism, their unsel6sh devotion
10 principle, they passed from life iutC
eternal fame. The men of '76 are gone.
do not know where, but they have gone
somewhere; do not see any of them here
II there are any present, they will please
rise, for am willing 10 Ge corrected when
/ am wrong.
The Fourth of July was Invented by q
man whose name is dear 10 all American
hearts-George w. Washington. By an in
genious arrangement the Fourth of July
was SO contrived by The inventor that II
world always fall on a rainy day. 1t has
missed it only once in the past l,2O0 years
and on that one it hailed all day. The
Fourth of July was not the only invention
OF this great and good man. He invented
a name that will fit two-thirds of the boys
of every generation in America. A CRATE
ful people never forgot the fact, and Wash
ingtou, when at the zenith Of his power
was nominated by scclamalion for the cap
ital of the United States. Washington was
once discovered praying at Valley Forge
and, from the great stress laid upon the in
cident by all historians, it is judged that il
was The only time anybody ever caught
him praying. He was brave, good man
but he dressed too much like a member o
a base ball club to be elected president in
these days.