Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-07-05
Aamcaster fntelhgenrer.
TUESDAY EVENING, JULY S, 1881.
Celebrating ssthe Fourth.''

TUESDAY EVENING", JULY ., AooI'
Celebrating "the Fourth.''
Philadelphia, all accounts agree. had
a quiet and satisfactory observance of
The Fourth of July, and to-day's papers
have conspicuous lack of the usual
long string of fires and accidents, loss OF
life and destruction of property, which
were reported after the former senseless
celebrations of the nations anniversary.
The enforcement of Mayor Kings orders
and the city ordinances against fire.
works and explosives was of course
largely aided by the general disposition
of the citizens to keep quiet on account
of the painful uncertainty of the issue of
the tragic events at Washington :andthis
happened fortuitOusly; for such re-
striction on the American disposition to
"go off - could only be enforced, under
ordinary circumstances, against con-
siderable popular prejudice. AS it was
the new regulations obtained a fair trial
and already we hear that Philadelphia
will likely never again have an = old
fashioned Fourth of by which
has come to be meant the indiscriminate
use of fire works and explosives on the
public streets, to the annoyance, the
detriment and danger of all citizens who
remain in town to defend their property
from the unusual dangers of fire on this
day.
The spectacle of Il pyrotechnic display
is one that seems to he attractive and
not All improper way to celebrate a fes
tival occasion it can properly be con-
Quoted with little danger, and everybody
will admit that one grand display in Il
city of moderate size, or displays in GER
tain well distributed points of the large
cities would be cheaper, far more salts
factory and altogether sensible than the
many private and often dangerous in
dividual displays which lead to trouble
and danger. The ceaseless cracking of
bombs, guns, crackers, pistols and
every conceivable machine into which
powder can he rammed has no sense. 1t
gratilies no feeling that deserves gratifi-
cation. 1t leads to countless accidents,
induces awful profanity from nervous
people and is painfully dangerous to
the sick. In view Of all these cOnsidera-
tiOns it has been sensibly suggested that,
proliting 10y the Philadelphia example
and yet keeping in mind the desire of
the people to have i proper display on
the ''gloriOus Fourth,'' the use of explo-
sives and even of fireworks generally
i'm towns be abandoned, but that proper
municipal provision be made for pub
lie and properly managed firing of sa-
lutes, ringing OF bells and pyrotechnic
exhibitions 1T proper times and places
on the Fourth. Everybody would get
more for their money, the tax on the
citizens would be less and the present
dangers and calamities would he avoid
ed. \ movement like this begun now,
it is believed, could he made such Il sue
cess hy next year, that henceforth there
would he quite rs fervid and patriotic a
celebration of the day as now, and yet
the scnseless noise and danger now eNpe,
rienced would bc abolished.
ME. ARTHUR, it is related, went to
Washington not without misgiyings fOl
his own personal safety, i'm view of the
intense popular feeling over the attempt
on Mr.. Gariield'S life and the possible
direction that feeling might take, owing
to the assassin S unfortunate mention OF
the vice president s name rs an apology
for his wicked deed. God forbid that
we should contemplate the possibility OF
another such stain on our country as the
two attempts within sixteen years on the
life of its chief executive, but Mr.. Ar
thur knows that there are us mad meI
with as much method rs Guitteau run
ming loose in the country, and it is only
to illustrate what defects exist in oul
laws that we point to the ineXtricablt
confusion into which such a one might
throw our political affairs ut this juno
ture. In the event of Garfield's deatl
Arthur would become president should
he die or resign the president pr'
ten. of the Senate would succeed
and next in the line of succession is tn,
speaker of the House. But the new
Congress has thus far failed to organize
The Senate elected no president and the
old president cannot hold over, for ht
WAS Mr.. Thurman, who is not now in
the Senate. Certainly the House has n(
speaker. The old House is dead, the
new has not organized. True the Sen
ate and !iA House can meet in special
session aud elect presiding officers, bu
only upon the call of the president, ant
without Il president who would there bt
to summon them to special session
How easy it would be to have events shar,
themselves toward anarchy, especi.
ally when the temptations present
themselves that are involved in the pos
sibility of an accidental succession thai
would transfer the sceptre of politica
power from one party to another
THE contingency of another accidental
president. with a policy in conflict will
that nf I,ic chief O,,rI,t IN call attention