The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-06-20
The Fourth ot Iuiy.

AAAS : ONt III " y II. y
Two weeks from to-day The nation
will celebrate its l06th birthday. The
United States is the only nation that
has a birthday 10 celebrate, and.
though the baby nation Of the world,
get 1t makes a tremendous annual fuss
over that important natal event.
About the FIRST of June the slack
waters OF patriotism begin to turn,
and by the Isl Of July the food is at
its height. Each locality has its OWN
style of celebrating the Fourth: some
by getting gloriousIv drunk. and some
By going ont in the woods and snffsr-
ing alleged pleasure eating cold Wet.
mails there: (this is usually styled a
picnic, and il looked back npon in
shuddering remembrancel: in general
the celebration has two distinctive
features: reading the declaration OF
independence. delivering an '.oratipn."
and giving bail The last IS like
motion to adjourn. always in ORDER"
or like bntjon. ''sure to ccme off. "
1t is a question how much patriotism
has to do with celebrating our great
national holiday. Some look upon it
as sort oi religious duty; something
that must be done, deccntly and in
order; others consider 1t Us day set
apart by congress and Divine ProYi-
dence as time wherein they can ad-
yertise their stock in trade, whether
it be ready-made clothes, CAB, cheek,
ice-cream, soda water, impudence, elo-
quence. density or what not. But the
regular old-fashioned idea about it,
the idea that we have always believed
to be the right one, is that il is day
that we should all celebrate by having
ga good time" day that we could
look back upon with pleasure that
would begin to fade jusr when the
months would again bring around the
time when our mind would he filed
with pleasnrable anticjpations Of ihe
coming Fourth. Just what "a good
time Is, is II matter capable Of u
wide difference OF opinion. Our def
milton of Liberty is inst this: that We
have perfect right to do Just what
We please; provided wo do not inter
fere with any one elsc's right 10 do
just as he pieases. And in having a
good time one can take the full need
of enjoyment in doing what will please e
himself, looking ont thai his actions
do not interfere with others rights.
As far as We Of Astoria are concerned,
it seems pretty well established thai
our celebration this year will consist
of Firemen's tournament, and ball
in the evening under the auspices Of
No. |. If there is anything else on
the programme we have not heard Of
it. The fact that our fire department
comprises the majority Of our leading
citizens and business men, and the ad-
dltional fact that the department as q
body, has reputation anedualed by
any other north of San Francisco,
make it eminentIy just and proper
that it should assume a prominent
part III the celebration Of the day.
But yet, as matter of business it
seems TO us, something additional
could be gotten up. 1t is just this
way. \ display or parade would at
tract Il large crowd here; who would
all spend more or less money, and
"mako business" and though from IL
high patriotic standpoint it may APP
pear almost sacriiigeous to men;io II
money making i'll connection with a
proper celebration of the day when the
American eagle scars and screams, and
has all its tail feathers pulled out by
the average orator; yet it is not as a
primary but as = secondary adjunct
that we mention it. There yet re :
main two weeks in which arrange
ments can be made and perfected.
looking to the disposal of such at.
fractions as will bring a crowd TO our