The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-09
Now, This Is the Last of 1t.

10 the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
I would not ask the Journal to allow me space
to notice the silly. uncourteous and ill-mannered
language Of F. n. Wiley were it not that there
may be others who feel to criticise my senti-
ments on the matter at issue, and whose good
opinion would crave.
There is a law of the city against the explosion
of frecrackers; hence. there is reasonable
suppositon that majority of its citizens believe
there is danger of harm being done by them,
just as our Legislature believed there would be
more harm done our legal holidays by the use
Of intoxicating drinks, and hence, made law re-
curing the places where they are sold to be closed
on those days. There has always been album
dance of evidence that the fire-cracker has been
fruitful in its work of destroying property life
and limb Such evidence has not been wanting
in this city. But few years ago gentleman
and young lady were in buggy in the neighbor-
hood cf the stockyards when for "the pleasure
it gives TO the boys" one of them threw
cracker under the horse, causing him to run,
throwing the out, and but for the presence
of mind of the young lady. who climbed or
reached over the dashboard and gathered the
lines, and then succeeded in stopping tho horse,
she would probably, have lost her life,
last Monday evening saw fre-cracker thrown
under young lady, which exploded between her
feet. A column of just such conduct of shout
ing groups of little children III this city could
be written. Only last year lady in Boston was
burned to death by cracker thrown under her
feet, while hundreds of similar cases have oc
Cured, and millions OF dollars worth of prop
erty have been destroyed. While the firing of
cannon and blowing of steam whistles
grievance to many, and are interdcted, the fire.
cracker, toy pistol and cannon-cracker are as
great an annoyance to nervous and
sick people. Then, why should the
be allowed. because it gives pleasure
to the boys and girls, and the other not allowed
when it gives no more pain to the invalid
than the frstl While the selling of drinks in
the saloons is no more of q violation of law than
exploding fire crackers On the street, the hood
lums drinking whisky, cursiEg and carousngr
are not street nuisance, endangering the life of
the paSser- by nor are their cursing and cRrous-
ings heard the street, but is all confined inside
of closed doors and window blinds; hence the
difference" for the time being, is in their ia
vor, and against the fun loving children on the
street Besides, the hoodlums are nine out of
ten. lost to all that is worth living for in this
lfe and, to all human appearance, the sooner
they drink themselves to death the better it will
be for all who are left; but the children must be
looked after that they do not so grow up as to
take the place of those who have destroyed
themselves with strong drink While there may
be many innocent, laughing and shouting groups
Of children watching the rockets and candles
there are many other groups of dirty, ragged
of their time in the alleys and filthy novels, with
scarcely crust of bread to eat, but scratch
around some way to become the possessor of a
piece of tobacco and pocket full of fire.
crackers and then find their way out on to the
sidewalks, before the doors of dwellings
and business houses, to explode them to
the annoyance of residents and pedestrians.
Would it not be better and more Christian-like
if those innocent ones and their parents or 9th
ers who spend their money for those crackers,
rockets and candles, to spend it to elevate, feed
and clothe those ragged, hungry and filthy onesl
While there may be no harm with some in ex-
ploding frecrackers on the streets, it is viola
tion of law which all good people must lament;
and it is also setting an example before the
thousands, of the bad element of the children,
who are on the streets anu in the alleys all day
and most of the night, aud which they are quick
to follow in such an offensive way as to add ma
terially to their already bad habits. Kingsley,
See & Co." want the law enforced against Wiley
tif he has to be sent to Knightstownl and against
saloons ana fire-crackers or else have the laws
repealed A. S. KINGSLEY.