River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-07-08
THE CELEBRATION.
River Falls Thronged with People
Who Jubilate and Perspire.
July 5th dawned as bright and beau.

the place of celebration hundreds of
farmers with their families. whose
patriotism had brought them from
their fields of hay and grain, to swell
the multitudcs who were to worship
at the shrine of Liberty's fair goddess
and renew their pledges to country
and home. The morning train from
the county seat, was full to
Overlooking with the happy denizens
of the central part of the county; every
village and town in this vicinity WAS
well represented, and 10y the time the
execution of the programme com.
menced the main streets of the city
were packed with joyful crowd, all
seemingly intent on finding as much
enjoyment as the glorious Fourth could
afford.
The procession formed as per pro-
gramme, with River Falls Cornet Band
in the lead followed by l. n. Nichols
Post G.. A. r.. Fire Department. and
Base Ball Clubs on foot, and a long train
Of carriages, numbering about four
hundred teams. No doubt fair esti-
mate would say that sixteen hundred
people were conveyed to the grove in
carriages, and that this number was
short of one.tlnrd of the people who
enjoyed the celebration.
Soon after the great throng had
reached the beautiful grove, the
president of the Day" Hon. j. ID.
Putnam, of River Falls, called the
assemblage to order, and the exercises
were opened by the Band, which by
its excellent rendering of a medley,
made up of patriotic melodies, fuTn.
ished treat to lovers of music and
warmed every old soldiers heart with
the old fire. The Divine blessing was
feelingly invoked upon the assembled
multitude and our beloved institutions
by the Rev. James Evans, of River
Falls. The Glee Club sang patriotic
air, with excellent effect, and then the
President introduced Miss Dossie
Walters, of Pierce Valley, who re-
cited the Declaration of Independence
in a voice so clear and full that it
reached the farthest ear in the large
assembly.
Patriotic vocal music followed, and
the orator of the day, Hon. F. NJ. Nye
of Minneapolis, was introduced. 1t
would be impossible to give even a
faithful synopsis of Mr.. Nye's Grafton
from memory. We can only say that
it was eminently satisfactory; with
out any seeming effort at oratory, it
was most richly eloquent. Without
any undue effort to stir up "our old
eagle or wave the "star.spangled, ="
it reached the springs of patriotism,
and quickened the love of country in
every heart.
Mr.. Nye did not follow in the old
rut of Fourth of July speech-making,
but stepped out into the richer fields
of individual duty, to show his audi.
tors the needs of the present time.
He suggested that all political ami
mOsities should be leYeled, and buried
from sight, by the mutual activities of
national upbuilding; and he regretted
that there were still those who, for
the sake of party, would rather see
our prosperity retarded, than to have
it forwarded by their party opponents,
and he entered his earnest protest
against such folly.
He spoke of the mutual interests of
labor and capital, and cited the dang
ers which threaten us in the conflict
now going on between them. He ex-
pressed his sympathy for the toilers of
our country, but abhorred the senti-
mentalism which permitted public
officials to shirk their duty when mob
violence sought to stop the wheels of
industry, whether in the name of labor
or otherwise; and he denounced as
| political towards those officials who
would not do their duty in face of a
mob for fear of loss of official posi-
ton.
He spoke of the change of senti.
ment in the past four years, in the
minds of great statesmen everywhere,
as relates to their duty to party and
people, and he illustrated by referring
to the "Grand Old Man." Gladstone,
who in 1881 used his great powers for
party, and now, with an eloquence
that resounded around the world, he
was speaking for liberty and hu.
mdnitg
We will not attempt to follow the
speaker through his lucid exposition
of the many dangers that confront us
as people, but only say further, that
his panacea for our public ills was
education, of the right sort; education
that unfolds the principles of free
government, defends liberty, fosters
love of country, honors labor, restrains
capital from encroaching on the rights
of the people, engenders feelings of
humanity, and above all teaches man
the great truth of his own immor.
tally. He declared it as his convic.
ton that people, government must
fail, if this great truth is lost sight OF
or abandoned, and the beginning OF
national decline would date from the
abandonment of soul education.
The address throughout was worthy
of the occasion, and strangers within
our gates expressed it as their convic.
ton that the committee Of arrange.
ments had honored themselves by
calling home to River Falls one of her
own boys, who could so ably instruct
them in matters of vital Importance
to all, on the Nations great day.
After the conclusion of the Grafton.
the President of the day announced
that after music by the Band, the
exercises would adjourn to the base
ball grounds at p. NJ. The music
which followed convinced the lovers
of music u t River Falls has an ex.
cellent band. The adjournment, how