Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-14
The Dispatch Suggestion for Celebrat-
ing the Fourth of July is
Generally Approved.
ENTHUSIASM is EASILY AROUSED
By the Proposal to Observe the Next lnde-
pendence Day in an Appropri-
ately Patriotic Manner.
A GLORIOUS DAY HALF CENTURY AGO.
Interviews With Well-KnOwn and Prominent Citz ems
on the Now All-AbsOrbing Subject.

July, suggested by THE DISPATCH and
promptly seconded by the Mayors of Pitts
burg and Allegheny, is met with general
favor. Everybody approves of it. Most
people feel that it will give a much-needed
impetus to patriotic thought and feeling;
others, who have been participants in the
Independence Day celebrations of yore,
would rejoice to see another genuine Fourth
of July before they close their eyes for the
last time upon the fair land for which so
many have fought and suffered; while
others, vet, make the argument that the day
itself would be redeemed, instead of being
day given up mainly to drunkenness and
rioting, it would become one upon which
the watch-fres of pure patriotism would be
famed into a brighter glow.
Upon the return of Mayor GOurleY from
Philadelphia on Monday, official action
will be taken by him looking toward ar
ranging the details of the plan outlined by
The DISPATCH, and asking for the gener-
Gus and hearty cooperation of the citizens
of Pittsburg to make the demonstration
success.
HALF A CENTURY AGO.
'In the good old days of half century
ago." said e1-Sheriff Fife yesterday, "the
Fourth of July was red-letter day. es-
pecially in the country districts. Sectarian-
ism and politics were cast to the winds, and
everybody gave themselves up to patriotism
and pleasure. I remember well how Inde-
pendence Day was observed in Snowden
township. All the school children, bearing
banners and attended by their teachers,
would march to a shady grove, where a
platform had been erected for the speakers.
The Declaration of Independence would be
read, and then patriotic Grafton would be
delivered, the orators coming from miles,
and deeming it an honor to be invited.
Among the men have heard speak on such
occasions are, or rather were, for most of
them are dead now, General McCalmant,
Judge William B. Mcclure, John McFad-
den, Colonel Hiram Hultz and Rev. John
Douglass After the oration there would
be games for the little ones and some COM
forting eggnog for the older persons. 1t
was day of unalloYed pleasure"
LOOKING BACKWARD.
Ex-Mayor Mccarthy also looks back with
regret to the DAYS when the Fourth of July
was Fourth of July. He recalls vividly
the glorious panoply Of the volunteers, who
were the National Guard of that day, the
forid eloquence of the orators, the fervid
enthusiasm of the populace when the
speaker launched a peculiarly glowing
patriotic sentiment, the rafting of mus
kerry the smell and smoke of powder, the
brazen clamor of the bands as they played
yankee Doodle" the mighty choruses
of, voices which united in swelling the
Strains Of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
<snd last, but not least, the barbecue. 1t is
just possible that these celebrations did not
increase the spirit of patriotism, but it made
fl.a Morar,c enorgla and his chest
swell Just to think of it.
Superintendent George 81. Browne, of the
Bureau of Water, is delighted with the
idea of revival of Fourth Of July demon
strations. He said: Patriotism, especially
that selfsacrifcing patriotism which has
placed the United States in the front rank
of the nations of the world and made it the
envy and admiration of all the Powers, is a
sentiment. and one of the noblest which
finds a resting-plac in the human heart. A
pure sentiment, like an odorous flower,
needs cultivation. and the time to work the
soil is while the plant is young.
WILL DEVELOP PATRIOTISM.
Therefore, am heartily in favor of THE
DIsPATcH's suggestion to hold an old
fashioned Independence Day which will be
the means of inculcating the principles of
Republication In the minds OF the chill
children, and its general adoption through
out the country would develop a stronger
feeling of patriotism among the millions
who owe allegiance to the Stars and Stripes
Superintendent Morris w. Mead, of the
Bureau OF Electricity, has struck novel
idea in connection with the proposed de-
monstration. Perhaps it would be possi-
bic to instlll patriotism into people by
means Of electricity" he said, ''and 1 should
be only too glad to render any assistance to
that end. But, joking aside, think the
idea is one which must meet with general
appreciation. Children should be brought
up with full understanding OF the duties
incumbent upon them as citizens, and should
be so imbued with love of country that any
sacrifice they might be called upon to make
n its sake would be offered willingly. 1
Armly believe that if this celebration is held
next month it will never be allowed to lapse,
but will become a regular institution of
Pittsburg. In the years to come, say 20 or
80 years hence, the children of to-day will
tell their children about the first Fourth of
July celebration ever held in Schenley Park.
p believe the proposed demonstration will
become an event which will be handed down
in the history of the United States"
A WESTERN FOURTH.
B. c. Christy, the attorney, said: "On
gathering of the people together, and pub
lie speaking to teach the people the princi-
Piles of our Government. The Declaration
of Independence ought 10 be read. We are
so busy as a people that we do not ordinarily
take time to study these affairs. think it
is we'll to have at least one day in the year
set apart when the people would be re-
minded OF the principles on which our Gov
ernment is established.
'I vivioly remember an old-fashioned
Fourth of July in which took part three
wears ago in Keosauqua, Van Buren, county,
Iowa. 1t is the county town. The people
came from all sections of the county, in
wagons and on horseback, and assembled in
the handsome grove around the Court
House. There was a regular picnic and a
number of public speeches. The people en-
joyed themselves and everybody was sober.
No liquor was sold in the town and did
not see one intoxicated man. From the
place where I sat on the platform 1 could
look right into the door of the county jail.
The door stood wide open. The Jail had not
an inmate. I thought that good example
of what Fourth of July ought to be"
SOBER SUGGESTION.
Samuel Davidson, the Secretary Of the
Western Pennsylvania Humane Society,
has lived in Pittsburg 40 years. He was
asked what the old-time Independence Day
celebrations were like. He said: 'I be-
lieye there is as much celebrating now as
there was 40 years ago. Then people got
drunk, and they do the same thing now.
There is too much drinking of liquor on the
Fourth of July. In my humble opinion
the saloons should be closed on that day.