The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-23
Columbus Day CELEBRATION.

To the Editor of the Bdnner.-DEAR
SIR: The celebration of Columbus Day
by the public schools of America, assist
ed by all patriotic people, has been
urged by the President of the United
States in formal proclamation, and the
plan for local celebrations with the
schools as centers of interest, seems to
meet with widespread favor. 1t would
seem to be meet and proper that the
schools and the people should so unite
and so celebrate. Probably no one man
can speak for the citizens of Bennington
in this matter, nor for the various organi-
cations within her limits. There is no
intention here to speak for any but the
Graded Schools. Not, perhaps in recog-
milton of any authority, but as a matter
of patriotic duty, in compliance with the
Presidents proclamation, and in keep
ing with the spirit of the occasion and
the day, it does seem proper in this con-
nection to say that the pupils, students
and teachers in the Bennington Graded
Schools and in the Bennington High
School have thus far done and now
stand ready to do so much and even more
towards celebration than the
public schools will do and perform in
other places. While our schools can and
will carry out in their building appropri-
ate musical and literary exercises in hon
or of the day and time, arranged and pro-
vided for last June, and at various times
since, it is yet true that the schools can
not. of themselves, make an elaborate
celebration such as might be made by
the cooperation of the entire village.
A celebration of that character can
come only by the spontaneous and hearty
cooperation of many prominent citizens,
representing all interests and all organi-
cations in the place. If such citizens
shall plan for such celebration, the
schools of Bennington stand ready to
make their own programme a prominent
feature of whatever local celebration may
be held, and on the other hand it must
be said that they hope to be aided in
their own celebration by the same cor
dial recognition and assistance, on the
part of the public, that will be given to
the schools by citizens in other places
No fair-minded or generous citizen can
honorably turn from the children on this
occasion. 1t is well to remember in this
connection that President Harrison says,
sit is peculiarly appropriate that the
schools be made by the people the center
of the days demonstration 1t would
seem to be the duty, then, of veterans,
clergymen, officials and citizens to help
the schools make aceiebration worthy of
of the day and the event. The schools cor
daily request, and they most assuredly
expect to receive such assistance.
The programme arranged for the
Graded Schools provides for the assist
ance of these outside helping hands, and
il differs in many important particulars
from that provided for the schools at
large. Invitations will be extended to
and reserved seats will be provided for
veterans, clergymen, public officials and
citizens now or in the past prominently
connected with the schools. The details
of the programme and the hour for car
rying it out have not yet been fixed, and
they can not be at this time announced.
1t is suggested that the exercises in the