Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-07-07
OLD BELL WAS MUTE
For the First Time in Al
most a 100 Years.
IS PATRIOTISM PLAYED OUT
Plenty Money for Political Purposes
But Little for Nations Birthday

John Adams, the eloer, ne who had a
hand in colonial and revolutionary matters
and afterwards became the second
President OF this great and glorious repub-
lie, said that he thoug ht the Fourt h Day OF
July. the anniversary OF a nations birth,
should be ushered In and emphasized by
the waving Of flags, the firing of guns and
the ringing OF bells. But then John Adams
was somewhat OF an old fogy. He never
saw an electric car, fostered and pro.
tected game OF policy, Joined the Mys-
tic Shrine, rode home In q hack from the
races, or voted to pay almost hun
dred thousand dollars for a sewer 90 feet
Underground. He did not have one eye
open for the chances of q second term In
Office nor did he cast sp anchor
to ieeward, that he might "pun" on IL, In
case the gales OF popularity did not watt
him swiftly enough on his course He
simply looked at things In plain, matter
OF fact, common sense sort OF a way, aud
said what he thought.
Now very possibly there we're some
good people In Pawtucket who
were glad not to be walked up too
early on Wednesday morning last !;
whose finely strung nerves and delicate
sensibiiities might have been Jared by
the ella nging and booming OF matutinal
tiDtinDabulations before they had had a
chance TO swallow their offee or eat their
toast; but II is also very possible, indeed
II Is almost certain that there werea great
many who missed the customary 4lh.oi.
July bells, who wanted to hear them be-
cause they, their fathers and their grand
fathers before them, had heard them, and
because, believing In the eternal al ness of
things, they knew that the day was one
for genuine rejoicing and pardoDable
pride, and because its observance means
something that ought not to be forgotten.
Such people, and, thank God, there are
many of them right here IN Pawtuoket,
felt sorry when they missed the familiar,
not to be mistaken sound OF the Old Sla-
ter Bell. The bell may not be SO very old, ,
though probably II is near a hundred
years since first II was rung, but II IL old
enough and, ike Mercutio's wound, ait
will do" Year after year, from "A time
when the memory OF man (at least most
Pawtucket men, goeth not 10 the con-
trary, Its clear, shrill, sweet tones have
welcomed the dawn OF the nations birth
day, aud its silence this year was a source
of grief to more than one waiting, lis
teniDg ear. Villanious saltpetre, it's nox-
ious fumes and ear splitting reports could
perhaps have been dispensed with and
not have caused much regret, for the
small boy and the pert and clipper fire.
cracker were very much In evidence, and
Sam Foster left this mundane sphere
some years ago. Old Glory floated proud
ly, as usual, and as is eminently tit and
proper, from all the flag. STATS. public
and private, and In this respect there was
nothing more to be desired. But the
clatter and the jangle, the boom and the
jingling, the clang and the fanfare and
the revei beration that come only when
stout arms pull strong ropes and bells of
all ranks, sizes and conditions peal fort h
their merry music,-alasi there was none
OF this on the morning Of "the fourth" !"
and SO there was a yearning, II not an
aching void, and something seemed to
have somehow been lost.
Far be IL from the writer to lay the bur-
den or the blame for this grievous wrong
at the door of any one individuall Pal
sled be the arm, split and twisted the
pen, and "dried up' the Ink that would,
for one single Instant, cast even a sus-
picion of a reflection OF condemnation
upon the splendid and never-too-
muoh-t to- be. iauded economy that has
80 far, and so successfully and con-
sistentiy, marked our municipal adminis-
tration In this year OF grace one thousand, =,
eight hundred and ninety four, and OF
Independence the one hundred and eigh-
teenthl Economy Is big thing, and
bully for economyi But IL, Ia years to
come, Pawtucket shall ever again be too
poor to ring the bells on the morning OF
the fourth day Of July, In each ana every
year, IL is to be most earnestly hoped that
somebody will give the City Sergeant a
hat and tell him To pass It round, from
Daggett's Farm TO Camp Burnside, from
Bill Ballou's to the Devils Dance, and to
keep on "passing It" till be gets pennies
enough to "pay the shot, anu then TO see
to it that a natiop's natal day Is recog lied
and observed as becomes so momentous
an 4 important an occasion. Let IT be dono,
and well done, publicly II 1t can, private.
ly II II must, so far as expense Is concern
ed, but let 4. be donei Ring the bells, at
m orDiDg, at noon and at night. Let II be
known to all men that Pawtucket has not
forgotten that she IL an American, and is
not ashamed to stand up and he counted.
Ring the bells