Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-04
IndepeDdcncc-Day.

Az holiday the Fourth or July is az
thoroughly imbedded in the favor OF the
American people as any other holiday
Christmas alone excepted. For 1T
lie while after the close of the late war
the Fourth was not so generally observed
I'm the South as it had been prior to that
time. but now 1t is as popular as ever
though here as i'm other sections OF the
Union the method OF celebrating 1t mas
undergone a radical change. OF old we
had military parades, target-shooting' bar
becues. fish-fries. Fourth-of-July orations'
etc. Now 70 have games of baseball
boat-races. picnic parties, and excursions
10 the sea and to the mountains. Now
city people flock TO the country and coun-
try people flock 10 the cities. Now the
explosion of the fire-cracker-for great
while unheard in the South except during
Christmas WEEKS heard over all the
land: over all the urban portion of the
land at least.
The American people were long under
condemnation for working too hard and
taking too little holiday. We doubt II
this fault can now BE- laid at our doors.
SO far as our hours Of work are concern
ID. We work but six days In the week.
whereas many people in Continental Eu-
rome know little rest on Sunday. and we
in virginia have the FIRST Of January
the Nineteenth of January. the Twenty
second Of February, MemPrial-Day' the
Fourth of July, Labor-Day, THANKS
riving-Day. and Christmas-Day, as
regular holidays Other States have
equally as many holidays as We
Virginians have. Besides, our hours
of labor have been lessened. Work
men no longer labor from sun to sun
as they did within the memory of many
persons who are now living, and clerks
and statesmen have shorter hours than
formerly No doubt working hours might
be still further shortened with advantage,
for the reason that at no time in this
country's history have rushing. pushing.
and "hustling" entered so largely into
our business lives. The strain on life Il
now greater than when days work was
from sun UP to sun down; for those were
DAYS when business was done Ieisurely.
whereas
speed. And 1t Is the pace that kills Your
horse may be ridden at a moderate gait
fifty or sixty miles: but spurred to the
top of his speed he may fall dead at the
end of ten miles.
The Fourth comes at a season when II
Is very welcome to townspeople a sea-
son OF heat. dust, and WEAKNESS And
the general idea now is to get all the re-
creation possible out OF II. 1t Is no longer
utilized as an educational day; as a
time for reviewing our early history and
euogizing the Revolutionary fathers. The
old-timc "Fourth-of-July'' celebration" is
a rarity now. Tammany keeps it up: so
does the Jefferson Club, OF Philadelphia.
but there used to be such a celebration.
with Fourth-of-July-spread oratory
In every county and every city in the
land. Buchanan Spring. CIarke's Spring.
Howard's Grove. Vauxhall Island and
the banks Of the Chckahomny were in
the past vocal with the orators eloquence
on Fourths; but they are silent enough
now. The descendants of the Richmond
ers who attended those celebrations con-
tent themselves with being spectators at
baseball games. or HE themselves TO
Hampton Roads. or 10 the mountains.
Thus times have changed; but not for the
worse, we believe. If our people do not
listen as patiently as formerly TO public
speakers. 1t is because they nowadays
have more fruitful sources OF information
In penIeous books and newspapers. II
they do not give as much thought TO the
Revolution az our ancestors did. il Is be-
cause our country's history has been
greatly enlarged since then. Then II was
q one-vo.ume affair: now II Is n three
volume affair. But we do not forget-wc
must not forget-that our national being
had ia origin In the aspiration for liberty
which found expression In the Declaration
OF Independence That Virginia should
have given 10 the Union the tongue that
fired our peoples hCerts for resistance
20 oppression. the author Of the Declara-
ton. and the leader Of our armies. and
that the conclusive battle Of the war
should have been fought upon Virginia
soil. are things that we must recall with
grateful prIdc--things that prove what
an important part Virginia and the South
played IN the war. for liberty and IN the
formation OF the Union. Let us cherish
sAs names Of the heroes Of the Revolution;