Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-01
SMALL BOYS RAID DISTRICT OFFICES
Letters Written by Citizens Re.
garding the Affair.
SOME OF THE COMMENTS

turers of pyrotechnics devise. Young Amer
lea rises triumphant, and is making up in
enthusiasm to be spent next Saturday, for
the damper the order of the Commissioners
put upon their patriotism some days ago.
Briefly, the Commissioners have done ex-
actly what Major Moore wanted them to
do and which they declared they did not
intend to do when the head of the police
force pointed out the effect of the first Or
der. 1t was then that the reservation plan
was adopted and a supplemental order sent
out.
Under the existing regulations the major
OF police has authority to grant permits
to explode fireworks, and the order issued
last evening. after the representatives of
me Chiidren's Society of the American Rev
olution had concluded their arguments is
directly in line with that regulation. In
their letter modifying the order they say:
Maj. William c. Moore. Superintendent Met
ropolitan Police d. c., Washington, DC
Dear Sir: The orders made by the Com
missioners for the enforcement of the ex-
.stlng police regulations with regard to the
use of fireworks and explosives Oh the ap-
preaching Fourth day of July were not
Intended in any way to supersede or an
null Section 8, Article 8, Of the Police Reg
ulations, which provides that mo gun
rifle. pistol or other firearms. torpedo fire.
crackers. squibs or other fireworks shall De
discharged or set off within the limits of
the city of Washington. or within the fire
limits of the District of Columbia outside
OF said city, or in or on any public road or
highway within the said District without q
special permit therefor from the major of
police"
To the contrary, 1t is the desire of the
Commissioners that whenever an appIica-
ton Is made by citizen for permission TO
set off freCrackers, squibs Roman candles
or other small fireworks, not including the
use OF pistols, giant firecrackers, sky rock
cts, or cannon, by citizens upon their own
premises that you issue permits therefor,
whenever, in your judgment such use of
such small fireworks can be had without
danger to the public or annoyance to those
residing in the vicinity. Very respectfully,
JOHN w. ROSS,
President Board of Commissioners Of the
District Of Columbia.
The news of the Commissioners action
spread like wildfire, and when the office of
the chief of police was opened this morning
quite crowd of urchins were on hand to
get coveted Iermit which would entitle
them to give active evidence of their pa
triotism. All applications that were re-
ceived during the day were placed file,
until the Commissioners had approved the
form Of permit, and the same had been
printed. 1t is expected that thousands of
permits will be issued. and the entire cler-
ical force of the police department kept
busy until the Fourth issuing the little doc
Gnents- The permits will give the appli-
cent authority to explode fireworks upon
and in the neighborhood of his own prem
ises provided a frame building or other
inf1ammable structure is not near at hand.
Getting Permits.
Where do you get permits at?'' asked
more than fifty of the several hundred
small boys who called at police headquar-
tiers this morning, because they desire to
celebrate Independence day.
Right in here" one of the early callers
vas told.
This is the funniest thing I ever heard
off, said the boy, land I'd like to know
what George Washington would say about
ahead and celebrate without any of this
monkey business. 1 don't see what good
permits are going to do, anyhow. cause
permits amt going to stop firecrackers
them from setting places fire. This is
the first time ever heard of having to get
permits.
There were very few Of the several hun
dred callers who did not take occasion to
deBounce the action Of the authorities in
compelling them to get permits.
Chief Clerk Sylvester's Office was filled
with men, women or children all day, and
all the callers wanted permits. The chief
clerk prepared a blank form of permit for
the approval Of the Commissioners, and
the names Of those making application were
recorded. and the permits will be sent to
them. 1t Is expected that the applicants
for permits will be so numerous tomorrow
that there will have to be detail of po-
hcemen made for clerical work. in order to
supply the demand. The permits will be
delivered by mail, and the work today was
SO heavy that Chief Clerk Sylvester's
clerical force was badly crippled.
More Letters on the Subject.
Few questions have aroused SO much in
terest among the citizens during the year
as this fireworks order. Comments and
suggestions reach The Star with every mail,
usually on behalf of the small boy. Today
IL. M. K" wrote to make the following
compromise proposition:
Give the patriotic youngsters q chance to
shoot off their enthusiasm in the morning.
say up to Q O'Clock, from which hour all
firing on the street must be suspended
until say, pm, when 1t may be resumed
and INDUCED without restraint through the
remainder of the evening or up to 10
o'clock. This, as 1t seems to me, would he
fair and just to all, and the most generally
satisfactory arrangement that could be
made. By such provision safety from fir
ing would be insured to those on the streets
with their teams for ten hours, and yet
ample time allowed for the explosion of
the indispensable firecracker and sky rock
ct Those who cannot blow off ammunition
and pent-up enthr siasm during these morn
ing and evening hours can retire to the res
crvations during the Intervening time and
celebrate to their hearts content"
Willie Dickerson writes a somewhat en-
thusiastic letter. in the course of which
he says: I'VE mean TO nre crackers ana
have a good time honestly. Now please
help us boys. We will be men some day
and then we will give other little boys
good time. 1 am willing to burn my
finger and go hungry on the Fourth II
we can only feel free from the cops. II
my father was living he'd let the Commits
sioners know what it was to be a loyal
citizen"
In reply to the words of 81. L. M" in
last evenings Star, IA Loyal Mother"
writes that 1t Is probably a duty of the
parents to try to train their children to
respect even arbitrary laws. She con-
tinues: "a most important duty, which
our Commissioners. as well as those higher
in official power, do not seem to recog-
nize, Is to cause to be instilled into the
very hearts of these boys, while making
laws which should allow them all the
privileges Of the Fourth Of July of old. the
same love Of loyalty that the boys of that
first Fourth of July had, when, with zip
and boom-boom of cracker and cannon,
they gave vent to their liberty from the
mother country and oppressonr'
IS. E. NJ" does not agree at all with the
original order Of the Commissioners. He
says:
We as Americans, should rejoice when
this glorious day arrives. We should dem
onstrate to the world at large that the
American sentiment prevails within US
and that we remember the important Incl
dents that occurred in our history, and