The record-union., 1897-06-18
THERE Will Be A PLATFORM.
The Movable Float Proposition
Abandoned.
Fourth of July Literary Exercise!
Will be Held in the Evening
at Capitol Park.

An interesting meeting of the Fourth
of July Executive Committee was held
last evening, and a most decided and
unique innovation was adopted as a
programme for 1.-The Day We Cele-
| brate.''
| The subcommittee We're nearly all
ready with estimates Of the probable
| expenses they would incur, and mat
| tiers moved along smoothly until Mr..
Coleman of the Committee on Evening
| Entertainment came to report, when
| it was discovered that that committee
| had given up all hope of making a
success of the movable float PROPOSE
| ton, and had decided upon setting up
| a platform 30x50 feet, facing Capitol
| Park in the vicinity of Thirteenth AMI
N streets. and thereon holding the pro-
| POSED acrobatic performance, and such
| instrumental talent as might be had.
| But the Committee on Evening En-
! tertainment went further. 1t had been
| disappointed, Mr.. Coleman explained,
| in securing the services of as many
organizations as had been expected,
and to round out the evening 1t was
| suggested that the literary programme
| usually delivered after the conclusion
of the day parade be held on the plat
form in the evening. The grafton was
| to be cut down to fifteen minutes, a
| similar space of time was to be ac-
corded to the Turner'S and to the men,
| bers of the Sacramento Club, and an
other quarter Of an hour be set apart
for the Y NJ. c. A. Octet, which
would render national airs in approved
| or Q1 n he burned while
the vocal music was in progress, and
the committee felt certain that a cred
liable entertainment might be had.
| Then Mr.. Beckwith of the Literary
Committee rose in his might and de-
manded fireworks. 1t must be, he said,
clear to every member of the committee
that such an affair as that outlined
by Mr.. Coleman would prove dismal
failure He had not approved the NOV
| ing float proposition, but had detected
in it a possible chance for success
which was absolutely lacking in the
present scheme Not 1000 people, he
prophesied, would gather to witness a
platform exhibition at night, and those
who did come would not stay long. He
Contended that a celebration was in
tended to create a feeling of patriotism
in the rising young American and that
an ordinary theatrical performance
could neither instill patriotism, nor in
terest those it was meant to stir up.
| Commit teeman F'icks answered Mr.
| Beckwith by stating that fireworks
were a relic of barbarism, and ought
never to have been brought away from
the Orient where they originated. They
had ever proven failures in the city
and he would none of them.
c. NJ Harrison said he was not an
Oriental and hoped he was not a bar
barian, but that he did like fireworks
and was strongly opposed to Mr. Cole
mans plan.
| c. NJ Spencer of the Literary Com
mittee submitted that fireworks We're
| the first and last thought of young
Americans. There was no city in the
| State, he said, better situated for a
successful pyrotechnical display than
Sacramento, and works set off from
| movable floats on the river and set
pieces on the Yolo levee would, beyond
| doubt, be entirely satisfactory to the
10000 persons who would assemble to
witness the spectacle.
| Mr.. Coleman'S original plan, Mr..
Spencer said, had proven a dismal
| failure and had it not been out of re-
spect to the former. he felt certain that
the committee would have voted down
| the proposition without a second
thought. Coleman's plan, as had been
expected, was a teetOtal failure, and his
/ substitute, if adopted, would not draw
a thousand people. If adopted by the
committee the day would mark a point
as the dullest, most insignificant ceIe-
bration ever held in the city.
| Messrs Purnell, Ficks and Coleman
| favored the plan submitted by the sub
committee, and it was adopted by a
viva voce vote, thus settling that the
literary programme should be thrown
in to assist in making a success of the
evening programme.
| The several subcommittee reported
| estimates of necessary funds as fol-
lows: Literary 500, Printing 1865,
Parade 1913, Music S421, Evening En-
tertainment $500, prizes for best ilIum-
mated wheels in evening parade 500
for Grand Marshal $50.
| On motion of Committeeman Cron-
kite it was decided to allow none other
than American flags to be carried in
! the parade
| Here You Can Find