The record-union., 1897-06-11
THE NATIONAL ANNIVERSARY
The Executive Committee Meets and
Outlines Its Plans.
There Will be No Public Fireworks,
But New Kind of Evening
Entertainment.

mIttee held a stormy meeting in Mayor
Hubbard's office last evening, and the
chamber was ablaze with fervid ora
tory, intermingled with motions,
amendments and substitutes. At the
end, however, all differences We're OBJ
liberated and harmony prevailed.
L. w. Heintzelman, o. w. Erlewine
and ]. M. Anderson resigned from the
committee on account of press Of busi-
| ness, and their places were filed by the
appointment of Ed Kay, DR.. Todd and
Stephen Uren.
GEORGE G. McMullen, for the Finance
Committee, reported that the Board of
Supervisors had been called ON and re-
| quested to appropriate funds towards
the celebration. The members present
had received the request favorably and
promised assistance, but declined to
take definite action until after the re-
turn of Supervisor Morrison.
Mr.. Beckwith, for the Literary Com
mittee, reported progress. The members
of the committee, he said were at
tempting to secure the services of an
orator for the occasion, and when that
was finished the remaining part of the
programme would soon be filled out.
lie L dIdut 1OIiiIlllL6c w DIS Ills u uSA-
ed to report at the next meeting on the
cost of appropriate floats for the pa
rade.
j. o. Coleman, for the Evening En-
tertainment Committee, described his
proposed plan of entertainment at
length. The plan, in brief, is to fit out
six or eight floats, two of which shall
be occupied by acrobats, who shall give
performances, two by vocalists, who
shall sing patriotic and other songs,
and others still by members of either
and guitar clubs.
The floats, according to Mr. Coleman's
plan, will be divided into two groups,
and each float after a performance at
one point on the streets surrounding
Capitol Park, shall move to another and
repeat the performance, until the circuit
of the park shall have been made,
Mr. Coleman said he had talked with
a great many citizens regarding his
proposed plan, and all had regarded it
favorably, and as being entirely feast
BILE. He had, he said interviewed indi-
vidual members of such organizations
as would be called on to furnish the
talent for the entertainment and all had
entered heartily into the spirit Of the
plan. He felt certain the people would
| be better satisfied with such a pro-
gramme successfully carried out than
by the usual fireworks fizzle. If adopt
ed by the committee, the entertainment
ought to be held upon a plane which
would not only instruct and amuse the
populace, but reflect credit upon the
promoters.
To oil 10, 4Lot 7tnr>
tainment would meet with hearty CO.
operation from the Turn -Verein and
from the Sacramento Athletic Club, and
it had been suggested that the Mcneil
Club be requested to furnish singers,
and that the Mandolin and Either Clubs
be requested to occupy a float.
Mr.. Beckwith inquired whether it was
intended that the proposed entertain
ment should take the place of the usual
pyrotechnical display.
Mr.. Coleman said that such was GER
tainly the intention.
Then Mr.. Beckwith vigorously OBJ
jected He did not, he said wish to
be a marplot and hoped he was not a
silurian, but a Fourth of July celebra-
tion without fireworks would entirely
fail in what it was intended to accom-
plish. If Mr.. Coleman's programme, he
| said, was to be carried out, the COM
mittee would always regret it's action,
and the celebration would be looked
back to as the dullest ever experienced
in this city.
The idea of a Fourth of July celebra-
ton, Mr.. Beckwith said, was to instill
patriotism into the hearts of the rising
generation, and it could best be ex-
pounded by means of fire. Anvils and
cannon and bombs and fireworks meant
something to boys and girls, but an en-
tertainment such as that proposed
would be to young Americans a stupid
bore which none would care to see Such
an entertainment might do for adults,
but it would convey nothing of patriot
ism to the mind of the growing child.
He insisted that the celebration be held
along the old lines, that children might
see and understand
Mr.. Coleman explained that red fire
would be burned at proper times during
the performance it was proposed to
give, and that the whole was to con-
clude with grand illuminated bicycle
parade.
Mr.. McMullen took sides with Mr.
would be more in keeping and more pa
triotic than any entertainment that
could be arranged. If the right men
were put on a fireworks committee,
good exhibition could be had, and exor
bitant commissions need not be paid
firms which dealt in fireworks.
Mr. Heilbron said it would be difficult
to raise funds for the purchase of fire.
works, and that not one out of fifty
children were ever allowed to attend a
display
Mr.. Spencer explained that the cost
for the floats proposed would be much
less than for the allegorical floats used
in a day parade.
Committeeman Ficks, Bauer, Wright,
Hogan and others took up the cudgels
against fireworks, and numberless mo-
tions. amendments and substitutes
poured in until nobody knew just what
was before the meeting.
1t was finally sifted down to a mo-
ton by Mr.. Wright to the effect that
the Committee on Evening Entertain
ment be instructed to proceed on the
plans proposed by Mr.. Coleman. and
that Il report the probable cost of such
an entertainment at the next meeting.
A motion by Mr.. Beckwith 10 lay the
motion on the table was lost by a vote
of 9 to 3, and the original motion pre-
vailed, thus settling the question of a
pyrotchnic display at the coming
Fourth of July celebration.
A motion to allow the Invitation Com
,,i-+ao $40 for Immediate llSe was car