The record-union., 1897-06-19
MISTAKE OF THE FOURTH OF
JULY COMMITTEE.

Novelty and variety in Fourth of July
celebrations are wholly understandable
as features, when of proper character;
honorable sport and contest, display and
the spectacular within reason, are with
out objection. But there is no reason
whatever why these should displace or
minimize the traditional, old-time, dig
nified, patriotic and beautiful features
attaching so long to the celebration. In
deed, the old method has, it may be SAID,
become an unWritten law of the day, a
custom of ceremonial attaching to our
nationality, as the laws, customs, tradi-
tons and ceremonials Of civilizations
thousands of years old, have become
part and parcel of the system of society,
constituting at once factors of unity,
strength and patriotism.
The part of the ceremonial having
most meaning and that relates most
closely to the occasion on the Fourth of
July is what is generally but improperly
known as the literary features. After
the marshaling Of the procession follow
ing the flag comes the reading of the i'm
mortal declaration; Offering up of
a prayer of thanksgiving and beseechlng
to the Almighty; the recitation of a
poem; the singing of patriotic songs
with ascription to the starry banner OF
freedom; the Grafton, and finally the
benediction These should never be
omitted, never sandwiched with other
features, never taken down from that
high level of dignity, solemnity and GER
emonial that their character, their i'm
portance and their broad and lofty
meaning deserve.
Whoever tip-tilts his nose at the old
fashioned way of celebrating so far as
be suspected of misrepresentation of his
privileges as a freeman of America, of
lukewarm patriotism and of ignorance
of the teaching of the history of the
American revolution, and all it means
to mankind. He who looks upon the
Fourth of July as one for revel only, for
sport merely, for relaxation and jollity,
as a day of registering and comedy, de-
grades his Americanism and insults
the memory of the patriot fathers
who shed their blood and gave their lives
that we might be free men.
Observe the day in the usual tradition
al, dignified and ennobling way and with
such added charm as may be done, and
then add such features of rejoicing, rec
reation, sport, and the spectacular to the
aftermath as we may choose to adopt.
We look, therefore, with disfavor, as do
the people of the city generally, upon the
scheme of the Fourth of July Commit
tee to belittle the literary exercises, and
sandwich the dignified, the solemn and
the sacred features we have referred to
with platform show, athletic and COM
ady exercises, interspersed with the
tinkling of stringed instruments in con-
cert in the open air around a staging
which possibly thousand people may
approach to hear, and with all the at
tendant noise, confusion, movement and
discomfort of standing audience.
And all this to be.in the evening. we
are told, amid the pop of fugitive fire
crackers, and the fizz of the small boys
fiery serpent. 1t is seriously proposed
to cut down the grafton to fifteen min
utes, as if it is a nuisance best when
soonest over; this with delivery in
open air to a standing crowd; fifteen
minutes to the reading of the Declare
ton, with such surroundings; few
hasty minutes to the poem and the
prayer, and all the while red fire is to
burn and the fumes of it's chemicals to
strangle the unhappy speakers and
choke the Chaplain in the prayer to
God that struggles in the throat of the
priest.
Sandwiched between these, we are to
have exercises upon the parallel bars by
stripped athletes and (who knows?) pos
sibly boxing bout, and then other en-
tertainment is to be damned in and
timed to second between prayer, ora
ton, poem, invocation and reading. All