New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-04
FIREWORKS AND NUISANCES.

The tale of many years will be retold today
Indeed il has been in process OF retellng' IN
disagreeable instruments. for several days past.
This is the season. and this the crowning day
of the season of fireworks and OF nuisances.
And the nusances are far more numerous and
more perceptible than the fireworks. Perhaps
1t will do no more good to protest against the
nuisances this year than II has In years past.
But at least il seems desirable 10 put on record
some expression Of the annoyance that millions
of people experience at the carnival of evil
sounds and evil smells.
The love Of fireworks is a praiseworthy senti-
ment There is something TO admire in dis
play of rockets and bombs and what not. which
fills the darkened heavens with flames and
gtterlng stars and falling fiery rain of many
hues. Such a display appeals to the same
sense that appreciates flowers and flags and
rninbows and effects Of color In the sunset
sky. 1t appeals to the love Of beauty In color
and also in form and movement. great ex-
hiMtion of such fireworks may command the
attention OF rational men and women just as
much as n great musical performance. The one
IS n feast OF color the other n feast Of sound.
And the hUmblest individual may gratify the
same taste with few pinwheels or Roman
candles Just as he may crafty his musical
taste with n simple song
But the Fourth-of.Iuly nusances are apart
from all these. They consist Of crackers ana
torpedoes and bombs and what not they
give forth no coloref light. They display no
fascinating forms OF light. They crafty no
rational sense. They do nothing but make I'M
pleasant noises and equally unpleasant smells.
and incidentally scare horses. torture the SICK
and sensitive. set buildings afre and MAIN
their manpuators. They are absolutely sense
less. stupid and brutal. There is no more rea-
son for them, or for permitting them TO he in
fcted upon the public. than for letting some
body pound with a sledgehammer upon an
empty boiler. II is nonsense to say that II IN
culcatps patriotism to let boys use such things.
If II inculcatcs anything II is brutal disregard
Of the comfort of other people-not, we vent
IRE 10 submit an essential element OF Ameri-
can patriotism.
ANY physician will testify that this annual
debauch of noise and stencil makes many well
persons Ill, and Ill people more i'll, actually
causng not n few deaths outright. The rec
ords of the hospitals and Of the Fire Depart
ment tell how many persons. young and old. are
manned and dsigured, more or less. and how
many fires often serious in their extent are
caused by the powder burning of the Fourth
Of July Any rational and rejecting man can
Judge what effect upon their future morals and
manners II Will have to let the boys Of the city
60 about for days each year with toy pistols,
aiming them at each other and at all passers-
by and with bombs and crackers. which they
maclousy throw under horses feet into street
cars and even at people who are so unfortunate
as to be on the street at the time 1t is little
more than a school OF rutfinnism. It should no
more be tolerated or licensed than we should
for one day in the year give license for boys
TO 90 about throwing stones through windows.
There could be no Fourth Of July more cred
table to the patriotism and to the common
sense Of this Nation than one absolutely devoid
Of these nuisances.