The Arizona sentinel., 1900-07-11
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
The Celebration Last "Wednesday 8
 Grand Success.

$ July i, 1900, in Yuma will be Ions |" remembered. This ancient and more D or less honorable pueblo has not here tofore been famous for her Fourth o July celebrations, but this year of ou1
 Lord 1900, the patriotic fire depart f ment summoned themselves into con. S clave and whooped the celebration up g In grand style. The business men and < citizens of the town came to the finan- 7 cial aid of the committee of f1remen in
 a handsome manner; and on the
 glorious fourth all the town was dec orated with the colors of the grandest nation in all tue march of time. Flags from every housetop, kissed by the
 sensuous south wind; seemed to re- loice with thousand tongues for the
 happiness and prosperity of this
 nations people. The boom of canon
 and roar of bomb seemed but to re-
 echo the glorious tidings which old
 liberty bell pealed from Fanaeill hall
 in '76. In short all went merry as a
 bell.
 The celebration took place at the
 quartermaster's grounds, where every
 thing had been prepared for the oc-
 casion. Watermelons, lemonade, ice
 cream, peanuts, etc., were on the
 grounds.
 Too much cannot be said of w. H.
 Elliott, who was the master of cere-
 monies. MT. Elliott worked untilingly l to make the event a success and deserves a full need of praise and commendation for his services as we'll as his patriotism.
 The first of the days program was the literary exercises. The audience made the welkin ring with patriotic airs. Miss Arbogast, a gifted elocu- tionist, recited patriotic recitation which was highly appreciated by the audience.
 M. B. DeVane read the declaration of independence. MT. DeVane pos sesses rich resonant voice, together with contagious southern ardor and patriotism, and his rendition of the declaration was just the kind to make the truths of that document felt.
 P. T. Robertson was the orator of the day. Mr. Robertson's speech was a masterpiece. In a most eloquent manner he reviewed the early history of the continent and the colonies; he dwelt with eloquence upon the period of the revolution. "From Concord to Yorktown is most glorious chapter" said MT, Roberson, "it tells of the heroic deeds of soldiers fighting for liberty, and of how they suffered famine, more dreadful than the shock of battle; it tells of people willing to sacrifice all-home, comfort life, every thing save honor, rather than give up tithe of their freedom it tells of the prayers and the yearnings, and the tears and the heroism, and the sacri- flee of noble women-the mothers, wives, sweethearts, sisters and daught- CTS of those same revolutionary heroes"
 The speaker reviewed the history from the revolutionary time up to the present. In speaking of the past and future he said: "And hence, say again, that we may we'll stand today ( proud of the past and confident of the ( future, and in the fading twilight of the century closing, while the coming dawn of the new is beginning to min gle it's golden rays with the waning light of the past, look back through ; this glorious avenues of time and view the monuments to civilization which we have erected"
 In closing MT. Robertson said:
 "I am not among the number of those who can see in the triumph of any one political party at the polls on election day the sacrifice of any of our liberties or the destruction of any of our institutions. This government is too great, and it's principles too dear to its people, to be overthrown by any one of the political parties in existence today. Were any party to attempt such thing, It would find it's own members among it's strongest antago- nists. It could not attempt such a thing and survive the first onset of the fury which it's own folly would create. That there are defects in our political system and institu- tions which need adjusting; that our ( government, thougL magni6cently grand, is not perfect; 1 know and ad- init, but let me remind you that Rome was not built in day; neither was our social and political system fashion ed in minute; neither did we reach | our present state of civilization in the I twinkling of an eye. Our government and civilization as they exist today, are the result of four centuries of i growth and developement based upon