Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-24
The July Sacrifices.

In time of war the wise commander pre-
mares for the Inevitable results of an ex-
pected battle by ensuring the possession OF
ample medical supplies. The hospitals are
equipped as close to the field as possible
and surgeons stand ready for the care OF
the wounded.
In these piping times of peace the wise
administrators of city and state anticipate
! the battle of July by making very similar
! preparations. Hospitals are made ready
/ for the influx of cases Antiseptics are pro-
! yided in extra abundance. Dressings are
| laid out for easy access and the day 8
dawning finds the surgeons expectant OF
great rush of claimants for their services.
I Up in Albany the state health authorities
! have Just sent forth a bulletin to the effect
that they are prepared to furnish tetanus
! antitoxin for use in case of Fourth of July
! wounds. Doubtless as the years pass, un-
| less a change comes over the spirit of the
| so-called patriotism of the American public,
| such precautions will become more general
! and preparations will be made everywhere
on a large scale for the siege of fire and
; noise
! This is comparable to the activity of city.
! state and federal sanitary authorities when
} ever epidemics menace the public health.
Remedies, representatives. and palliatives are
: manufactured and distributed In large
I quantities. often free of cost to the public.
! There is no thought of expense whenever a
peril menaces the lives of the citizens.
Is Independence day to be classed In the
future with war and pestilence? Must it
be anticipated in the same light as battles
and epidemics? The annual records show
that the mortality of the day, not to men
/ ton the injuries, Is comparable with those
caused by plaques and encounters on the
field of war. But those who die in battle
are adults, who have exposed themselves
to danger for the sake of country, in be-
half of principle. Their sacrifices are
often contributory to great ends. Plaques
may be regarded as vistations of Provi-
dence. punishments for the neglect of some
vital law principle of life. Battle death
is a sacrifice to ultimate good purpose and
epidemics teach valuable lessons
The deaths which occur on Independence
day are wasted. They teach no lesson, lead
to no advantage. They are ipexcusable
/ from any point of view. They are due to
the outcropping of barbaric tendency, a
desire to make a noise. with little or no
thought for the sentiment which is sup
posed to inspire all unusual demonstrations
on the occasion. Where the plague points
the way to better methods. to the correc-
ton of mistakes. to newly discovered
truths. the annual July sacrifice leads to no
reform. to no new knowledge, to no good
end.
This year as never before the country's
leaders of thought are aroused to the de-
plorable waste of life and limb. They are
demanding the rescue of the population
from this peril and the day from its degen-
Grafton. If through their efforts for the es-
tablishment of a more reasonable celebra-
ton the tide, which has been setting
strongly toward unchecked barbarism Of
late years. is turned toward moderate OBJ
servances, the sacrifices of the past years
will not have been altogether in vain.