Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1903-07-22
is 1T WORTH WHILE7

The Homeseeker discussing the
modern day ideal of Fourth of July
celebrations, says that there is a grow
ing disposition on the part of thought
full persons to question the wisdom of
the Fourth of July celebration as con
Quoted in these latter days. The rela-
ton of powder to patriotism has GER
tainly been greatly exaggerated and,
sad to say, the day is regarded in
many quarters as noisy nuisance, TO
be endured for the sake of the young
sters. An appalling list of disasters
occupies the front pages of the news
papers on 1.-THE morning after" and
those minor victims who succeeded in
contributing nothing more than an
ear or a finger to the GLORIOUS
Fourth are scarcely mentioned.
Leaving aside the question of the en-
ormous expense of money, time and
temper incident to the present method
of observing the day, and looking
simply at the fatalities and casualties,
the inquiry deserves consideration !:
Is it worth while? The Trainer of the
Latin sentiment that recommends the
dying for ones country as a most
pleasant experience, could not have
prophetically in mind the victims of
the American Fourth of July, swathed
in bandages, writhing on beds of pain
and lamenting their own exceeding
folly.
In accounts of shooting ARRAYS We
are accustomed to read that an Sin
nocent bystander" is generally around
somewhere to serve conveniently as a
victim, often the only one. The an
alogy is sufficiently carried out in the
case of the Fourth of July celebra-
ton, large proportion of the injured
being those not actively engaged in
the consumption of gunpowder, but
injured through the carelessness of
celebrators. But the class of non
participating victims whose case calls
for the widest sympathy is composed
of the sick, whose grave condition is
aggravated by the nerve-racking noise
of cannon crackers, fire arms, and
torpedoes. Declares a prominent
physician: ''There is no doubt that
the number of deaths directly trace
able to the noisy observance of the
Fourth, among those already seriously
ill, by far exceeds the number of
deaths caused by crackers and fire
arms, distressingly long as is the lat
ter list. In critical cases the con-
slant noise furnishes the additional
depression of the system that is suffi-
cient to cause death. The saying,
'butchered to make Roman holiday
might we'll be paraphrased in this
connection, for on no holiday of an
cient times were so man victims sac
rificed as on our own Fourth of July.
Every year l am compelled to witness
heart rending scenes of suffering due
directly to this miserable feeling that
the only way in which patriotism can
be shown is by the use of ear splitting
and dangerous fire arms. 1t is time
that legal measures we're taken to
effect reform and substitute a safer
method of celebrating the day of ma
tional independence. -
In the bringing about of this reform
the small fire cracker and the display
of beautiful night fire works need not
be abolished. But the exercise of
moderation in their use and the set
ting apart of places remote from
dwelling huoses, where those fond of
noise celebrate to their hearts con-
tent, Would conduce to saner ceIe-
bratiOn, materially lessen the annual
mortality and add to the sum of hu
man happiness throughout our coun-
try on this, the most distinctive of
American holidays.