The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-03-23
AsToRIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
FIREWORKS AND PATRIOTISM.

FIREWORKS AND PATRIOTISM.
Police Commissioner Gordon and members of the
city council have in view the enactment of ordi
nance restricting the use of firecraekers as means
of celebrating certain historical occasion of con-
siderable moment and other occasions of less I'M
portance At the next meeting Of the council if the
city attorney finds time to prepare the measure it
win be brought up for action, and doubtless passed
If the council happens to enact this proposed BILL
it will not have labored thus long in vain.
It is somewhat singular but nevertheless true,
that the ordinary man wants to make noise when he
feels good The average drunkard for instance,
wants to exercise his vocal organs in vigorous
ner and if your candidate happens to be elected the
desire to shout comes over you and you will seldom
be satisfied until this desire has been appeased The
conservative element smiles quietly at victory, but
the proposed ordinance is not intended for this class
of people. 1t aims to keep within proper bounds
the enthusiastic throng that lets its enthusiasm In
terfere with the rights and liberties of those whose
sentiment while perhaps quite deeplyrooted, does
not manifest itself so boisterously.
These vigorous celebrants Of ours have operated
under the license which patriotism affords on most
occasions On the Fourt hof July the man with lk-
ing for pistol practice may march up and down the
busy street with areyolver in each hand and to his
hearts content tear holes in the atmosphere. AT
any other time of the year. except perhaps, New
Years morn, the police would swoop down upon him
;o.l n,
lous hypothesis that he is showing his patriotism,
this man with the acute desire for use of firearms
is permitted to at large notwithstanding the fact
that he occasionally shoots out the eye Of some
and dear friend, or freghtens team of horses that
dashing through crowded thoroughfares, runs down
and kills some hapless child
A moment s reflection will probably convince most
right-minded people that patriotic demonstration
ought not to convert this nation into land Of howl
ing unitics. Just because the Fourth Of July rolls
around once year it ought not of necessity follow
that the small boy shall be permitted to throw a
bursting recracker into the face of some passerby
or that the enthusiastic adult shall be licensed to ex-
plode bomb at the feet of some unthinking person
who has stopped on the corner to wait for his ear
Even on the glorious Fourth, when the eagle is
screaming and the lad of lads is devisng ways and
means of acquiring bountiful supply of gunpow-
der tightly wrapped in paper the wellbalanced man
ought to be allowed to walk down the street with his
little girl without having to run the gauntlet of ex
ploding frecrackers hurled at his head by the en-
thusiasts who have been carried away with the gen.
eral lunacy of the occasion.
Now we would not discourage patriotism, but did
you ever enjoy the delightful sensation Of exploding
frecrackers in your coat pocket? Did the nape Of
your neck ever provide the resistance necessary to
the explosion of a torpedo9 Did some acquaintance
ever set off quite near to you giant cracker or a
miniature cannon injuring the drum Of your ear
to such extent that you were unable to hear propery
for monthsY Was your little girl ever burned to
death as the result of recracker careessy thrown
or was your sons eye put out or his hand blown off
on the nation natal day.
If anything of this sort has ever happened Won
or come under your observation you may have some
little appreciation of the ridiculous extent to which
a patriotic demonstration may be- and usually is.
edfTleu III dl reason, we submit tat the occasion
does not warrant it Patriotism we agree, is mighty
good thing; but there is place for lunatics The
temporarily insane individual who promiscunrsly
hurls his recrackers at people very greatly re-
sembles the rowdy who throws watersoaked showbals
at everyone who chances to pass.
II the council can enact some measure which will
have tendency to restrain such persons it is to be
hoped the law will be provided without delay.