New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-21
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
FOR A QUIET FOURTH OF JULY.
Not the Proper Way to Celebrate with Noise
and Fatal Accidents.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In a short time the Fourth OF July will be
here-hreworl1s. 1recraCkers noise. shouting. row.
dyism and a great celebration Do any Of your
readers think for moment what the Fourth OF
July involves? 1t foretells this that at least five
hundred men, women boys and children Of the
United States will lose their lives in the celebration
of that day This is about the number that was
killed year by the careless use OF guns. pistols.
1irecrackers etc. that day when all the States
heard from.
Just watch the papers day or so after the
Fourth Of July. and if the number of killed does
not run up TO this figure. 1t is very sorrowful to
have this to say but it is fact. About the half Of
these young peoples deaths may be traced and laid
at their parents The father TO his son:
This is the Fourth OF July. my boy. Here are
pistol. cartridges, frecrackers etc. Go and enjoy
yourself. That boy goes right out into tho street.
and If he does not shoot the other boys eyes out
he generally blind himself or shoot some OF his
fingers OF. If IL doesn't kill him at the time, IL
turns to blood poisoning lockjaw. and he dies.
Then the father Of this boy wonders how tho acct
dent happened. But there is wonder about II;
indeed. II would have been a greater wonder II II
hadn't happened. The father encouraged tho boy
those weapons and explosives. and he did It.
II the parents OF children would stop giving them
those large frecrackers there might be fewer acct
dents. Another thing that great many
accidents and deaths is that boys fire .22-calibre
pistols in the streets Also. men have been seen
shooting rifles with ball cartridges from the windows
OF their houses over the tops OF buildings. These
rifles supposed 10 carry ball one mile and Kill
at that distance. This ball. passing mile over
houses may 90 into window on the top floor
and Kill some person. We often read OF persons
being shot IN their own houses tho Fourth Of
July. OF course. IT is found out who fred the
shot as IT was fired a mile away. This careless
shooting and taking OF human life helps every year
10 swell the number OF deaths on the Fourth OF
July.
This firing OF guns pistols and setting on of fire.
crackers should be stopped in the city limits. In
fact. have too much noise In the city. and all
sensible persons know that enough people every
year lose their lives IN accidents. without this
wholesale killing tho Fourth OF July. When are
Fourth. that kills many people? When are We
going TO learn TO have some common sense and
more humanity?
There IS real pleasure genuine fun IN thus
causing the death OF many human beings This
Is not the proper way TO celebrate the Fourth OF
gatherings Of people. men. women and children. in
the parks. country seaside. with music lectures
etc. Let people spend their money In buying flags
and bunting and hanging them from the windows
and doors 81 their houses The day should DE spent
social gatherings. fraternal greetings. Then
the celebration Of the Fourth OF July. In fact all
should ain. TO keep II In accord with the humaui-
tartan spirit OF the age working toward peace and
good will 10 all The only thing that should
be stopped IS young men shooting people. blowing
their eyes and shooting their hands and fingers
on; also the incidental killing Of 80 many people
this day.
All churches Christian people and good citizens
should raise their voices against tho killing OF five
hundred human beings every year In the United
States by our barbarous custom OF celcbrating the
Fourth Of July ]. IL. SMITH.