The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-02-18
ANGLOMANIA OR ANGLoPHOBIA.
(COnmunicated.l

A member of parliament recently suggested that
the second verse Of "The Star-spangled Banner
ought to be eliminated for the reason that it con-
tanned language which was offensive to English
men, and that the continued singing of by Amcri-
cans would have a tendency to retard the growth
cordial good feeling between the two countries.
In accordance with this suggestion, the superin-
tendent of schools of the city of New York has
ordered that the Objectionable verse be omitted
whenever the song is sung in the public schools
The verse referred to is as follows:
That the havoc of war and the battles confusion
home and country shall leave us no more
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps
pollution,
No refuge can save the hireling and slave.
For the terror of flight DER the gloom of the
grave.
And the Star-spangled Banner in triumph shall
Der the land of the free and the home of the
brave.
Neither the member Of parliament nor the
superintendent of schools has put anything in place
of the verse stricken out. How would it do 90 sing
instead For he's jolly good fellow y or Wont
you come back Bill Bailey"
Now that this national hymn has been expur-
gated to please the taste of Englishmen the reform
should not stop there. There is another document
which should also be amended as it contains Ian
guage stronger than that in the song. This Is
the Declaration of independence, which seems to
have been written without any regard for the feel
ings of 'Englishmen. For instance, in one place
the following Objectionable language Is used:
"The history of the present king Of Great Brit
ain is history OF repeated injuries and usurpa-
tions, all having in direct object the establishment
of an absolute tyranny over these states
The rudeness displayed in using such language
must make the aforesaid superintendent shudder
This is another passage from the same document:
He (the king of Great Britain) has plundered
our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns and
destroyed the lives of people. He is at this
time transporting large armies of foreign mereen-
aries to complete the works of death desolation and
tyranny, already begun, with circumstances Of
cruelty and perfidy scarcely paraleled in the most
barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of
civilized nation"
Out with it. The fact that the statements we're
true makes difference 1t was rude to mention it
Here is another passage
'He has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants
Of our frontiers the merciless Indian savages whose
known rule of warfare is an undstinguished de-
'truction of all ages. sexes and conditions"
Suppose he did. Is that any reason why it should
De mentioned Are our children to be allowed to
'ead such unkind references to a king and nation
which so many of our "best people are now truck
ng to and aping? The men who framed this
declaration of independence were so sturdy and
obstinate that they would be failures as courtiers;
n fact, very few of them had ever been presented
It court. They were under the delusion that they
we're enttld to the fruits of their own labors that
il men created equal and they actually called it
obbery and tyranny when the king sought to de-
rive them of their property
There are other ways in which the glorious re-
orm should be carried out, along the lines now
egun, For instance, at place called Bunker Hill.
4 Boston, stands very tall and Imposing monu-
lent which marks the spot where III 1775 the CO.
'nlal troops, armed with old blunderbusses pitch
orks tlails scythes, etc. shot, prod and chased cer
am relocated gentlemen who were engaged in
nforcng what the people of that time called tho
5ranny of the king of Great Britain. Imagine
ow it must hurt the feelings of the member of par
ament referred to, to stand gazing through his
onocle at this monument, and reading the inscrip-
ons thereon Something ought to be done about
us at once. How would it do to surmount the
onument with q statue of George W. BY all
cans let the glorious reform continue