Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-17

The t0urth 0no JSS oaeVtuceSs
The Fourth Of July is close enough
at hand 50 that in the big cities people
who have regard for the public safety
and for the eternal fitness Of things,
and who have the courage to express
their opinions aloud, are making their
annual plea IN behalf CT a sane AMI
sensible celebration of the great
national holiday. Realizing that it is
of no use to appeal to the youngsters
themselves whose methods Of Observ-
ing the day have made it an occasion
OF terror and suffering to all people
who possess nerves; and an occasion OF
the killing Of hundreds and manning Of
thousands Of people, each year, they
are seeking to have the municipal au-
thorities enforce the laws against the
selling of dangerous explosives and
their use on the streets and in public
places. This same agitation Is made
each year, and each year after the
Fourth comes and goes there is the
same grim summing up of the fearful
results of a Chinese celebration of an
American holiday.
We have not at hand the figures of
the casualties Of last Fourth of July,
but, according to the statistics collec-
ted and published in the Journal Of the
American Medical Association, there
were 465 lives sacrificed, and fully 1000
persons seriously injured in the cele~
bratiOn Of the Fourth in 1903. The
in that magazine were all authepti-
Gated and absolutely reliable. 1t is not
to be supposed that II by any means
included all the accidents that occurred
throughout the country. but even
though the statistics were incomplete,
what an appalling showing it made. A
battle in which 500 mel were killed and
1000 wounded would fill the newspapers
of the world with thrilling accounts Of
the slaughter. and preachers and
humanitarians would exhaust the re-
sources of language in vigorous de-
nuncia,ion Of the horrors Of war, yet
the equally appalling list of killed and
wounded as the result Of a peaceful
Fourth Of July celebration receives
scant attention at the hands Of either
press or public.
OF the 465 deaths reported in the
magazine above mentioned as a result
of the celebration of the Fourth Of 1903,
4O6 were directly due to lockjaw.
caused by powder wounds; the others
were directly due to explosives Of one
kind or another. OF the 1000 injuries
tabulated, 10 persons suffered the loss
of both eyes; rs the loss Ut one eye; "a
the loss Of arm or leg. and ia the
loss of one or more fingers. In sum-
ming up its tables, ths Medical Journal
perhaps only one-half. of the deaths
and injuries throughout the whole
country are included. Last years re-
suits were practically the same. and
there is every prospect that the totals
of dead and injured will he as large or
larger, this year, unless prompt and
general measures are adopted to pro-
tect the boys Of the country against
themselves. 1t is needless to say that
the great majority Of those killed and
injured are young boys. although often
1t is an innocent bystanier who suf-
fers.
True patriotism is an exc client thing.
There Is no danger that this country
will ever suffer from an excess of it
but our present method OF celebrating
the birthday of national independence
is by no means an expression Of patri-
otism. No person serves his country
by making ITS greatest holiday simply
a day of peril to life, limb and prop
erty. A very small per cent Of those
celebrating the Fourth in way to
cause the fearful list Of casualties
which annually mars it, has any real
spirit of patriotism. They only want
ali opportunity to make noise and in
dulge in a license not sllowed on other
days and nights. 1t would be better to
abolish Fourth Of July Gs holiday
sadly dimmed by the recent expert
ences Of it's celebrations, than to con-
tinue indefinitely the awful annual
sacrifice we now make to its memory.
Poor, eisoted Old Spain.