, 1907-07-03
SIGNIFICANCE OF DAY WHOSE
RECURRENCE Is cELEsRAT-
ED FROM OCEAN
TO OCEAN.
of July tho One Occasion fol-
New and Inspiring Thoughts,
Maine Fisherman. May Sit Around
and Think or lust Sit Around
Noise and oratory the Features.
Or. E. Fitch.)

Or. E. F1tch.)
Most American things possess mer,
its that do not appear at first look. So
it is with the Fourth of july. Being
Liberty day" it is the one day OH
which all can do a. they please, there
being not the least constra'ct-legal.
moral or social-upon any one to do
anything. All hail it with pleasure.
as a welcome breathing place in a sea,
son full OF duties.
A Day for Noises.
1t is, however, Liberty day" to the
younger ones as well as to the older,
and the small boy and his sister are
licensed to make all the noise they
want to. The orator also has his
innings, and the ambitious man who
has a few sheaves of eloquence to I'M
loose will do well to go to Centennial
with the Eagles, there to pour his
perfervid words into the ears of prac,
tically all the people of Albany coun.
ty-and some MORE. Here he is I'M
trammeled by fears of saying the
wrong thing, and he may be as clio.
quent as he is able, for he has nobody
to %denounce, he need not advocate re-
forms, which are sure to antagonize
some one, and he need not defend his
party.
Fourth on Other Days.
The first Fourth of July celebration
was held in Philadelphia on the 9Th,
in New York on the 9th, and in Bos-
ton on the 18th of July, 1875. Congress
adjourned on the first Fourth, and had
dinner together, at which the music
was furnished by a Hessian band cap,
tured at Trenton, and a company of
soldiers fred a volley between each
toast. All but a few surly looking
homes were illuminated at night, and
there was no lack Of bells, bonfires
and fireworks.
Some Notable Celebrations.
The Fourth of July Grafton as a
feature made it's first appearance in
1888. The Jubilee" on the fiftieth an.
niversary was the most elaborate cele.
bration up to that time. The fact that
three of the signers of the declaration
were then living; that the South Amer
lean countries were then struggling to
shed the yoke of Spain, and the popu-
lar sympathy with Greece gave added
inspiration to the occasion; while such
orators as Josiah Quincy, Edward Ev'
erett and eminent congressman lent
the event much dignity. In New York
10000 people vert present, and the
immense procession was reviewed by
Governor Dewitt Clinton, and oxen
roasted whole were served at the feast.
There was intense enthusiasm, and the
demonstration was generally very help.
full to the nation hen passing out of its
childhood.
Great Centennial Celebration.
The next distinctly great event was
the Centennial at Philadelphia, and
the marvellous changes of fifty years
were made plain in the nature OF the
exercises. There was no lack of noise
and patriotic sentiment, but science,
art and literature received a due share
of attention. The vice president of
tho ITpitoa StotaS re- @ cho ;ru,op VIII
liam NJ. Evarts was chief orator and
o. w. Holmes and Bayard Taylor con.
tributed poems.
What the Day Stands For.
The deeper meaning of our Fourth
of July rests in the fact that prior to
July 4, 1776, the governments of tbs
world had all been instituted and car
ried on upon a principle Numerically
opposed to the doctrines enunciated by
the Declaration of Independence, and
the material development of this ma
ton has been greatly exceeded and
by what could be termed
the spiritual influence.
Descended from the Gods.
From the time Of the Jewish gov
down to the present, the
basic principle of governments in gen
eral has been theocracy. In China.
and Japan the emperor claims direct
descent from the gods, and the people
only for his benefit. All the pres
ent governments Of Europe, except in
England, France and Switzerland, are
on much the same principle;
the rulers hands, by some supposed
divine right, and this theory survives