The Irish standard., 1908-02-22
LEGAL HOLIDAYS.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS.
Today is set apart by the people of
the United States in honor of tho
Father OF Our Country. February ed,
more nearly than any other day Of tho
year, except July 4th, is a national
holiday. 1t is &; legal holiday in all
the states except Mississippi. 1t is a
legal holiday also in the District of
Columbia, and the territory of Arizona.
Mississippi, the lone state where it is
not d legal holiday, observes the day
by exercises In the public schools.
July 4th is a legal holiday in all the
states, District of Columbia, and all
the territories. There Is no such thing
as national holiday in the United
States, not even the 4th of July. Con-
gress has at various times appointed
special holidays. 1t has made Labor
Day a public holiday in the District of
Columbia. 1t has recognized the exist
ence of certain days as holidays for
commercial purposes, but there is no
general federal statute on the subject.
When the President of the United
States. by proclamation, designates a.
day of Thanksgiving, that proclamation
makes the day a legal holiday in the
District OF Columbia, and the terri
tories of the United States, but not in
the states. Thanksgiving Day is OBJ
served i'll all tho states and territories.
but it is not a legal holiday in all the
states. Christmas Day is a legal l1oli-
day in all the states, the District of
Columbia and territories.
Excepting the 4th of July alone, there
is no day connected with the history
of tho United States which is SO uni
versally recognized as a legal holiday
as Washington's birthday. Mississippi
is the one state which has failed to
pass a law making it legal holiday.
There are not statutory holidays IN
Mississippi, but by common consent
the 4th of July, Thanksgiving day and
Christmas are observed. The 4th OF
July will probably always remain the
most distinctively national holiday. and
next to it. it is safe to assume that
Washington's birthday will be the most
universally observed OF national ami
versarics.
Because Washington's and Lincoln's
come so close together
1T is the practice to think of them in
the same connection, but it is a mis-
take to assume that Lincoln's birthday
is d national holiday in the sense that
February 22nd is. Lincoln's birthday
is observed as a legal holiday only in
the North and not in all of the North.
1t is legal holiday in Colorado.
Connecticut. Delaware, Illinois, Kan
sas, Massachusetts. Minnesota, Me-
vada. New Jersey, New York, North
Dakota. Pennsylvania. washington
and Wyoming. 1t is too much to ex-
poet that it ever will be observed as a
holiday in any of tho Southern states.
juno Srd. the anniversary o fthe birth
OF Jefferson Davis. is Il legal holiday
in Florida. Georgia. Alabama, Missis-
sippi. Tennessee. Texas and South Car
oline and it is safe to say that the
time will never come when these states
will legally recognize February 18th.
The following Southern states have
made January 10Th, the anniversary of
Robert r. Lees birthday, a legal holi-
day: Florida. Georgia. North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia. Alabama and
Arkansas. No Northern state has
General Grant in tho same
way.
There are a few states which have
legal holidays peculiar to themselves.
January Stll, the anniversary of the
battle of New Orleans, is legal holi-
day in Louisiana. March End, the an
niversary OF Texan independence, is
legal holiday in Texas. as is also April
21st, the battle of San Jacinto. May
Goth. the anniversary of the signing Of
the Mecklenberg Declaration of Inde-
pendence, is legal holiday In North