Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04
INDEPENDENCE DAY

NJ the example of little Woodstock, /
Conn. and have a sane Fourth The
program of a sane Fourth does not |
mean a dull Fourth. The absence OF
deadly weapons and dangerous eXplo- /
sives does not interfere with en-
thusiasm. After all. danger is not nee
essarily an element in enthusiasm, and |
human sacrifices are not essential tol
patriotism.
The Woodstock celebration always is /
attended by visitors from New York
and other cities. and to those who take
part in a Woodstock Fourth for the
first time the program is a revelation
of what might be done in every COM
munity. Patriotic music, outdoor sports
and a great rally around the f1ag,' the
pnb1ic reading of the Declaration OF
Independence and a patriotic Grafton
make up the features of the day
woodstock is a little, quiet, old fash
ioned place, but trains carry to It So
many excursonists who wish to take
part in sane celebration that on
independence day it is actually metro
politan.
Cleveland and many other big cities
this year will follow the example OF
little Woodstock, and will have patrl-
otic Fourth instead of a fireworks
Fourth.
Some people now in Los Angeles re-
member vividly how Major William NC
Kinlev Interested himself in bringing
,o1n1,ru tinn in
the little Ohio city where his home was
The Declaration of Independence was
read. and a patriotic parade was fol-
lowed by a patriotic concert. In an
interview with a correspondent repre-
senting a New York newspaper, Major
Mckinley expressed himself strongly
In favor of the abolition of the Chinese
substitute for Fourth, and the restor-
alton of a REAL INDEPENDENCE
DAY. A few years before he had been
the orator of the day at the sane
Woodstock celebration, and in his ad-
dress he made a memorable appeal to
conscience, saying:
I'm no country is there so much de-
volving upon the people relating 10
government as in ours. Unlike any
other nation. here the people rule, and
their will is the supreme law. 1t isl
sometimes sneeringly said by those VINO
do not like free government that here
we count heads. True, heads are
counted. but brains also. rms
nation. if it would continue to lead IN
the race of progress and liberty must
do it through the intelligence and con-
science of It's people. Every honest and
God-fearing man is a mighty factor
in the future of the Republic. Edu-
Gated men. business men, professional
men. should be the last to shirk the
responsibilities attaching to citizenship
in a free government. They should be
practical and helpful-mingling with
the people-not selfish and exclusive
It is not necessary that every man
should enter into politics or adopt 1t as
a profession. or seek political prefer
ment. but 1t is the duty of every man to
give personal attention to his political
duties. They are as sacred and binding
as any we have to perform"
Not only was Major Mckinley con-
vinced that patriotism and active par
ticipation in politics were inseparable'
but that every citizen who has the well
fare of this Republic at heart should
encourage religion and piety. BY talth
was the Republic begun BY faith 1t
has been carried onward, from indie
pendence day to Independence day.
fiourishing, great and free.
Sober, earnest and at times possibly
severe was the character of the Revo-
lutionary father" said Major McKin-
lev when he addressed the Baptist
Young Peoples assembly at a sane
Fourth" celebration at Lakeside, Ohio
He was determined. He was serious
To have been less serious he would
have fallen short of the great require
ments of the contest in which he had
staked all He was neither tritler nor
time server He marked out the
path of duty and then pursued it. His
cause was just and his conscience was
linked with his cause; his faith hrm'
and his courage sublime. There was a
sentiment of reverence for religion, a
reliance upon an overruling Providence,
which marked every step in the Revo-
luton and the formation of the gov
ernment.
"The manifestoes, the proclamations,
the speeches, the resolutions, the orders
of those early patriots, all carried
faith in religion and piety which have
given character to our institutions and
national policy ever since. While in
sisting upon the absolute separation OF
church and state, religion among our
people is not abandoned, but com
mended, and will always continue
to be.
THE SENTIMENT OF RELIANCE
Upon DIVINE POWER HAS
MARKED THE PROGRESS OF THE
REPT-BIIC AT EVERY STAGE