The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-19
1T is A NATIONAL QUESTION.
What Is TO Be the Future of the Lib
erty Bell?
philadelphia North American)

philadelphia North Americana
Like a heart that has burst in the full
ness Of too great JOY. in the throbbing
of too mighty emotions of exultation
and victory and then remains silent SO
the Liberty bell, after ringing its clar
ion news of a nations release from
thTaldOm. now aged and cracked, re-
mains mute and toneless-yet, never
theless, eloquent of the thrilling motto
engraved on its side:
Proclaim liberty throughout the land
unto all she inhabitants thereof"
RepOsing in its case in Independence
hail. Philadelphia, the bell has boon the
shrine to which many thousands of lib
erty loving Americans have jOurneyed
From distant parts of the world people
have come to pay homage to the famous
relic. To gaze upon that silent token of
liberty has been the occasion of a life
time with many.
That the people Of the country might
gaze upon il; that they might crown IT,
with flowers and that children might
press their lips upon its once thrObbing
sides, the bell has been taken on six eX-
Cursions to various cities in the coun-
try. on these trips, the last of which
was to ST. Louis during the louisiana
Purchase exposition, thousands have
given il Ovations such as nations give
conqueTing heroes. When recently the
trip 10 Seattle. Wash, for exhibition at
the TukOn-Alaska exposition was pro-
posed, voices of protest arose from all
parts of the country. Prominent Penn
sylvanians and various societies do
clared that the bell should make no
more tours.
The reason, which was startling. was
given in a statement of the fact that the
crack in the bell was increasing that
another removal meant a possible Sc
TiOus mishap. The increasing crack.
based upon examination by experts,
has raised the question the land over,
Can the country afford to risk the bell
by continuing its journeys?
Those trips of the Liberty bell-what
wonderful ovations they have been.
When the precious relic, covered with
garlands of flowers and gay with red,
white and blue ribbons rode ON a car.
guarded by policemen. from town to
town, to be greeted with cheers TO be
covered with more flowers. to be
touched with the reverence that one
touches sacred thngsl
When city officials welcomed il. when
soldiers marched and cannons exploded
deafening greetings, when school chill
dren turned out. marching in parades
and carrying flowers. TO pause before
the bell while they sang America. lis
of Theei" When. after il had been
placed in a great hall, decorated with
flags, the thousands came. with rever-
enI heads and eager eyes. to view the
bell that had proclaimed the liberty not
only of one nation but the beginning
of self government for a continent for
a freedom of spirit that should preyan
from Alaska to Cape Horn.
Since the first trip. when Il was taken
to Allentown, Pa. in 15s,. for preserva-
ton from the British, the bell has made
trips 20 the Worlds Industrial Cotton
exposition. in New Orleans in 1855: To
the Worlds Columbian exposition. i'm
Chicago. in 1898; TO the Cotton States
and Atlanta exposition, IN 1895; to The
South Carolina Interstate and West In
dian exposition in Charleston, in 1902:
10 Boston in 1903. for the celebration Of
the anniversary of the battle of Bunker
Hill: and TO the Louisiana Purchase ex-
position, in ST. Louis. in 1904.
1t was after the last trip, it is said.