Evening star., 1909-07-06

this step as more humane even than the
housing of the insane; for this considers
both the sick and sane as well.' -
Commissioner West was also generous
ington's first safe and sane celebration OF
the Fourth.
The experiment of safe and sane
Fourth of July yesterday was. in my
Judgment. success, said Commissioner
West today. The fact that not one
gunpowder accident was reported. that
the fire department was not called into
service and that the hospitals were not
filled with injured persons seems to me
to be most convincing argument In
favor Of the regulation which the Com
missioners unanimously promulgated. II
Is true that many of the youngsters in
the city We're more or less disconsolate
because they were deprived of the op-
portunity Of celebrating IN the usual way
and because l hope never to be so old
as 10 forget that l was once a boy
appreciated their feeling.
Noise Not Patriotism.
"At the same time, noise is not patriot
ism, and a long list Of dead and injured
is too heavy a price to pay for even a
national holiday. There is not civil
ized country in the world which regards
the indiscrminate and dangerous explo-
sion of gunpowder as. the best method of
displaying patriotic sentiment, and yet
their holidays are red-letter events in
their history. The time will come. when
future generations will look back upon
the o.d Fourth of July customs as a
Wanton sacrifice of life and limb. and the
lack Of firecrackers and other explosives
will not be a deprivation to anybody.
1t is all matter Of education and habit,
after ALL and if the regulation which
was enforced yesterday had been law
ten years ago. the children of today
would be accustomed to it.
Il remained in the city for the purpose
of personally observing how the day
would be spent. and l am glad 1 did
So Several things impressed me. The
first was that in planning future Fourth
of July celebrations more consideration
should be given to the children. In a
large degree, the Fourth is not the hol-
iday of grown-up people. 1t is almost
distinctly Young Americas day. and
some plan ought to be devised whereby
the children can really celebrate without
losing their eyes, their limbs or their
and other explosives. which, however
carefully handled, are extremely dam
gerous. There ought to he some way of
interesting the children without bringing
sorrow into SO many homes. Speech
making does not appeal to them and
was glad to see so many of them at
the parade and at the fireworks, but next
year hope they will be given even more
consideration.
Il was also impressed with the law
abiding character of the community. The
people everywhere. even though some of
them might have been opposed to the
regulation. obeyed 1t and afforded mag
nificent example of respect for law and
order. 1t was most pleasing. too, to OBJ
serve the splendid cooperation of leading
citizens who labOred industriously and en-
Enthusiastically to make the day a success
without the usual accompaniment of noise
and injury The fireworks committee did
q great deal of hard work. but the enjoy
ment they gave to 10000 people must
have repaid them. The flag and floral pa
rade was a brilliant success, and in this
as in everything else there was manifest
ed popular enthusiasm which demon
strates that our people have plenty of
local spirit. Upon the whole, l think that
the city is to be congratulated. 1t has
proved that the Fourh of July can be a
holiday and not tragedy
Maj. Sylvester Gratified.
Maj Sylvester said:
1T is a source of great satisfaction
to look back on the preceding forty
eight hours and to be able to say that
not a cracker was fired or bomb ex-
ploded in this jurisdiction by it's populace
In celebration of Independence day.
sIS 4~;t,