The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-07-01

.will cost us to maintain this declaration
a support and defend these states. Yet
through all the gloom I can see the rays
sof ravishing light and glory. I can see
that the end is worth more than all the
means, and that posterity will triumph
in that days transaction. even though We
shall not
While posterity has chosen to cele-
tbrate the 4th instead of the I'd
of July, the fact remains that this re-
1narkable prophecy has been abundant
ny fulfilled by a nation whose greatest
anniversary festival has always been
and still is the day of independence.
But if John Adams could revisit his
native land today he would seek in
vain in the large cities for the "pomp
and parade the Shows. games, sports,
bells, bonfires ndeilluminations" which
this prophetic vision pictured among
the perennial features of the nations
birthday.
".Pomp and Parade" Lacking.
Time was, and not SO many years
ago, when he would have found Father
'knickerbocker on the job every
parade" are lacking, and the ceiebra-
stion is left to the small boy with his
firecrackers and blank cartridges. Gone
are the days of the old fashioned cele-
tbration; gone the resonant lunged ora
tor, who was wont to make the eagle
scream" gone the piping voiced po-
sitical ~neophyte, who read III declara-
.tion to admiring throngs: gone the
sglittering procession, the early morn-
ling salvo of cannon, the night specta-
scle of fireworks on a large scale.
The holiday alone Is left. The stri-
dent voice of the baseball umpire
shakes the air once rent with patriotic
.eloquence; the prosaic excursion con-
-sumes the time once devoted to the
grand parade, and the reckless chauf-
Ifa,1r and careless street car mot0rman
usurp the place once proudly held by
Sthe grand marshal.
So much has New York refrigerated
On patriotism the while she has been
:she is not alone. The sad story is told
in every large city in the country. Let
"a town begin to number its inhabitants
by hundreds OF thousands, Inc it
ssoon loses that community Of spirit
necessary to concert of action by its
citizens. In the average American
city today 1T takes more than the hall
lowed memories of the Fourth to pro-
aduce his concert of action.
Not so in the villages and country
towns. There the spirit of rs still. lives
and finds annua expression. There the
leading citizens do not think 1t beneath
their dignity to celebrate in the good,
old fashioned way. Today in most Of
these places, from Oyster Bay. N. Y,
to Port Townsend, Wash, bands are
gld ing, ~ CdiiilOIl g UOOkillfB dIlO S Itle
..pomD and parade" of Adams vision
-aro,-se the cheers and enthusiasm of
hundreds of thousands. in whom no city
life has had a chance to dull the whole
some American appetite for a glorious
Fourth
Thrills tho Heart.
And how they are celebrating! If one
scould only a a peep into the vii
lagos and little cities of the land he
could verify the prophecy of John
Adams in every word. Even the sug-
agestton of what is going on there thrills
heart of the business man Of the
metropolis and axes him back In mem
aory to his boyhood days in his native
stown.
For days the committee has been at
work erecting triumphal arches and
sseeing that every store and home flies
the stars and stripes. The local artil.
Aery company has placed its guns on the
hill. and as dawn breaks sleepy heads
sara aroused by the booming out of the
national salute. With the last gun ey-
sery boysand girl and youth is ont OF
doors. tasting the delights of burning
sg~unpowder in f~lrecrackers and toy can
non. By breakfast time h sidewalks
are carpeted with red shells OF
sand The odor Of burning punk con-
tends with the smell Of powder for. a
monopoly of the air.
To. pistols crack. toy I'M thun-
4det. niger chasers. sizzle and tor
pedoes make e1Ie.ly ,nen Jump and
urchins howl with glee. And Just as
this JOY begins to pail the tread of