Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-06-24
CHILDREN WILL BE SACRIFICED.
Celebration Of National Birthday viii
Cost over 200 Llves-Dlscusslon Of
"sanen Fourth from a New Anale.

An editorial in the April issue of Pop
ular Mechanics magazine discussed the
sane Fourth of July from an angle
somewhat different than that of usual
discussions. 1t is worth the attention of
every parent and every child and 1t is re-
printed herewith:
THE annual celebration Of our national
birthday is rapidly approaching, and for
scores Of happy, healthy boys and girls
who are now studying their lessons and
romping with their playmates, the days Of
life are nearly ended. About 100
days in this world is all that remains to
them. II Is almost a certainty that some
Of the parents who read these lines, and
think of the fatility as coming to other
children than their own, will be among
those to whom July will hereafter bring
only the saddest memories.
our Indifference to the matter arises
from the Unborn tendency to always think
of disaster in the third person instead Of
the first, and thus no one is specialized.
Suppose, for example, that Congress voted
to sacrifice one boy each year as a ma
tional Fourth of July offerlng-just one
single boy. What an uproar we would
all make Suppose, in due process OF law,
the victim was selected and his name and
residence announced some morning. Sup
pose, also, he was as unpromising and
ENJOYABLE a youngster as could be found
and he lived in a crossroads village so
small it was unknown beyond the county
line. In a few hours the daily press
would flood the country with extra edi-
lions, while editorial writer's would hurl
denunciation at the lawmakers while
demanding a special session of Congress,
If necessary, to repeal so infamous a
thing. Matters of the greatest business
Importance, social events of the first or
der and other doings of equal magnitude
would have to appear in obscure portions
of the papers. In every city, town and
hamlet petitions to the President would
form as If by magic people of every &C.
cupation would neglect their business in
order to affix their signature, and before
night several million names Of angry and
determined men and women would have
signed the demand. To carry the argu-
ment to its extreme, we may even assume
that Congress refused to repeal, the Pres
ident declined to intercede and the high
est court did not interfere. An attempt
to execute the decree would precipitate
civil war.
An this to save one unknown boy
And yet on July 4, 1910, two hundred
or more boys and girls will yield their
lives to form OF celebration which has
| long ago ceased to be even patriotic.
while the basis is an impossible one
| the pictured results would be true In
| every detail. An entire nation in arms tc
save one unwilling victim. The two hun
| dred perish with only a passing notice by
| the public and sorrow confined to rela-
| tives and near friends. Then why should
| this annual sacrifice continue? Are not
the two hundred OF equal consequence as
one? AS long as we continue to be salts.
| fed with brief annual regrets. and conflne
our efforts to mere talk, conditions will
not change. Two things would seem tc
suggest as the logical course to bring
| about a remedy.
Something equally attractive to chill
dren must first be provided as a substi.
| tute; and
| Second. the young people themselve:
| must work to accomplish the change
| This would probobly be done by ma
tional movement operating through the
| public schools.
ITO separate young America from toy
| pistols and dynamite crackers is no in
significant undertaking. but nothing Il
what the Spartan youths did volunta
| rily."