The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-06-14
Changing Ideas of July Fourth

The legislatures of seven states and
the city councils of scores of cities have
passed laws prohibiting the use Of
fire works ON the Fourth Of July. This
adverse Legislation, which began Ms early
as 1901, has 50 swept ove the country
that the Fourth of July celbratiou
in recent years is the cause of this leg.
islation.
The present generation does not r..
member that during the latter part of
the eighteenth century, and even during
the greater part of the nineteenth, there
were so much fireworks and explosives
as are used today in celebrating the
anniversary Of independence. Our fore.
fathers in knee breaches and powdered
hair celebrated the day chiefly by pa.
triotic speeches and dinners. Every
club, every society and organization
met around the festive board and hon.
ored the day in song and story.
The nature Of the speeches aud din
ners varied with the locality, but IN
one respect all were the same. They
agreed absolutely on the number of
toasts. IL was the custom TO have -
toasts-represcnting, of course, the IL
original states. With tho admission of
new states this custom died out. prob.
ably because the banqueters were un.
able to drink so much.
Parades in the larger towns were
features of the celebration during he
early years of the republic, but the
principal part Of the celebration was
the banquet and it's oratory. In 70.
cent years, however. there has been n
great falling of in the exuberant quail.
ties of patriotic oratory and the day
has been celebrated with mere noise.
The prophecy of John Adams has
come true: 1.-THE day is celebrated
with pomp and parade, with shows.
games, sports. guns, bells, bonfrcs and
Examinations from one end of the couu.
try TO the other Oratory prayer and
praise are forgotten and the old time
''N' Va Ah' 81 nus
seemingly passed away forever.
1t should not be taken from this
that there was no noise connected with
the early celebrations. Quite the con.
trary. Statutes of guns were fred, bells
were wrung. and in the evening tar
barrels were burned. but there was not
the continuous succession OF noises
which mark the celebration today. Nor
was there any list Of dead and injured
on the day following.
Nearly every resident of the city who
the noise Of the fourth. just the re-
verse was true of the early celebrations
The first big celebration was held IN
Boston in 1870. All the vessels iu ia,
harbor fred salutes in the morning and
the day was given up to oratory, pray
er and praise. Societies and organiza
tions held banquets at noon and in thu
evening, and the celebration was con
cludod with the burning Of tar bar
rels and more ~salutes from the ships il
the harbor.
Early in the nineteenth century Are
, works began 10 have a place in tn
celebration. These harmless and sim
pie compared with the nerve.shatterin
explosives which are put or the marke
today. Not only we're they less dan
gerous and noisy, but their use was r,
s%tricted to n comparatively small nun
her of people. Those who were unabl
to get fireworks got out their musket
/, and shot them of. Others fred imprC
vised cannons. Even b~lacksmiths GO
:, ont their anvils and by placing powdc
in little holes were able to touch il o
so that 1t made a satisfactory amour
: Of noise.
With the increase Of noise came IN
decrease In the patriotic orations an
prayers. Before the fftieth celebri
ton Of the day had been observed moi.
had almost entirely supplanted orator
The question today IL, how shoul
:. the Fourth Of July be celebratedi TT
manner in which II is celebrated, man
declare, is not in entire keeping wit
} the spirit Of the day nor the comfor
and pleasure of the majority Of cit
y zens.
u Those who would reform the mann'
= Of celebration say the day should
II kept not so much in remembrance
u the feats Of American arms ms for Il
spirit Of liberty and progress. II shouI