Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-07-15

custom of certain of the citizens OF
NOxubee county who come here
from the North and West. to meet
annually at the home of one OF
their number and there partake OF
a big dinner followed by tOasts
and speeches in which patriotism,
sOciability, their old homes and
their new, and agricultural topics
are landed and discussed. This
year the entertainment was geven
at the George Shaver residence and
was d notable occasion.
This custom of these new citi-
zens of our county is most pleas
aut one and worthy of long con
tinuance. 1t reflects honor on
them, on the land whence they
come and on the land they now
make their home. Since their
mOdesty forbade any tOOst to
themselves, let the BEACON speak
for their fellow cOuntymen and
give the toast. "To our New cit
izens. May They here gain
Health, Happiness and Prosperity
as They and Worth, Intelligence
and Honor to the County,"
The dinner and celebration of
1910 took place on July 2nd. The
tables were spread for fifty guests
and were loaded down with
viandS. Good cheer and good
fellowship were alike plentiful,
and the ladies who had charge of
the banquet were cOmplimented a
hundred times on the success they
achieved. Mr.. NJ. c. Weyburn
presided as POSTMASTER in a most
felicitOus manner and thus added
much to the success of the enter
tainment Being presented by
the tOastmaster. Hon. G. M.
Swallow responded to the toast.
"The Day We Celebrate. He
said in part.
For 1874 years the anniversary
of the Decoration of Independence
has been observed as a memorial
of mans desire and will, pro-
claimed on July 4th, 1916 to the
world, for the bettcrment of him
self, and all people who, under
self government, would live in
freedom of life, of speech and of
religious convictions and practice
1t is not remarkable that in the
great growth of this nation from
the original thirteen states to the
present half hundred, from three
million population to nearly one
hundred, that conditions have
arisen that bring much anxious
thought to those of us who have
by our heritage shared the great
blessings of American freedom.
Habits of thought are impressed
upon us by our environments and
the environments of our ancestors:
we are born with American con
victiOnS and ideals. And now
while we celebrate the anniverary
of our nations birth, we cast an
anxious glance toward the vast
aud fast moving thrOng that is
ever coming to our portals and
entering our gates. Some come
for the betterment of their condi-
tiOn, some to evade their duties
and dues to their mother country,
and other to gather wealth to re-
turn and spend it in their old
homes. | believe that while our
doors should be open to Immi-
grafton, and kept open, that it
would be the part of wisdom to
beStir ourselves in order that
good immigrants be encouraged to
come and undesirable ones turned
away. 1t is we'll to remember to
impress upon ourselves, our pos
terity and the stranger within our
gates, that the import of this day,
the lesson it should convey is that
the liberty and freedom aud the
material opportunities we enjoy
has cost almost it's value in blood
and war and suffering. 1t was
fought for and won. not given our