The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-05-06
A SANE FOURTH OF july.

The frightful destruction of life
and property resulting each year
from the customary Fourth of july
celebration, is arousing the nation to
serious consideration
The Literary Digest is authority
for the statement that statistics
gathered show that more than ga
900 boys and girls were killed Or
manned in the United States in the
Fourth of July celebrations the past
seven years.
In addition to the killing and
manning, the property losses caused
by fireworks each year amounts to
millions Of dollars.
Cannot patriotism be cultivated ina
more effective and less dangerous
manner? The belief that it can be
and the indiscriminate use of fire
works should be forbidden by law, is
making rapid Roadway. Last year
such towns as Cleveland, o., Mime
apolis. Mimi, Toledo, o., Washing
ton. D. c., Springfield, Mass, Le-
mars. Ia. and Baltimore, Md. pro-
hibited the sale or explosion of fire.
works. This year New York falls in
to line, and by order of Mayor Gay
nor, it will have a "safe and sane
Fourth" Not only will the laws
prohibiting the discharge of firearms,
fireworks and crackers be risidly
enforced, but from June 10 to July
10. it will even be unlawful to sell
any such products. This plan was
decided upon last fall, and manufac-
turers were forewarned. 1t is report
ed that there is general chorus Of
approval in the metropolitan city.
and that other large cities will fall
into line
| President Taft. the governors OF
twenty-three states, the mayors of
forty-five cities. and hundreds of 9TH
err prominent men, who have been in
terviewed, have gone on record as
favorng a safer manner of celebra-
ton In discussing what shall take
its place, the New York Tribune
says:
cit will be we'll for patriotic and
civic organizations, and indeed for all
Thoughtful citizens, to hear in mind
the profound change in the celebra
ton of the day which the prohibition
of fireworks will mean. and the ur-
gent desirability of providing so far
as Dossible some rational and humane
substitutes for the noise-making of
former years. The exceedingly sue
cessful commemoration of the Lin
coin centenerary last year may pror-
course, for imitation but for sug-
gestion and encouragement. 1t ought
to be possible to devise methods of
public celebration which will engage
the interest of the people and which
will SAVIOR fittingly of patriotism and
Of humane civilization. 1t is not i'm
probable, we know. that some will
rail against the mayors orders as a
kill-iay and violation of ancient
customs So, doubtless, there were
those who lamented the abolition Of
the horrors of the Roman arena. But
enc of these days men generally will
look upon the old yearly fireworks
slaughter with sense of wonder
that it was ever popular"
1t is to be hoped that the danger
Gus and senseless indiscriminate use
of fireworks will be wholly abolished
and that the manner of celebration
will be such as to cultivate patriot
ism and not debauchery and destruc'
ton. If fireworks must be used, it
should be only under the direction
of careful, experienced men. in an
isolated place. Such use the even
ing of the Fourth ought to fill all
the requirements for noise and dis.
play, and at the same time give pleas
ure to the spectators that will not be
mixed with the pain in many homes
because of killed or MANNED chill