Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-07-05
THE DATE AND THE DAY.

The President did well to reiniiiu ms
hearers at Cleveland yesterday OF the
odmonitory value OF the statistics WHICH
d;ccJose our national defects, SUCH as
those Which tell OF the magnitude OF
the destruction which the nation mas
,,o.r,y suffered in its celebration OF the
Four.b Of July. He did well, also, 10
reu;nd them that the men whose ueeus
wore commemorated yesterday had 100
,,,ch sound sense and practical hu-
manitv to countenance any such s'''y
and savage method OF celebrallon'
Ills words give keynote for the who're
tenor Of today's doings which the pub
Tic will be wise to heed.
America is probably to be accounted
unfortunate in the date OF Its chlei
national anniversary. The opening
davs OF July are not always as OPP
nressiyely hot as they have been tnls
year. but they are practically always
hot The result is that usually on IN
dependence Day assembling is an Or
aooI oratory is burden and parades
and napeants are martyrdom. These
circumstances have perhaps had not 4
little to do with the character OF former
celebrations. The average man. pelng
a;s;nclined to exertion in tornd
ueotber has been willing to leave the
active ommemoration to the small
how who apparently never feels tns
boat and who is rs ready to play WIN
FIRE when the mercury is in the nineties
&c 70 throw snowballs when it approx
n,ates zero. Hence, crackers and
is.
,,,o;s the more credit, then, in
!, opeiul movement for SAFE ana
..a, celebration. Beyond doubt, to
=, = patriotic meetings and parades
nd pageants and to give serious
CITY Pe5S
.;. ght to the purport OF the day re-
ouire vastly more fortltude ana reSolu-
ton than just to lie in shaded nam
mock and let Young America DO the
loot Vet the movement is succeeding
in a most gratifying way. A few years
400 when we began to call attention
70 the dreadful yearly cost in limb ana
life and property which was attendant
upon the old brutal method OF celeora-
t;on there was more incredulity than
oncorra cement extant. The general
opinion was that frecrackers and BOMBS
and toy pistols never could be eli'n'-
no.od But the thing has been done.
Manv important communities last year
.ostr;cted the celebration to rational
In,;ts and methods and their number
ui,, be largely increased this year. At
the same time there IS a percep'lole
Growth of intelligent interest IN the
n,,rport of the day and OF desire to
,o,o,,rate it in a manner congruous
with its origin and with its real slgnlh-
canoe.
This inclination is by all means to be
encouraged. It's costs something TO
oor,n emorate the day in = becoming
and patriotic manner but only a n'ne
of what il has been costing to mark 1t
18th death and destruction. 1t has, We
,,sIsve been sufficiently demonstrated
that safe and sane" celebrations are
oc.;c,ble and acceptable. Under such
circumstances it is the moral and civic
autv Of citizens to promote the work,
oven at the cost OF some personal d!s-
con,fort and exertion. To take part IN
a parade or pageant or to attend
natriotic meeting may mean some
sacrifice OF personal ease and comfort,
bu. that at most will be an insignificant
trifle contrasted with the sacrifices when
were made in the establishment OF TINS
rlay or with the sacrifices winch THESE
reformed methods will avoid.