The Cairo bulletin., 1912-06-01
Writer Blames John Adams for
Starting Celebrations on
Wrong Track
SANE" MOVEMENT SPREADING
Death Roll in 1911 Only third
Of that Four Years
Ago

New York, May 31A--John Adams
is to blame for getting Fourth OF
July celebrations started on the
wrong track. A century and a
quarter ago he wrote that the day
will be celebrated by succeeding
generations as the great anniversary
festival 1t ought to be solemnized
with pomp and parade, with shows,
games, sports, guns, bells, bontlres,
and Examinations from one end OF
this continent to the other.
He certainly prophesied well, but
the public put so much emphasis up
on guns" and 'bonfires' as fea
lures of the anniversary that the
celebration of this great American
holiday sooL degenerated into what
has been fittingly termed the Bar
barous Fourth" Yankee ingenuity
developed all sorts Of noise produc-
ingdevices till the Fourth soon be-
came a time of unrestrained dlssl'
patton on the part of small boys
with firecrakers, pistols, torpedoes,
giant crackers and toy cannons.
Public sentiment attempted TO
call a halt Nearly forty years ago
Julia Ward Howe told Of an ordi-
nance passed in her home town for
bidding the use of dangerous eX-
plosives within the city limits on In
dependence Day. But" she added,
the mayor was a personal friend OF
our family and granted us special
permission to have in our backyard
our usual private celebration with
firecrackers, torpedoes, rockets, etc"
Progress Slow.
This incident illustrates the spirit
of much of the effort made to elm
mate dangerous explosives in Fourth
of July celebrations. Everybody is
sure that though firecrackers ought
not be allowed an exception should
be made for me and my son~John."
The progress of the Sane Fourth
was consequently so slow that If
1903, after more than three decades
of effort, there was casualty roll
of 1923 throughout the United
States,
In the. midst of this losing fight
a few communities to supplement
prohibition decided to devise substl-
tutes that, because of their attrac-
tiveness and appropriateness, might
crowd out the undesirable features
of the celebration This plan work
ed we'll from the start.
In the spring of 1909 the Depart
ment of Child Hygiene OF the Russell
Sage Foundation, arranged with the
PLAYGROUND Association of America
to hold a conference of municipal
representatives to consider plans for
"safer, saner Fourth of July
Forty-f've municipalities responded
The report of this conference was
widely published and twenty cities
responded by organizing along the
lines suggested. The result was
that the casualties dropped from
5623 to 5307
Next year the campaign was push.
ed vigorously by welfare organiza-
tions throughout the United States
Definite programs suggesting inter
esting things to do were printed and
sent broadcast throughout the coun
try. Ninety-one cities planned theii
celebrations in accordance with the
new suggestions and the casualties
were reduced to 1928 In 1911 the
infection spread still further and
161 cities planed safe and sane
celebrations. The casualties again
dropped nearly one-half, totaling on,
ly 1908.
Movement Spreads.
AS the movement spread state
laws and city ordinances have been
enacted and enforced with fair de,
gree of success, prohibiting the man.
ufacture, sale and use Of dangerou.
explosives In connection with the
celebrations. Fireworks under
proper supervision and handled by
experts are still part of most cele'
brationsand there seems to be ne
Concluded on Twelfth Page.)