Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-07-02

or grove. or some other designated
place. and here everybody sang patri-
otto songs and everybody listened
while Judge, minister, or IL might
be the governor of the state. read
the Declaration Of Independence.
The orator of the day, In fiowery
sentences, reminded us OF our history,
Of our pledges to the world and OF
our grand opportunities He did not
forget to tell us of the growing splen-
dor Of our galaxy OF states, of our riv-
ers. our mountain ranges, our mines
rich In coal or copper or silver. OF our
great fields from which the granaries
Of the wide earth could Bio supplied,
and OF the bravery Of the men who
fought under washington. One and
all we revered John Hancock and the
other signers of the Declaration. and
the thought of that gallant group or
gentlemen who took their fate in their
hands when they met in Philadelphia
in 1776. made every young heart beat
faster, The little girls wore white
dresses with ssashes and shoulder
knots of red and blue ribbon, and the
boys wore white trousers and blue
jackets with gilt buttons, and had silk
badges and rosettes Of red, white and
blue pinned on their breasts. There
were salutes, there was GOOD deal OF
noise, there was the cracking OF tor
pedoes, and. too, there was the snap
ping Of frecrackers. but nobody mind
ed the clamor. Everybody in these
days tries to get away from the noise.
and 1t is very much the fashion to de-
plore 1t and declare 1t crude, barbaric
and foolish thus to celebrate the glo-
rious Fourth. When was girl We
did not mind being In the very heart
OF the noise, and | can remember
we'll that the old people of that day
enjoyed 1t all as merrily as their jun.
iors did.
We may be patriotic without indulg.
ling In dangerous explosives and with.
out investing in casualties that 80
often have married our celebration Of
independence day.
What I deprecate is an obvious in.
difference on the part Of too many
women to pride In their country and
love of the flag. There are so many
other attractions, there is so much
else to be done. and life Is so inter.
estingly complex that we do not take
the trouble to instil into the children
an alteration for the soil and strong
determination always 10 stand firmly
for their banner of stars. Sir Walter
Scott wrote thrillingly:
lives there a man with sou, so dead
Who never to himself hath said
This Is my own, my native land7
Should we visit Europe today we
would find the highlander and tho
lowlander intensely devoted to the
mountains and glens and rushing
streams OF Scotland; we would find
the Englishman proud Of his moors
and fens and cliffs, so that let him go
where he may he always looks back
to England and thinks of 1t as home
with capital letter. We would find
| the peasantry OF France, OF Hungary
and Bohemia proud OF their long de-
scent, and everywhere around the
globe we should discover the same i'm.
1 pulse On the part Of man In love to
the land Of his birth. We, for our
part, have become at once so cosmo.
politan and SO prosperous that we are
less spontaneous and less enthusiast
| tic than other nations are in caring
about our hallowed anniversaries
Here Is a field Of legitimate en-
deavor which women may cultivate in
their bringing up Of children and in
their Influence UPON men in general.
| Fourth Of July exercises in the pub
lie schools, the recitation Of poems
and ballads which have national sig
nificance, music at home, and most OF
| all, some knowledge of what our coun-
try stands for, will aid the children as
they take their first steps toward fu-
ture citizenship. We need not say
"our country, right or wrong" but we
may well say our country and the
| right. We are not perfect, we have
much to learn, we are still young
nation, but we are growing and going
| forward, and the world itself Is knock
! ing at our door. A great work OF
assimilation is progressing under our
| flag. Our Independence bought with
great price Is heritage which, ]
repeat, we should prize as our most
precious possession.
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