Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-06-29
INDEPENDENCE DAY


Protection Association for rational
celebration of Independence Day began
in May. 1910, when our members
responded promptly and enthusias-
tically to the appeal for combined
attack upon the annual orgy of fire and
noise. The effect Of the work of a
large and powerful national organiza.
tion working as unit throughout the
nation is registered in the gratifying
statistics shown upon the opposite page.
In 1914 the aggregate of deaths and
injuries incident to the celebration OF
the Fourth was greater by several
hundred than the year before. Last
year shows a slightly better record.
The safe and sane Fourth propaganda
should be carried energetically and
consistently into the smaller munic-
ipalities and the rural districts where
suitable legislation has not yet been
enacted. The Journal of the American
Medical Association says:
In 1915 besides one death due to tetanus,
twenty nine persons were killed by various
forms Of fireworks, making total Of thirty
Deaths or ten less than last year, two less than
in 1913, eleven less than in 1912, twenty seven
less than in 1911 and 10l less than in 1910. The
number this year is the smallest since the
collection of these statistics was begun. This
year five persons were killed outright by fire.
arms, five by explosion of powder, bombs or
torpedoes, six by cannon. and two by other
forms of fireworks. The most serious fact
presented this year is that eleven persons
mostly little girls or small children, were
burned to death by fire from fireworks, most
cases being caused by the supposedly "harm-
less varieties.
1t is. perhaps, too much to expect a
complete return to sanity; but some
effort at least may be made by all
cities and towns toward leading their
people into more moderate and more
intelligent forms of celebration. II
explosives must be used the authorities
can limit their use to the public parks
during certain hours of the day, where
the folly hunters may kill and MAIN
themselves and each other to their hearts
content, without iniuring other people, or
destroying property by fire. The firing
off of explosives among the closely built
shingle rooted frame houses, which
compose the greater part Of our cities,
is wholly in accord with the reckless
spirit of Americans regarding fire.
If before every Fourth Of July all
cities and towns were given a thorough
cleaning Of rubbish, and all use of ex
plosives then restricted as to time and
place, the police and public wardens
might have at least fighting chance to
minimize the disastrous results of our
public folly during the years it may re-
quire to inspire in our people desire
for rational kind of celebration. And
such desire must be inspired. 1t is
the duty of every city to arrange for it's
people suitable amusements or exercises
a rational observance of this historic
holiday. Habits of folly can be most
easily eliminated by substitution of
something better The things a city
can do to interest its citizens in a sane
and wholesome celebration are un-
limited, and the municipalities which
in the past two years have taken steps
in this direction are already receiving
national praise for their wisdom and
their high sense of civic responsibility.