Omaha daily bee., 1917-09-30
ELECTRICAL PARADE
IS MOST GORGEOUS
Triumph of Democracy" to Be
Depicted in Illuminated
Floats in the Night
Pageant.

The Triumph OF Democracy" Is
the happy and timely theme OF the
grand electrical pageant which ush-
ers in the reign OF King Ak-Sar-Ben
XIII, in the year 1917.
Kings are falling in various parts
Of the earth, their thrones are being
cast into the junk heap and their
crowns and scepters are being melted
up into gold pieees Tor the people.
King Ak-Sar-Ben looka upon the
tottering of these thrones with entire
equanimity and complacency. He
Knows that the cataclysm shall not
come nigh him. For, while he is
king, he is king of good fellows, a
King who exacts no tribute from his
subjects, who never sends them into
battle at his own whim, and whose
sole aim and purpose in life is to
bring happiness, peace, health and
prosperity to the inhabitants of his
realm.
And so King Ak-Sar-Ben will enter
his capital city preceded by
pageant depicting the fall Of kings.
And he will rejoice in the spectacle.
A preliminary view OF the wonder
ful floats that are complete in the
great Den" awaiting the great night,
convinces one that this paraLe will
surpass all the other electrical pa
rades since Ak-Sar-Ben kings were
invented. There have been some
great parades, grand, gorgeous pa
rades. But the parade this year will
be greater, grander and gorgeouser
than ever before. That is the opinion
deduced from a preliminary view of
the floats.
The subject i. so timely, 50 full of
interest in the minds of the people in
this portentous year, that the natural
beauty and wonder of the floats are
intensified by complimentary condi-
ton in the minds of the people, the
thousands and tens of thousands who
will view the parade on the big night.
Triumph of Democracy.
Float number one bears the title of
the pageant, "The Triumph of De-
mocracy." 1t illustrates the passing
of autocracy and aristocracy and the
coming Of the era of rule by the peo-
pie, Of the people and for the people.
On the front part of this float is a
bed on which a king and a car or
two are trying to sleep. Around their
couch are Figures of guns and
snakes and sother disquieting things
which are disturbing their sfumbers.
And there is the legend, Uneasy lies
the head that wears 2 crown"
Float number two Is entitled "Swit-
zerland, the First Of the Modern Re-
publics." Two stirring scenes from
the early history of Switzerland are
depicted. Every boy and girl will
recognize William Tell aiming an
arrow at the apple on his little sons
head, at the command of Gessler,
and every school child will know the
accuracy OF his aim so that the apple
was split right in half. The other
scene from Switzerland's early his
tory shows the devoted patriot, Ar
mold Winkelried, at the battle of
Sempach.
Storming Of the Bastile.
"The Storming of the Bastile" is
the title of the third float. There are
the grim walls and towers of the great
prison in Paris, where autocracy had
imprisoned and tortured the peo-
pie tor many, many years. The
great door and the moat are them
selves severe symbols of the tyranny
of kings. But the people have been
reused at last and have risen in their
might and righteous wrath. They
are storming the bastiie. They are
breaking the chains OF autocracy.
This representation Of the great
French prison is made of asbestos and
the storming Of it is going to be ex-
tremely life-like. A great cannon will
belch flames against the very door
during the parade and flames will
bust from its doomed towers and
turrets. At the rear of the float the
rooster of France is growing. 1t is
a grand scene of July IA, 1889.
The fourth float is the first scene
from Americas struggle for liberty,
"The Boston Tea Party" Most OF
the float is occupied by the deck of
the ship which had brought a cargo
of tea from England to Boston, tea on
which the British government decreed
the colonists should pay stamp tax
for the support of government in
which they had no representation.
Boston Tea Party.
On the deck OF the ship the patriots,
dressed up as Indians. are bdsy throw
ing the bales, Of tea overheard. At
the rear OF the float are representa-
tions OF the original stamps placed on
this tea, "the stamps that cost con.
tinent."
"The Signing of the Declaration OF
Independence" is the title Of the fifth
float. A correct representation of a
corner Of independence hall, Philadel-
phia, is shown on the float and there
at a table, are seated Hancock, Jeffer-
son, Adams, Franklin and other sign
ers who are putting their John Han
cocks" to the declaration which cast
defiance at an autocratic government
and declared for democracy and free
dom. .
"Down With the Kingp is the stir.
ring title OF float No. E. In the center
of the float is a large statue of King
George III on horseback. Ropes are
tied around the statue and a number
of patriots are pulling it down. This
represents an episode in the early
revolutionary days when the Boston
patriots pulled down this statue which
stood in Bowling Green, and meltet
it up to make bullets. At the side
of the float is the British lion and
above it is the American eagle. The
eagle, though young, is Justify ane
bravely attacking the lion. The Brit
ish coat of arms is also shown.
Spirit of 1776."
Float No. is entitled "The You'll