The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-06-25


between them and the state OF Great Britain ID
and ought to be totally diss2lYed;
This Of course Is the real Declaration Of Inde-
pendence, the document now known as the Declara-
tion being adopted two days later. OF the adop-
tion Of the Lee resolution John Adams wrote to
his wife the historic letter which says. among
other things:
THE second day of July 1776, will be the most
remarkable epoch In the history of America
am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by
succeeding generations the great anniversary
festival. 1t ought to be commemorated the
day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to
God Almighty. 1t ought to be somenized with
pomp and parade, with shows, games sports BELLS
bonfres and illumination from enc end of this
continent to the other, from this time forward for
evermore."
Time has proved that John Adams, though he
got his dates mixed, was true prophet. Probably
the Fourth of July is our dstinctively American
celebration. All the civilized world celebrates
New Years, Easter, Memorial day, Thanksgiving
and Christmas in way another. But Inde-
pendence day is ours alone. To be sure we have
Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday
which are also alone but "the Fourth" in
cudes most If not all of what they stand for
In short the Fourth Of July comes mighty near
being our national day when the American Eagle
screams for everything from the Mayfower to the
Argonne-from 1920 to November H. 1913
Armistice day That introduces the pertinent
point that another change must be made in the
long evolution of the celebration Of the Fourth Of
July. For II the Fourth of July stands for one
specific thing that one specific thing is Just ex-
actly what its original NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. day-
signifies. And after Armistce day-and all that
1t stands for-t's quite evident that the American
sagle must be taught to instead of scream
when it goes to the John Bull part of its perform
Rnce.
For we have seen our oldtime-two time-enemy
1ghting for his life and for our lives too against
foe that would have destroyed all that we Eng
shspeaking peoples in common hold dear And
after a long while crowded in alongside our
ancient enemy and got busy to make up for lost
time. Never mind who the war. We have
sumption enough to know exactly what John Bull
lid for Uncle Sam-and are grateful accordingly
And It's quite likely that Uncle Sam came near
enough to saving John Bulls life to feel something
more than a friendly interest in him. So some
parts of our Fourth of July celebration will have
20 be toned down from now on
Moreover it's high time that the American peo-
ole put their mind to fixing up the "day we cele-
orate." For the Fourth of July celebration right
,ow Is betwixt and between. The old-fashioned
Fourth was done away with The "Sane Fourth
Implanted it. Now the "Sane Fourth" is in dan
ger of becoming merely holiday. Holiday ceIe-
srations, like men and nations, do not stand still
And the Fourth of July is worth the closest at-
.ention and best effort of the American people
The 1rst Fourth of July celebration, which was
held in 1777 in Philadelphia canot as mod
FL Its principal feature banquet at which
many toasts drank, each toast being follow
ID by the discharge of firearms and cannon. Ger
ainly too s-wet" and possibly too noisy.
The peace inaugurated by the coming of the
Honroe administration and continued during the
twentfcs unfavorabie to demonstrative cele