The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-07-23

why there is no such thing as an In
dependence day celebration south of
Mason and Dixon line, but that the
people of that section show their en-
thusiasm by burning firecrackers on
Christmas, or just why the usual
practices of independence day celebra-
ton was passed in the city of Wash
ington, this year for the first time in
a generation, or just why school Off
GERS prohibit the use of school build
ings for lectures when the subject is
Harriet Beecher Stowe, or just why
the New Orleans Picayune tells it's
readers that their model of character
as taught their children in Jefferson
Davis and not Abraham Lincoln, and
that northern people must strictly
understand that, and just why the
schools of all that section teach in
their school histories that in all things
relating to the civil war the south was
always right and the north eyerlast-
ingly wrong.
Perhaps he can tell just why any
man living outside of that beloved
south of his can be anything else than
fourteen kinds of fool seven days a
week if he votes with that kind of
crowd.
]. G. HOLMES.
Couched in as respectful and toler-
ant terms as possible I submitted the
following in reply which was returned
unpublished, which shows, though ac-
cused of intolerance, that our southern
newspapers are broader and less par
tisan than the republican newspapers
in this section. n
Chicago, ILL.,, July IL, 1920.
To the Editor Tribune:
In replying to Mr.. ]. G.. Holmes ar
ticle appearing in this mornings Trib
une permit me to say that congress
men in the several states are appoint
ed according to population, making
it impossible for any state to have
more than it's share.
Except in rare instances there is
but one party in the south so the
principal activity is shown in the pri-
mary elections as a nomination there
is tantamount to an election. AS the
nominee has no opposition little in
terest is taken in the general election,
which accounts for the small vote poll
ed.
We breed no Bergdall's down there
nor do we have to resort to New
berry methods in our senatorial and
congressional elections.
In slavery days two weeks holt
day was given the slaves during
Christmas and New Year.
In order to make the festival as en-
joyable as possible the custom of
fantastic parades and displaying fire
works originated and long continued.
Your correspondent is living in
gross error if he believes that Inde-
pendence Day was never celebrated
in the South and that the custom is
not continued. The declaration is
read, and ovation is delivered, a pa
rade is formed, bands play and bar
becue and basket dinner follows.
That is the custom and was done |
in my county this year.
May l ask: "Why should not hide /
pendence Day be celebrated in the
South?"
Patrick Henry, who stirred the
patriotic fires, was he not southern
born? Was not Jefferson the author
of the Declaration of Independence
and was he not southern born? Was
not Washington the leader of the
Continental armies and was he not
southern born?
Their blood still tingles in southern
veins. The South glories in the whole
Union and longs for Cancellation and
complete unification
AS far back as 1872 it periodically
manifested this desire when endors-
ing the nomination of Horace Greeley
for president.
1t went at the bier of Grant, Gar