The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-07-01

the British crown and that all political connection
between them and the state of Great Britain is
and ought TO be totally dissolved"
This of course is the real Declaration of indie
pendence, the document now known the Declare
ton being adopted two days later. OF the adOp
ton 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. I
am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by
succeeding generations as the great anniversary
festival 1t ought to be commemOrated as 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
bonfires and Illumination from che end of this
continent the other, from this time forward for
evermOre-"
Time has proved that John Adams, though he
got his dates mixed, a true prophet Probably
the Fourth of July is distnctiveIy American
celebration. All the civilized world celebrates
New Years, Easter, Memorial day. THANKSGIVING
and Christmas in way another. But indie
pendence day is ours alone To be sure, we have
WashingtOn's birthday and Lincoln's birthday,
which also alone but 'the Fourth" in
cludes most if not all of what they stand for
In short the Fourth of July comes mighty near
being national day when the American Eagle
screams for everything from the Mayfiower to the
ArgOnne-frOm 1920 to November H. 1918
Armistice day! That introduces the pertinent
point that another change must be made in the
long eVolutOn OF the celeDraCl0n or the Fourth of
July. For If the Fourth OF July stands for one
specific thing that specific thing is just ex-
actly what its original independence day
signifies And after Armstice day-and all that
it stands forts quite evident that the American
eagle must be taught to COO instead of scream
when goes to the John Bull part Of its perform
ance.
For we have seen old-tme-two- time-enemy
fighting for his life and for lives too against
a foe that would have destroyed all that we Eng
disappearing 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
gumption enough to know exactly what John Bull
did for Uncle Sam-and 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 Fourth of July celebration will have
to be toned down from
p Moreover. It's high time that the American peo-
pie put their mind to fixing up the day we cele-
brate" For the Fourth Of July celebration right
now is betwixt and between. The old-fashioned
Fourth done away with. The "Sane Fourth"
supplanted 1T. Now the ''Sane Fourth" is In dan
bratlcns, like men and nations, do not stand still
And the Fourth Of July is worth the closest at
tention and best effort of the American people
The first Fourth of July celebration, which was
held in 1777 in Philadelphia, canot serve as q mod
ell Its principal feature a banquet at which
many toasts were drank, each toast being follow
ed by the discharge of firearms and cannon. Ger
tafnly too wet" and possibly too noisy.
The peace era inaugurated by the coming Of the
Monroe administration and continued during the
Juveniles was unfavorable TO demonstrative cele-