The Montgomery monitor. (Mt. Vernon, Montgomery County, Ga.) 1886-current, June 24, 1920, Image 3
Mmt SMIW® I)© Wfkjff ||i| 11 MB roWtlrtl ( <y~ Dickinson- ||j FEATURES J k 4 ■ "T" HAT shall we do with the H i / Fourth of July? (IHlniVlilX The continental congress, 111 IBlilS lf, in session in Philadelphia, PiHrHl passed July 2, 1770, the resolu tion presented in behalf of Vir / \l| I ginla by Richard Henry Lee I that begins: \ ©©s;.^©'''“Resolved, That these Uni ted Colonies are and of right W<L y<Mili ought to be free and independ ' " ent states; that they are ab solved from all alllegiance to 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 Inde pendence, the document now known as the Declara tion being adopted two days later. Os 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. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solmenized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, bells, bonfires and illumination from one 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 a true prophet. Probably the Fourth of July is our distinctively American celebration. All the civilized world celebrates New Year’s, Easter, Memorial day, Thanksgiving and Christmas in one way or another. But Inde pendence day is ours alone. To be sure, we have Washington’s birthday and Lincoln’s birthday, which are also ours 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 our national day when the American Eagle screams for everything from the Mayflower to the Argonne—from 1620 to November 11, 1918. 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 if the Fourth of July stands for one specific thing that one specific thing is just ex actly what its original name—lndependence day— signifies. And after Armistice day—and ali that it stands so quite evident that the American eagloi must be taught to coo instead of scream when it goes to the John Bull part of its perform ance. For w r e have seen our old-time—two-time—enemy fighting for his life and for our lives too against a foe that would have destroyed all that we Eng lish-speaking peoples in common hold dear. And after a long while we crowded in alongside our ancient enemy and got busy to mnke up for lost time. Never mind who won the war. We have gumption enough to know exactly what John Bull did for Uncle Sam —and are grateful accordingly. And it’s quite likely that Uncle Sam came near enough to saving John Bull’s life to feel something more than a friendly interest in him. So some parts of our Fourth of July celebration will have to be toned down from now on. Moreover, it’s high time that the American peo ple put their mind to fixing up the “day we cele brate.” For the Fourth of July celebration right now is betwixt nnd between. The old-fashioned Fourth was done away with. The “Sane Fourth” supplanted it. Now the "Sane Fourth” is in dan ger of becoming merely a holiday. Holiday cele brations, 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 a mod el. Its principal feature was a banquet at which many toasts were drank, each toast being follow ed by the discharge of firearms and cannon. Cer tainly too “wet” and possibly too noisy. The peace era inaugurated by the coming of the Monroe administration and continued during the ’twenties was unfavorable to a demonstrative cele- fsdf bratlon of Independence day. The enthusiasm of our people for their country and flag can usually be measured by the heat of the national pulse. A typical celebration of the day is that of 1830 in Buffalo, N. Y., which is described at some length In the Buffalo Journal. That newspaper says: “The return of our nntional jubilee was cele brated in this village with more than ordinary splendour and the day was duly honoured, ‘not in the breach but the observance.’ ” The procession formed at the Eagle—a famous tavern located on Main street between Court and Eagle streets —and consisted of veterans of the Revolution citizens and strangers, escorted by the Washington and Frontier guard and the cadets of the Western Literary and Scientific academy, “the whole enlivened by musick from the Buffalo band.” The oration was pronounced by Sheldon Smith, Esq., at the Baptist church and religious services were conducted by Rev. Mr. Shelton of St. Paul’s. From the church the procession marched to the Buffalo House in Seneca street and there an “ex cellent dinner was partaken of.” Dr. Powell was landlord of the house at that time and the papers recorded as something worthy of special mention that there were no liquors on the table. But the good lesson this statement was intended to convey loses its moral in the very next line of the narra tive : “After the cloth was removed wine was served with the toasts, which were drank with the utmost regularity.” It is hardly necessary to draw on the imagination to any extent to picture the final state of many in that noble company of 100 who drank the wine “with the utmost regularity.” But that was before the days of temperance soci eties and adulterated liquors. The marshal of the day was Colonel, afterward General, .Sylvester Mathews, a veteran of tlie war of 1812 a hero of the Battle of Chippewa. Apart from these proceedings w-as discourse by Rev. Mr. Eaton of (he Presbyterian church on civil and religious liberty. The festivities closed ac cording to time honored custom with a ball in the evening. No mention is made of any fireworks. The celebrations of several succeeding years seem to have been much like tills one, according to the Journal's files. In 1849, however—pre sumably because of the Mexican war—the celebra tion was regarded by the Journal as noteworthy. The Sixty-fifth regiment made its first appear ance on this occasion. At 8 o’clock in the morning a detachment marched to the Fillmore House and fired some small arms in honor of the vice presi dent. The line of march included Revolutionary soldiers. Think how old they must have been sixty-eight years after the surrender of Yorktown and seventy-two years after the battle of Lexing ton! There were also soldiers of the War of 1812 in the line, officers and soldiers of the army and of the Mexican war. The Friendly Sons of St. Pat rick, the Sons of Erin and the German Young Men’s association —a sure sign that the city was beginning to take on cosmopolitan form—were in the line of march. The exercises were held at Johnson’s park, the orator of the day being H. K. Smith. Vice president Fillmore attended the ex ercises and was lustily cheered. The Sons of Temperance had charge of the celebration in 1850, which was held “at the grove near the workhouse.” John B. Gough, the leading “temperance” speaker of the day, was orator. With the breaking out of the Civil war Buffalo broke loose on its celebration of 1861. The parade THE MONTGOMERY MONITOR, MT. VERNON, GEORGIA. _J was the “most inspiring in the history of the city" and occupied 58 minutes in passing. Even more pretentious was the celebration following (he sur render of General Lee. After 1805 Buffalo’s cele bration of tlie Fourth of July was rather humdrum and marked by no special features —just as in most other American cities. By 1910 tlie “powder disease” bad come to its climax and those bent on reforming the observ ance of the day called it the “national nuisance." Moreover, tlie nation was alive to the tremendous loss of life. Tables prepared by tlie Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that the number of the killed and Injured In the celebra tion of 1909 was 5,307; for the seven years pre ceding 1910 the total was 34,603. Perhaps (lie first notable “safe and sane” cele bration was tliut In Springfield, Mass., in 1909. However, in 1910 most of tlie large cities of the country presented an entirely new kind of celebra tion, the basis being the parade and pageant. Fire crackers were taboo; the displays of fireworks were municipal affairs. “I must confess that I always like to brag on the Fourth of July,” wrote Chauncey M. Depew, a good many years ago. “It Is the greatest day in the American calendar. Nay, more, it gives perfume to tlie whole air that encircles tills globe. Every man, woman, or child who breathes it, no matter where lie or she Is, feels the better for It. There is not: a liberal sentiment where civilization is known that is not quickened on tlie Fourth of July. It reaches tlie hut of tlie peasant, and it enters Into the tent of the conscript. The one says: ‘There is for me and for my children some thing better than tills lint.’ The other says: ‘Why should I fight to uphold thrones and cut the throat of my brother to maintain caste and privilege?’ The Fourth of July lifts the thought, the aspirations, the prayers of the people of ail countries to higher planes of living, thinking and dying. Why it is a university, a college, a high school, a common school. It Is a liberal educa tion in patriotism and manhood.” That’s the way a good many good Americans feel about the Fourth of July even to this day, even if there are those who hold that noise is vul gar and “brag is our national vice.” Some of us tmve an idea way down deep that the American who will not brag on the Fourth of July is hardly worthy of his birthright. Still, It Is a self-evident fact that the old Fourth of July Is gone, never to come back. Os course we must keep the day and celebrate it. It is too Important a day to be slighted. It must be cele brated right. But let nobody make the mistake of trying to refine all the fight out of it. Our ancestors handed down to us freedom and the love of freedom and and that still more precious thing—the readiness to fight for freedom. And that’s got to stick out of any proper observance of the Fourth of July in the United States of America. PF. - Rl|-NA Mr. McKinley’s letter Jbdhhhmbhi brings cheer to all who tnay be sufferers as he ii?' : •',? was. Read it: fr "I ran honestly say that T imp * M, K^^oSH Bty life to Peruna. After some of f ’ y , the best doctors in the country m * gave me up and told me I could (’.....J filial not live another month. Prrnnn I^llrCQ saved me. Travelling from town ' /ul fff'fcraHKtllPrl to town, throughout the country _ w -1 a J« having to go into all kinds If or badly heated stores and build- |¥|A IBMlwm&wrJSMl jngs. sometimes standing up for Av*^ hours at a time while plying my iSr afi trade as auctioneer, it is only natural that I had eolda fre- Oiuentlyi so when this would occur I paid little attention to It Mr. Samuel McKinley, 2504 E. until last December when I con- 22nd St., Kansas City, Mo.. Mem traded a severe case, which, her of the Society of U. S. Jewelry through neglect on my part Auctioneers, settled on my lungs. When al- __________________ most too late* I began doctoring, hlltp without avail, until 1 heard Sold Everywhere* ®f Peruna. It cured me* so I _ ~ . |_Cannot praise It too highly," Tablet or Liquid Form jjfjßf ' ®l|A We Must Guard JBI Pli i bli Our Girls On the threshold of womanhood IgirgjU -• Jj comes the crisis which means health or invalidism. Throe gen / erations ago an old southern doc- Wf I/ /T ills of women, which has become I known to fame as ‘ Stella Vitae;" has been the right thing at the young girls, down to the present I i Savfvl An day. Try it for YOUR daugh- ■ HOdveu ftn ter. Money refunded if FIRST I I Operation BOTTLE doos not benelit. I 1 MK. W. P. NELSON, a merchant At our drUff store jg I Ilixon, Tonn., says: That the daughter lof one of his neighbors, Mr. James £ ■ Roberts, was in such a condition with c female trouble that an operation was advised, and the young lady was sent to Chattanooga for its performance. She droadod the operation, and STELLA VITAE having been recommondod, uj 1 jw RS decided to try that first. She has taken H H Elf fijk six bottles and is happily on the road JSI 15 I i f » to recovery. She is ablo to do her usual work and is in better health than for MMB ? * jL Jff wvsßmH4"' years before, but continues to use it. Jj fj W * mjM'v Sho writes: ‘‘STELLA VITAE will do iRCTgL. TJfifiSF all you claim.” Her father says “She began to improve at once, after taking THACHER MEDICINE CO. . n SOLD FOR 60 YEARS ml ®nLLT®Mnc ss'sS SOLD BT ALL DRUG STORES- The Prime Requisite. “That portrait of Mrs. Gaddy is a speaking likeness.” “It wouldn’t be like her any other way.” Cuticura for Pimply Faces. To remove pimples and blackheads smear them with Cuticura Ointment. Wash off in five minutes with Cuti cura Soup and hot water. Once clear keep your skin clear by using them for daily toilet purposes. Don’t fall to In clude Cuticura Talcum. —Adv. JUST ACTING LIKE A MAN Simple Explanation of Wife’s Action When She Suspected Burglar Was Downstairs. After starting for his work the other morning Taylor happened to think of something he had forgotten and returned to (lie house to get It. While walking about the kitchen he heard a great racket upstairs. Consid erably alarmed he called: “What In the world Is the matter, Mary? lias anything happened?” There was a moment’s silence, then his wife replied : “Oh, is that you?” “Yes, who did you Ihlnk it was?” “I heard some one walking about down there and I thought it was a burglar.” “But the noise—” “I was making a lot of noise so that he would think there was a man in the house.” Mere Talk. “Where did you say the Blitherbys were planning to spend the summer?” “With relatives in the country.” “But I thought—” “Regardless of the fact that their breezy conversation with friends and acquaintances would lead you to think that the largest hotel at America’s most fashionable resort would soon house them.”—Birmingham Age-Her ald. This time of year it’s a iood idea to combine fresh fruit or berries with your morn ing dish of Grape Nuts The blend of flavor proves delightful and is m tune with June. “There's a Reason* In the Blood. Willis —Bump says lie comes of colo • nlal stock. Says his ancestors used to duck the witches. Gillis—And their descendant ducks Ihe collectors. —Judge. i 1 Qr&nulated Kyelldn, Sties, inflamed Eye. , ' r*lleve<l overnight by Itomttn Kye Balaam. < >n” trial proves it* merit Adv. DIDN’T WAIT TO BE ASKED j Elsie’s Little Scheme to Test Sweet heart's Fidelity Could Hardly Be Called a Success. Elsie, about to he married, decided at the last moment to test her sweet heart; so, going to her friend, Maude, the prettiest girl she knew, she said to her, although she knew it was u great risk: “I’ll arrange for Fred to take yon out tonight—a walk on the beach In the moonlight, supper, and all that sort of thing—and I want you. In or der lo [Hit his fidelity to the proof, to ask him for a kiss.” Maude laughed, blushed, and as sented. The plot was carried out. The next day Elsie visited her friend, and said, anxiously: “Well, Maude, did you ask him?” “No, Elsie, dear." “No! Why not?” “I didn’t get a chance; he asked me first.” John Smith Named New England. The name of New - England was coined by Cupt. John Smith of Poca hontas fame, one of the founders of ‘he Virginia colony. In 1014 he ex plored and mapped Ihc northern coast, then called North Virginia, and re named It New England. The charter granted the Mayflower Pilgrims adopt ed the name used In Smith’s map sev eral years before. Another love affair Is the best ce ment for a broken heart.