FOR A SANE FOURTH OF JULY
For a Sane Fourth of July HOW MADISON, WISCONSIN, IS PLANNING TO CELEBRATE. "OUR GLADNESS THAT WE ARE AMERICANS, AND OUR RECONSECRATION TO THE CAUSE OF DEMOCRACY." "PEOPLE INTERESTED—25,153 plus...
...DUES—Just the amount that you were accustomed to spend for yourself and the children to "celebrate" before the town became sane on the Fourth...
...Then, as the date dawned upon you, you said something else...
...we will revere and obey the city's laws, and do our best to incite a like respect and reverence in those above us who are prone to annul and set them at naught...
...This will include, besides the fife and drum corps and two bands, at least a dozen floats and every marching organization in the city...
...that thus, in all these ways, we will transmit this city not only not less, but greater, better, and more beautiful than it Was transmitted to us...
...but it is best, WE will never bring disgrace to this our city by any act of dishonesty or cowardice, nor ever desert our suffering comrades in the ranks...
...it would be better if it offered as a substitute simply a festival that would be enjoyed by everybody...
...The evening will be given over to a Venetian water fete, followed by a display of fire works...
...Translation of the Citizenship Pledge spoken by the youth of Athens on the day when their new citizenship was celebrated...
...Bang...
...No use...
...Z-Z-CR-R-RACK-CK-CK-ETY, BANG...
...MEETINGS — Every day between now and the Fourth,—at the breakfast table, in the school house, on the street, or wherever two or more Madison folks get together...
...It would be good if it meant simply that there will be no children injured throughout the day...
...And this, too, when holidays—with their opportunities to rest—are so few and far between...
...You remember the way the Fourth began in years gone by—(if you didn't go out of town to get away from the noise)—Bang...
...j. Ward...
...SO BEGINS THE LETTER which has been printed by the patriotic citizens of Madison, who are planning to take advantage of the civic opportunity of the Fourth of July,—the letter which will be sent to everyone of the "People Interested...
...Then you tried to go to sleep again...
...we will fight for the ideals and sacred things of the city, both alone and with many...
...You started up with a sleepy "Whadza-matter...
...As you got up, the thoughts with which you began the great national festival were not gentle, loving thoughts of good will for that younger generation whose sense of civic responsibility and order, is the hope of America...
...In the afternoon, the festival spirit will be manifested in all the parks...
...Cr-r-rackety Bang...
...Perhaps you put a pillow over your head...
...PURPOSE—To supplant the old barbarous and meaningless "celebration" by a festival in which we may express, all together, our gladness that we are Americans, and our reconsecration to the cause of democracy, which the first Fourth of July Association, back in 1776, set for us...
...The Fourth this year is going to have a different beginning in Madison...
...Every boy who is awake in town—that means the whole boy population—will be down at one or the other of the lakes participating in the tub races, the swimming and fancy diving contests...
...the first thing in the morning...
...You were just losing yourself when—Bang...
...Later in the morning comes the parade...
...BOOM...
...An American flag is offered for the section of the parade judged to be the best...
...PEOPLE INTERESTED—25,153 plus those of us who have arrived since the last census was taken...
...Band concerts, athletic sports and contests, for both sexes, exhibition games and folk dances, and finally tableaux—historic and patriotic...
...This celebration that Madison is planning is of the best sort...
...Bang...
...we will strive unceasingly to quicken the public's sense of civic duty...
...Then will come the reading of the Declaration of Independence and the oration of the day, followed by a banquet to welcome in the name of the city those who during the preceding twelve months, have been received into citizenship...
...This, or a similar pledge, will be taken by the new citizens at the Madison Banquet on the Fourth for it combines with a festival and a great day's fun the assurance that it will mean a beginning of more neighborly feeling and good-will, for through this planning of everybody and working together, not for individual success but for the common enjoyment, is coming a genuine civic enthusiasm which will remain when the Fourth is only a pleasant memory.—e...
Vol. 3 • June 1911 • No. 24
