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Show FOURTH OF JULY. Already the maiming of youth has begun. Two boys in Salt Lake were this week severely injured in the premature celebration of the nation's birth. One's face, was terribly burned and lacerated, while the other lost the bigger part of his right hand. The "Glorious Fourth" has degenerated into an "awful Fourth." It certainly should be cause for thoughtful consideration of the American people, this annual murder. To show the extent of the disasters dis-asters which mark the celebration of the annual holiday, but the last five years the Journal of the American Medical Association has endeavored to collect statistics setting forth what it costs in life and human usefulness; and although these are admittedly ad-mittedly incomplete compiled, as they are, almost entirely from newspaper reports instead of from records of hospitals, dispensaries and physicians they form the gravest possible arraignment of the recklessness which is willing to pay such a price for a "jolly day." , They show that during the celebration of five national birthdays, from 1903 to 1907, inclusive, 1.153 persons were killed and 23,520 injured. Of the injured, eight suffered total and ,389 partial blindness; 380 persons lost their arms, legs or hands, and 1,670 lost one or more fingers. But these figures, startling as they are, convey only a faint idea of the suffering, both physical and mental, which went to swell the total cost of these five holidays. In this we must also include the weeks, and often months, of anguish of the injured, the suspense of entire families while the fate of some loved one hung in the balance; the horror of a future of sightless years, the pinching poverty now the lot of many because of the death or maiming of the bread-winner. As to what constitutes a fitting celebration of the Fourth, there is naturally a wide divergence of opinion, but that the price we pay for the present ear-splitting celebration is too dear there is none to question. Foreign observers, who have written about America after a visit to this country, have said that the Americans are a noise-loving people. They get j upon a railroad train which rattles and roars along a third-rate track and think they are going fast because they make so much noise. The foreign observers point out numerous instances where noise and confusion are supposed to represent the great American principle of "getting there." Perhaps our Fourth of July celebration is that principle developed de-veloped into patriotic lines, for there are mighty few Americans who will tolerate a little noise. It must be a big noise, and hence, be, accompanied by very grave danger .to the celebrators, or no noise at all. The question of a fitting celebration resolves itself into one of patriotism, or rather, the kind of patriotism which each individual feels. While one whose patriotism is not founded on a deep knowledge knowl-edge of the history of the nation's birth is likely prefer a great noise, a just appreciation of the day stands for nothing but clamor and din in the minds of the people, the awful record of the past five years will no ddubt continue. There -is no need of becoming excited over the near approach of the slaughter. There are still a few spots in the country coun-try where peace and quiet can be enjoyed on the holiday, and where there is no danger of bodily injury, but from the days preceding the fateful one there seems to be no escape. The accidents mentioned men-tioned are regrettable, but inevitable accompaniments accompani-ments of the present noisy fireworks displays. |