Life — July 4, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LS a ) > L = > “4 VOLUME XIV. WHAT WE CELEBRATE, IFE expected to be tnvited to deliver the oration at Mr, Bowen's celebration of the Fourth of July, at Woodstock, and had prepared the following speech. As yet the invitation has not come to hand. FELLOW CITIZENS: Little did the patriots, whose signing of the Declaration of Indepen- dence we celebrate this day, anticipate the future glories of the nation established by their ~ act, Never could they have pictured that the title of Amer- ican citizen would become the proudest on earth, Look about you, fellow citizens, and appre- ciate the mighty privileges you enjoy as the result of their courage. See the American citizen ex- ercising the inestimable right of self-government. See how jealously he guards the heri- tage of freedom. See how as- siduously he attends the cau- cuses and how proudly he marches to the polls and deposits the ballot which elects some Irishman or German to office. Mark his loyalty to his party and to the machinery by which patriotic party leaders take care that only the right men are elected to office. See how he insists that only worthy men shall be appointed public servants. Behold his indignation when tricky politicians attempt to reward their followers and benefit their poor relations by appointment to office. Note his wrath and the quick punishment he visits on the traitor who dares to tempt his vote with money. See how he has held sacred and intact that greatest of legislative bodies—the United States Senate. As our fathers founded it so it remains—an assemblage of master minds, of representative patriots, august, dignified, owing their posi- tions to merit and in no case to money. Gaze upon our youth—the product of a century of liberty. What other land produces more graceful wearers of the monocle, better products of the tailor’s art, more accom- plished pool-players, youths better fitted to grapple with the great problems of government? Where shall we find girls who can lace tighter, wear smaller shoes, with minds better stored with novels, girls better trained to be the housewives and mothers of a great nation? Where shall we find a country so little given to the worship of gold? Where a race that so quickly resents the insolence of riches? Look at our American simplicity. Look at our scorn for everything that is foreign and our love for everything that is American, Aye, fellow-citizens, let us rejoice and celebrate. Let us hug ourselves and congratulate ourselves on our patriotism— which means love of country, you know. Let us be thankful for the boon of liberty given us one hundred and thirteen years ago to-day. Let us be glad for ourselves that we have so religiously guarded it. Let us rejoice because to-day we are so thoroughly doing our duty as American citizens and in protecting American social life from the encroachments of snobbery and folly. Let us be happy that we are Americans and that we are doing our share in keeping America Ameri- can, and not English or Irish or German or Chinese or any- thing other than American. WOULDN'T IT BE A GLORIOUS FOURTH INDEED IF WE COULD ONLY “FIRE” THE ABOVE TRIANGLE OF FOREIGN MANUFACTURE. comicbooks.com