Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1901 — Firecracker Philosophy. [ARTICLE]

Firecracker Philosophy.

A few individuals Would have all Fourth of July explosions, big and little, prohibited. Anything that goes "bang" is to them a horror. All who enjoy explosive sounds are to them barbarians. A sudden concussion upon the tympanum of the ear sends these people into miniature fits. But the enjoyment of sudden noises produced by ourselves or others with tho object of pleasing is based on reason and science. All our pleasure in this life is due to sensations. We may conceive of enjoying music, poetry or painting without the souad of an instrument, the seeing or hearing of rhyme and rhythm, Wr the play of color on the optic nerve. Yet all such enjoyment ends in abstraction without a renewal of the sensation or another to tuke its place. An explosion is a sensation. We live for sensations. Some of us would rather half kill ourselves with violent sensations than be without any sensations. Just once a year we yield to the firecracker and rocket sensation. It tiekies our ear drums and thrills our expectant nerves. We enjoy it. We are glad of the excuse of patriotic fervor to get this yearly tickling.—St. Louis Post-Dispatch.