The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-07-05
THE HALF-MAsTING

The Glorious Fourth in Salt Lake
City this year will be long remembered
by ell, and some of the occurrences O
the day will be equally long regretted
by many. In our local columns will bt
found an account of the exciting event:
and happenings growing out of the in
Sident of half-masting the Stars ano
Stripes at the City Hall and on other
public and private buildings. The story
reads strangely enough here where the
motives and purposes and intentions of
those who adopted this method of ex-
pressing their sentiments and feelings
are so we'll understood by every
body, but away from Utah, wherepeo-
pie are not entirely familiar with what
is going on in this Territory and do not
comprehend the situation here, the &C.
count will be read with establishment, if
not indignation.
There are two sides to every case, and
this one presents no exception to the
rule. That there were mistakes and err
rors, and gross ones, committed yester-
day, no intelligent person will attempt
to deny; and these were not confined to
any party or faction. We take it that
the private citizen has the right to do
as he pleases with the flag so long as he
shows it no disrespect, and that nobody
has the right TO interpose objections to
such respectful use of the standard; and
we also assume that whether or
not it il his right, every patriotic
citizen will protest, with force, if neces-
sary. against any insult to the flag of
his country. 1t would be coward, I'M
worthy citizenship, who would not do
this. But THE HERALD does not under
stand that any disrespect to the Ameri-
can flag was intended in this city yes
terday. and one mistake was made in
assuming that an insult was deliberately |
What was plain enough
TO those who kept cool and held the.
mastery over their intelligence, was
that individuals meant not to trail the
Stars and Stripes, nor find fault with
The institutions of the republic. but to
express their sorrow at what
they believe to be a perversion
Of the laws by the representatives of the
government, and savage blow at the
liberty whose ensign the grand old flag
IS. No one will say that the Mormon
people do not honestly feel that their
Constitutional rights are being denied
them, and that the freedom of con-
science which the nations fundamental
aw guarantees is being refused, to tn cir
great distress and punishment; and en-
this feeling as they do, so me
Of them took the method of'placing the
Dag at half mast to show their grief for
stricken Liberty. The propriety
and wisdom of the display may be ques {
Toned, and especially on a day when
people are accustomed to gazing in {
proud delight and patriotic pleasure at
he Happy waving of the graceful en- {
'lem Of the nation. The occasion, as t
yell as the proceeding itself, was purely {
matter of individual sentiment and q
PERSONAL wisdom, and we hold that in so t
ar Gas the flags were half -masted on r
'rivate houses, it was not the business Is
# others to interfere or interpose OBJ Y
ection. Insomuch as threats were C
aade and attempts put forth to do t
iolenee against individuals or property t
" the hot-headed and excited the latter C
Tere really guilty of showing disrespeet t
D the flag, and of setting at defiance
be laws.
As to lowering to the half-mast the Il
ag at the City Hall, the at must be d
onsldered as a very grave blunder. IL
nd one which merits severe rebuke. a
he HERALD is glad to learn that the tt
roceeding was unauthorized by the d
Layor or city government, and that n
hoover is responsible for it is account al
bic only as private citizen. The g,
Layor did wisely and well in ordering a
lie flag hoisted to the staff-head. The m
lty Hall is public property, and those a
charge are simply the eusto- be
i9nS lor the people; they must al
OF use the property as if it gr
ere their own. and in their capa- Sc
ty as public servants and EMPLOYEES
icy must know neither party nor sect.
be lowering of the flag there would IN
Iturally and necessarily give ofense tn
very great percentage of the people ar
nee the act was wrong. and we are
I'D TO say was condemned by all
asses of the community. pa
But after all that may be said, whe. h. en
in condemnation or palIlation OF Sat. ,
days sensational incidents, we are SCI
mpelled to believe that too great sig thi