The morning call., 1890-12-21
THESTARS AND STRIPES.
How the Bright Emblem of Free.
dom Took Its Present Form.

The American traveller or tourist who has
stood under the flags of all the great nations
of the earth can but declare that the star
spangled banner of our o wn glorious repub-
| lie is the most beautiful ensign among them
all. And as he gazes at its graceful folds
his heart swells with pride; for does not the
starry emblem, writes a contributor to the
Albany Evening Journal, represent the
grandest and most glorious nation on the
face of Gods green earth? Has the tourist
ever listened TO the playing of the national
airs Of the different nations? II he has. has
heever listened to any that so inspires
man with the love of country as does our own
national anthem. the Star-spangled Ban
| Rer?"
But does the average American citizen
know the history of the American or United
States flag? How many of our most patriotic
citizens could answer the question: -" Who
was the father of the fiag?" NM
The writer had occasion few days since
| to visit the Photographic studio of Thomas
j. Wendoyer on State street, and while
! waiting for the proprietor became interested
in the following original poem, which,
among other frames and pictures, adorned
the wall:
THE FATHER OF THE FLAG.
The patriot wendover of DID,
Suggested stripes and stars of gold
For the true standard of the free;
For when our infant nation bIed
he saw the smoking stream of red
And the blue heavens overhead
The emblem of fidelity.
He the soft stars cleaning through
The radiant field of azure hue
gentle hint by nature given
To patriots pure, and brave, and wise,
And copied from the glowing skies
The starry banner nature flies
The flag that God unf0ldS in Heaven,
This statesman looked to God on high
And copied from the star-lit SKY
The beautiful and grand design
The red" is courage In the fight.
And purity nnstained the "white,r
The .'blue,' sparkling with stars of light,
Gives to our flag a Light divine.
The generations yet unborn,
When they behold the streaks of morn,
And the star glory OF the night,
Shall point with pride to one of old,
Who hiled our flag with stars of gold.
With the broad lines OF red and white.
Though baptized in the battles blast,
1t waves to-day from tower and mast.
nm on, may II wave without snrcease,
The symbol of the brave and free,
Like star-rise on a summer sea,
Lighting our ship of destiny
To centuries of hope and peace.
The writer was somewhat interested in
the above, and as soon as the proprietor was
at leisure inquired if the poem referred to
any OF his ancestors. Dlr. Wendover smiled
In his genial way, and replied that the father
Of the flag was his great-grandfather. Mr.
Wend0ver, who has been prominent bust
ness man among us for the last twenty
years, is quite proud (and well he may be- of
tho fact
That 1t was his grandsire of old
That filled our nag with stars of gold.
The historic facts are as follows, and may
prove interesting to patriotic readers:
In the year 1916 Indiana was admitted
into the Union, and it became evident that
the flag YVES becoming cumbersome and I'M
wieldy on account of the addition of stripe
for each State admitted. Consequently. it
was apparent that some steps should be taken
and some provision made by law for alter
ing the flag so as TO represent each State
upon the national ensign without destroying
its distinctive character.
The matter had been under consideration
for some time, but nothing was done until
the latter part OF the year 1916, when Con-
City, offered a resolution directing the APP
pointing of a committee to inquire into the
expediency OF altering the flag of the United
States. This resolution was adopted and
Mr.. Wendoyer was appointed Chairman of
the committee. From the Congressional
records it would seem that for some reason
the matter was not brought before Congress
| until March, 1918. when Mr.. Wendoyer
offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That from and after the fourth
day Of July next, the flag of the United
States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alter
| nate red and white; that the union be
twenty stars. white in blue field, and that
on the admission Of new State one star be
| The above resolution was passed by Con-
| gress and approved by President Monroe
| April 4, 1878, and the first flag was hoisted
over the House of Representatives April Is,
| 1913. at 2 O'Clock in tha afternoon.
Previous to The approval Of the above
| resolution the stripes In the old flag had
| been increased TO eighteen. according to the
| number OF States in the Union. thus destroy
ing the beauty and perspicuity of the flag.
| While this order was observed, some flags
| had eleven stripes, Others but nine, or as
| fancy dictated. This resolution had the
| effect OF producing a flag which, for beauty,
cannot be equalled by any ensign in tile
world. The American people, whether at
home or abroad, can be proud Of their flag,
| both for its beauty and the protection they
| can claim under its graceful folds
| MIR. Wendoyer was a well-known public
man in the early history of our country, and
| held various pc sitions of trust and honor.
| He was member OF Assembly in 1904 Alder
man of the Eighth Ward from 1871 to 1913
member of the fourteenth, fifteenth and
sixteenth Houses of Congress from 1915 to
1921; Sheriff Of the county of New York
from 1922 to 1926. and was a delegate to the
Constitutional Convention for framing The
Constitution Of 1901 and also 1921.