News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-07-09
the American Flag.

When Secretary Blaine arose to adj
dress a monster political meeting in
Logansport, Ind, in 1884, he was
compelled to desist for several mo-
ments on account of a tremendously
long and noisy freight train which
inopportunely pulled by. Lifting his
hand as a signal to the audience that
the train had passed, he said i'm
pressively: Fellow citizens, the Re
publican party can well afford to be
interrupted by the country's pros
perity." The marvellous CELEBRITY with
which wildernesses have lately been
transformed into fertile territories
and admitted as states has kept pur-
chasers of the national emblem on
the qui ViVe; but they can well af-
| ford it.
| In the sixteen months to be ended
on the 18th of this month the Amer
lean flag has been changed three
times, each time by the addition of
a star, and tomorrow it will be
changed again. Up to 1918 the adj
| dltlOn OF a new state meant new
stripe also. Vermont and Kentucky
thus heightened out L" Old CLOVIS !"
folds. But it was soon manifest to
congress that in a growing country
like ours the addition of so MANY
stripes would look worse than a CON
vict's suit, Hence in 1918 the two
extra stripes were knocked off and
stars only tolerated. The final star
for some time at least will go in to-
morrow, making thenumbera plump
forty-four. Until Utah converts the
Mormons, Oklahoma grows, New
Mexico has more intelligence and
fewer greasers and Arizona achieves
a larger population and more
'fuence," there will be no more adj
ditiOns to the CHEEKY constellation,
unless Alaska surprises everybody.
The history of the flag we love is a
peculiar one. just who devised it
and by what he was influenced are
questions that have not been com
pletely answered. In June, 1777, the
new congress decreed that there
should be a national flag of thirteen
white stars in a field of blue and
thirteen white and red stripes, alter
mating. By the law of 1918 the red
stripe comes first and last. Admiral
Preble asserts that the original de-
sign was prepared by the marine
committee, although vigilant search
OF the records at Washington has
never supported this or any other
theory with positive proof. There
is a tradition to the effect that Cen
eraI Washington coat of arms,
which somewhat resembled the first
flag, was the original model. A cir
which would make this |
more than ordinarily interesting if |
the coat-ofarms theory were more |
is the fact that Washing |
ION supervised the making of the
irst national flag, himself copying
Jhe congressional design in the estab-
ishment of Mrs. Ross, the Quakeress
lpholsterer, in Philadelphia. This
Mrs. Ross was a bright woman, by
he way, and when she saw that in
he Washington design the stars
ZACH had six points, after the En-
slish fashion, she insisted upon q
.hange so vigorously that the five
pointed continental star was substi-
juted.
But whoever the unknown bene-
actor was that designed the Amer
can flag he did his work both wise
Y and well, and he left a monument !
hat will not speedily be forgotten.
It its present proportions there is
lot another national emblem com
parable with it in point of artistic !
and beauty of design,
ust as there is no other which means {
rs much of liberty, prosperity and {
opportunities open to good citizen I
Times. !