Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-05-04
HAULING DOWN THE FLAG.
A Deliberate and Premeditated Insult Offered
by Cleveland to ''old Glory"

Every enemy of American ideas and
Republican institutions, every foe of
the American name, every upholder
of the divine right of monarchs to mis-
rule by brute force, will rejoice at the
deliberate insult offered by Grover
Cleveland to the American flag at Ha-
waii. Nothing was omitted on the
part of the administration to make
the insult complete. Allpossible pub
licity was given to the act. Notice
had been given of the hour at which
it was to be performed in order to Sc
cure multitude of witnesses of the
formal humiliation of the symbol of
the Republic. The gallant marines of
the Boston were drawn up to see the
disgraceful lowering of the flag that no
foeman has ever been able to conquer
or dishonor. The one man selected
from great nation to order the haul
down of the stars and stripes at Homo
lulu was Bourbon ex-confeierate,
who had fought to tear down the
American flag and trample it under
loot, and whose hostility to American
ideas and interests has apparently
not abated since he bore arms against
the nation. 1t is no wonder that the
latest advices from Hawaii are filled
with the Indications of coming con-
hict. 1t is no wonder that the adher-
ents of the der raved and barbarous
royalty" that has plundered the
Hawaiian people so long are be-
ginning to plot insurrection and mas
sacre in the full belief that the govern
ment of the United States is on the
side OF despotism and corruption. No
amount of shallow and half-hearted
excuses on the part of administra-
ton organs can make the hauling
down of the American flag appear
otherwise than a gross and deliberate
betrayal of American interests and
cowardly affront to the American
name. That flag stood for American
institutions in all that the term i'm
plies. 1t stood for freedom. 1t stood
for education and civilization. 1t
stood for material development and
enduring prosperity. 1t represented
the forces OF conservatism and intelli-
gence as against the forces of tyranny
and heathenism. 1t hoated over a
territory American in everything but
name; territory that has been
brought from savagery to enlighten-
ment by American energy, genius and
enterprise; territory which is insep-
arably identified by geographical, COM
mercial and stragetic considerations
with the American Republic.
The stars and stripes had been
raised in Hawaii at the urgent request
OF the substantial and progressive ele-
ment of the Hawaiian people. This
element was chiefly of American line
age, speaking the tongue of the repub-
lie, imbued with its traditions, desir-
Gus to become united with it in gov
ernment as well as sentiment. These
men, the descendants of the mission
aries to whom Hawaii owes all of CIV
drssstpIaecct rssspect ff6at tie h96an oTifht
American flag would not be withdrawn
from their families and their homes.
They had right to expect that they
should not be abandoned by the ma
ton which was bound by every con-
sideration OF morals and of honor to
defend their lives and their property
from the forces of anarchy and bar
| barism.
President Cleveland and his advisers
have outrage | thepatriotic sentiment
of the whole nation by their shameful
affront to the nations flag. They
have placed American interests in the
Pacific in imminent danger; they have
invited riot and bloodshed and the
armed interference of European pow
ers in the Hawaiian Islands; they have
lowered the dignity and degraded the
prestige of the American Republic in
the eyes of the civilized world. For
the results of their policy of coward
ice and treachery the nation will hold
them to stern account. New York
Press.