The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-24
A FLAG STAMP PROPOSED.

Interest in our Colum bian stamp has not
yet abated when philatelists and the pub
lie at large have their attention drawn TO
another novelty in stamps. The latest
idea is to make the design on one of the
United States postal labels most in use
represent the ''star-spangled banner"
The patriotic suggestion did not, as might
be supposed. come from a collector, but
from well-known newspaper CORE
spondent-W. j. Langton, one of the
Washington representatives Of the Detroit
Free Press, who recently sent the follow
ing interesting open letter 10 his paper:
Il have been going about lately trying
to impress upon the Postoffiee Department
and certain editors in this broad land of
freedom that the proper design for our
postage stamps (preferably the 2-eent de-
nomination. is the design of the American
flag. That is TO say, that the stamps
should be the flag in miniature Of the
shape but somewhat less in size than the
Columbian stamp. 1t occurred to me that
no better means could be adopted to bring
the flag before the entire people of the
country and at the same time to give a
nation a permanent design. the most beau
tiful one that could be devised. 1t was
in The national colors. with the
words 81. S. Postage. Two Cents"
engraved upon it, so as not to disfigure the
flag, the flag to be perfectly plain. with
out fold or furl. For the envelopes | have
suggested the shield in colors, and if a
handsomer stamped envelope than that
would be can be devised by any artist
retire from the field. AS a patriotic idea |
can't think of a better at this writing, and
| am sure there are not many people in
this country who would want to haul down
the flag floating on all our letters. Some
nd hot he Of II
be the better to carry the flag and some
have said il should be on our Scent
stamps, so that the Stars and Stripes
might float in every land under the sun
My first suggestion was for the 3
cent stamp, aud that is still my
concession rather than that Old
Glory should be out of the count. think
a most appropriate stamp for foreign use
would be brown stamp with an oval in
the center bearing the flag. This would
be more artistic than the plain flag, and
would not be less impressive to the
foreigner. AS to the difference in cost be-
tween the stamp in two colors and as we
now have it, hardly think it would be
worth while commenting upon. What We
want is a stamp that we shall be proud OF,
and | think we are fairly proud of the
star-spangled banner. The sugges ton has
been made to the Postmaster General, and
/ am hoping for immediate results. In
the meantime | should like to have the
opinion of The Free Press on the subject,
and to secure the aid of its clarion voice
in behalf of the star-spapgled postage
stamp. Do get it?'
Commenting on the above the Free Press
says, under the head "a Stamp That
Would Mean Something:
1.-THE suggestion of one of our Washing
ton correspondents for a star-spang led
hostage stamp is a good one and merits
h., oil npla mn ha,
poses would mean something nationally
and information ally. 1t would be a con-
slant reminder of the flag to everybody in
the land who sends or receives a letter.
that is, to all having any intelligence, and |
il would be a wonderfully cheering sight
to the American in foreign lands, who !
often goes for weeks or months without a |
glimpse of the emblem of freedom, except |
when he visits Minister or Consul. We !
have had good deal of variety in stamps, |
from the wretched picture of locomotive |
10 the huge placard which advertised the |
Columbian Exposition. Bot we have had
none thus far in the history of the country |
so distin ctive, so characteristic and so |
patriotic as the star-spangled stamp |
would be.
No country has ever before attempted to
carry the IDEA suggested into effect, the |
nearest to it being the United States 30 |
cent stamp of 1869, which shows a red |
shield in the center sCrmounted by an |
eagle in the same color. and flanked on |
each side two American flags in blue, hang |
ing in graceful folds from standards pro- |
iecting from the shield. This stamp IL |
now numbered with the varieties. being |
worth 81 30 in used and So in unused con- |
dilion.
Another approach to 1t is the latest issue |
of Samoa, already dubbed THE Flag
Stamp OF Samoa" This is an oblong |
stamp, printed in red, showing a ST. |
George cross in white, ornamenled ana |
leTtered as follOws: In the loft upper cor
ner is white star, the right upper corner
is a plain red rectangle, in the lower por-
tions are the words Five" and Pence"
in white on the horizontal portion of the
cross is the inscription Samoa Post" in
red on the upper part of the vertical bar
of the cross is crown in red, and on the