Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-08-03
The Stars on the Flag.

l
admitted Utah. With most !
events in the history of men and
governments, there is to be found
some evidence of regularity, as
though some unseen force was
all the time at work. There has
been no such regularity in the
admission of the 30 States that
have come into the sistcrhood
since the last Of the first 49,
signed the compact. Regular
waves of population, of indus
trial plenty or pauCity, have
been felt over the country, but
the effect on the making ofStates
does not become apparent
The irregularity with which
the States have been taken into
the Union is readily to be seen
from the following dates. Only
year after the most reCrcant of
the 10 had signed its liberty in
union, stufy little Rhode Island
came to the front and s. gned,
too. George Washington was
inaugurated i'll 1889. Within
two years of this time the Green
Mountain boys, who had not
| been backward in the fight for
freedom, but had not secured a
State Government, added the
name of Vermont to the other
13. Then in 1892 the Blue Grass
State, Kentucky, was admit ted.
Her ncighDor. Tennessee, became
a sister State in 1896. Then
came long pause.
Not until six years later, in
1902, was there another State
born. This was Ohio, followed
[ 10 years later by Louisiana.
5 The war of 1912 marks the lat
l ter event. -Four years more
: passed, uncvcntlul in the united
! family of Commonwealth, until
: Indiana led the way in 1916.
: Then came n perfect avalanche
: Of newly born sub-republics.
: There was struggle for power
! in Congress and in the vote for
: President, which pushed on the
conquest. for the North and the
D South We'd with each other.
Mississippi was made a State i'll
1917. Illinois in 1918. Alaba-
= ma came in 1919, and Maine
Il followed hard after in 1920,
I while Missouri attained her ma
II jority the next year. For 10
II years there was a lull in the
struggle for votes. Meantime
| the slavery question became
more and more prominent. Ark
{ ansas, i'll 1886, became a slave
s State, Michigan, the next year,
| came in as a free State. For
eight years again there was no
change until the stars of Florida
and Texas were added almost at
the same time in 1915. Iowa in
t 1916, Wisconsin in 1913 and
c California i'll 1850 were the next.
+ Again eight years of rest and
: Minnesota broke the quiet, in
l. dicating the growth of the
o Northwest. Oregon, admitted
e in 1859, had but a small popu-
d lation. Kansas came in soon
t after, just before the firing on
t Fort Sumter. Nevada, when adj
a mitted in 1863 was feeble sis
d ter and still remains so. West
&c Virginia had been admitted the
a year before as a reward for her
s loyalty to the Union. Nebraska
a was a State in 1867, after which
: there was long halt in the fill
e ing of the starry space on the
It flag.
II The celebration of the Centen
: NAL in 1876 was the signal fol
o allowing airy Colorado a repre-
I" sentation. Then after 10 years
l. in 1889, both Dakotas, Montana
n. and Washington became States
Is In 1890 two others were admit
1T ted, Idaho and Wyoming. Thes,
lie accounted for the A. stars which
d, the flag today has. But tn,
st next change in the flag will ado
. thereto the emblem of Utah, anC
perhaps those also of Arizon;
and New Mexico. This leave
is only Oklahoma to be disposed OF
he as Alaska can hardly lie consid
al cred for long time to come, anc