The record-union., 1895-11-16
ANOTHER Star
Added to "0Id Glory's" Constel,
latiOn.
Design for the New Flag-It VIII be
Smaller and More Beautiful Than
the Present Standard-Evolution of
the Stars and Stars.

On the Eourtn OF july, 1870, new star
will be added to the glorious constella-
tion." On that day Utah, which more
than any other section of the country has
resisted the progress of civilization. will
join the sisterhood of States and become
the forty-fifth member of the American
Union. This event is significant TOR va
rious reasons. 1t implies the complete
Obliteration Of Mormonism, or, at least,
of polygamy, from that garden in which
Joseph Smith planted it when he was
forced out of Illinois and where it pros
pered marvelously for years. More
over, it involves new design for 'Old
Glory" fact which is already enlist
ing the attention of the authorities. a
new arrangement of the stars must be
made to admit the additional one without
disturbing the symmetry of the group.
AT present there are SIX rows, the top
and bottom of which contain eight and
the other four seven each.
The QuaTtermaster-Gener of the army
has given orders for the preparation OF
design, and Colonel A. f.
Rockwell, United States Army, in charge
of the Generate -Quartermaster' depot III
Philadelphia, has made draft which 1t
is believed will be adopted. 1t puts the
additional star in the fourth row, making
the first, fourth and sixth rows consist OF
eight each, and the second, third and fifth
of seven each. The design must be ap-
proved by the Secretary of War, however,
before it can be adopted, and as that otli-
claI Is not likely to give the matter his
attention before next spring the subject
Is left until then III the region OF CoDject-
ure.
one thing has been settled, though,
which is OF general interest. The new
flag will be smaller, which, it is ex pected,
will materially add to its beauty. The
new army regulations provide that the
new flag 10 be issued to The service after
the admission OF \ tab as State will be
i've feet Six INCHES long by four feet four
inches wide. the field will be two teet
six inches long by two feet four inches
wide. The width of the stripes will be
reduced 10 four inches. The staff Will be
nine feet in length and the distance be-
tween the edge OF the flag and the first
row of stars Will be two and nineteen
thirty-secOnd inches. The decoration OF
the top OF the stall Will be the spear head
as at present, and pendant from the spear
Will be tassels swinging from the golden
cords. n heavy and rich gold fringe will
decorate the edges. Those who have
given the subject careful attention ex-
press confidence that The change will in-
crease the beauty of the flag, as well as
add TO the convenience of handling it,
Rea-rAdmiral George Henry Preble.
author of the only History OF the Flag
of the United States Of America" that IS
anything like complete or deserves 10 be
considered authentic. laments that so
little is known about the origin OF the
flag. There Is an incomplete record OF
action IN the Continental Congress as
early as l776 providing for a committee to
design flag or standard. but SO tar as the
evidence goes nothing came OF 1t. Previ-
OuS to and durlnp the carly nariO0 Of tho
war various flags were IN use, and sing
ularly enongh nearly all OF them had
some reference to the thirteen colonies,
but whether in commemoration OF the
proposed union has not been ascertained
1t is singular fact that five OF the tifteen
flags used between l715 and III con-
tanned rattIesnakes as the principal feat
ure of their design, and the snakes each
had thirteen rattles. An anonymous wri-
ter, but commonly supposed 10 be Benja-
min Franklin, In letter published in
Bradford's Pennsylvania Journal OF De-
cember y, l775, defends this strange fact
by challenging first that the ancients con-
sldered ;he serpent as an emblem of wis
dom and endless duration.
On Saturday, June II, 1777, Congress
passed a resolution ''that the flag of the
nited States be thirteen stripes alter
nate red and white; that the union be
thirteen stars, W hite in blue field rep
resentng the new constellation" How
the matter came to be considered does not
appear In any of the records. Who IN
troduced the resolution, or whether there
was much, little or no discussion of il is
equally unknown. 1t was nearly two
years after the Declaration OF Indepeud-
ence had been promulgated, and during
time that standard was needed every
day. The resolution was printed IN the
newspapers IN August following, but it
was not officially declared over the sig
nature of the Secretary of Congress until
September ), l777, nearly three months
after its adoption. Various motives were
expressed at the time as to what lntiu-
eneed the action. Some insisted that the
stripes were borrowed from the Dutch.
and others believed they were suggested
by the coats OF the Continental soldiers
There were those, also, confident that
both the stars and stripes were taken
from the arms Of the " Washington fam
lily. and one more wise than the rest re-
called the fact that the baptismal robe of
the Father OF his Country was w hite silk
lined with the same material in red and
blue. OF course, that ought TO have ended
the controversy, but II seems there were
still doubters. Whatever differences OF
opinion there were as TO the colors il was
unanimously agreed that the number of
stars and stripes were the mum Der of col
onies which originally Joined in the MON
for defense and mutual protection In
fact, the mum ber was expressed in every
design proposed or adopted. one was an
endless chain OF thirteen links, grasped
by thirteen hands; another represented a
bundle OF thirteen arrows in mailed
hand still another was u round knot or
ball, with thirteen floating ends, and one
that is familiar TO everybody presented
an eagle with thirteen arrows in his tai
ons.
In June. l776 a committee of Congress
ncrortnaDiad ny NaSbipptou pallad
Mrs. John Ross, widow. who was an
upholsterer. conducting business at No.
239 Arch street, Philadelphia, "and en-
gagged her 10 make the flag from a rough
drawing, which at her suggestion was re-
drawn by General Washington in pencil
In her back parlor." William j. Candy,
q grandson OF Mrs. Ross, is authority for
the statement that the flag thus designed
was subseQ Quently adopted by Congress
and became the first star spangled ban
ner.
After the legislation of 1777 no altera-
ton IN the standard was made until 1874,
when an Act WAS passed increasing the
number OF stars and stripes from thirteen
10 fifteen. Vermont having been admitted
to Statehood, March +, I79l, and kentucky,
June !, 1872 The proposition led to a
spirited discussion, considerable num-
Der OF the congressman regarding il as
much too trivial matter TO waste time on.
However, 1t WAS passed ultimately to take
effect in May, 1875. In 1896 Tennessee
was admitted TO the Union; in 1902 Ohio
became the seventeenth State. In 1872
Louisiana was added. and in 1916 Indi-
ana joined the constellation, thus raising
tic Bnm Der 20 nineteen. Under the cir
cumstaDces the flag of fifteen stars and
stripes uas meaningless. That year Peter
Hen4rOn, Representative for New York,
offered resolution that a committee be
appointed - inquire into the expediency
~ altering tbs nag Of the United states