Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-06

Springfield (Mass.) Republican. n the leg
islature OF Massachusetts should enact q law
compelling every citizen 10 ny a nag over
his house throughout the day all the year
round at bis own expense. there would be a
loud chorus OF objections. II would be re-
garded by many of the most patriotic as an
unwnrranted interference with individual
rights. They would object to the expense,
the trouble and the fitness OF the order. and
they would resent II as a reflection on their
attitude toward the government. We i'm
agine the Lutherans Of Illinois feel In about
this way toward the flag law Just enacted In
that state, so far as II relates to their church
schools. That being the case IL must GER
tsnly be regarded as o. most unwise law.
Patriotism is not to be manufactured to
order In any such manner. The act as
suredly falls Of its purpose and tends to pro-
duce results not intended when for any rea-
son 1t exctes opposition. In a country par
ticularly whose first principle OF government
Is the non-interference of government with
individual action where the rights OF others
are respected. such enactments must be re-
garded as somewhat out OF place. Compul-
sorry and general flag flying tends rather to
belittle the symbol and deaden the sentiment
which the sight of Il should awaken.
Chicago Chronicle: The law OF Illinois re-
quiring the flying Of United States flag
over public school houses is binding upon
public school authorities everywhere. 1t adds
schools and increases the profits of bunting
makers, but 1t Is not calculated to do either
good or i'll. Patriots are not made by dis
plays of bunting. So far as the law relates
to private and parochial schools 1t is simply
imperative Attempt to compel the authori-
ties of such schools to fly the flag will neces-
sarily fail. The legislature proceeded beyond
its proper field when 1t made this enactment.
IL might as well have required that the
owner Of every private house shall keep fly
ing the flag Of the United States from his
housetop. Statute made patriotism is non
sense. Any scoundrel may make a bluff
with bunting. Sober minded American pa
triots are not ostentatious Of their loyalty
They have, as Hamlet said, that within
which passeth show. Trappings and suits
are nothing to them. An excuse given for
enhancing the profits of the bunting makers
by this perfunctory show of flags is that
citizens of alien birth must be impressed
with the colors OF the republic. To what
end? Let us not forget that when this re-
public was in peril through the efforts Of
armed men to destroy the integrity OF the
union no less than 40 per cent OF the soldiers
who enlisted in the northern armies were
persons Of alien birth. 1t was a time when
humbug patriots had not conceived the idea
Of inculcating loyalty by flying the flag over
school houses or the other 60 per cent Of
the enlistments In the northern armies no
less than 20 per cent were Of those who
were sons Of persons born abroad. 1t is not
noted that the mere flag patriots of our own
day rushed with any great enthusiasm to
the cause Of an imperiled country. The flag
law Is upon the statute book Of Illinois. but
no one need worry about 1t. The statute
will die a-bornin. 1t Is the creation of a
gathering Of statesmen more intent upon
Doodle than patriotism,