St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-30
THE FLAG HABIT.
A Talk on the Worship OF Bunt-
ing.

ing.
Every man should uncover when the
nag is borne by in the parade and ev-
cry one should rise when a national air
IS given al a concert or public meeting
This Country of Ours" by Hon
BENJAMIN Harrison, in December 1895,
number Of Ladies' Home Journal
Great men become so accustomed to
an atmosphere Of adulation that they
seem TO think the common people can
not get along without something new
TO reverence. In some of the churches
we are expected to rise and respond to
parts of the service. In some of the
railway restaurants we are obliged to
eat standing, and now comes an eX-
president and asks that we try to en-
JOY good patriotic music while stand
Ing on legs that have already done a
noble part during the day fighting the
worlds battles. Let us have as many
flags as we like in our homes, in our
churches, our schools, our marts, on
our lake schoonerS,t on our canal scoWs
and river barges. If any desire so to
do. let them sleep In bunting and wear
stars and stripes ito summer resorts.
But the man who does not take off his
nat to the sun. moon and stars every
Tune ne sees them, and yet would re-
move his hat or cap to flag, such a
man would perhaps be as notably a
donkey as onet might imagine the ex-
president to be. The American peo-
pie have possibly something other to
do, general, than bowling and scraping
to flags and other mere symbols of
greatness and power. We respect some
or our public men, and Bennie gets
and deserves his oshare of our good
opinions. We are not obliged to raise
our hats to prince or peasant, and I
think we will not become addicted to
the nag habit, nor to- statuesque poses
while listening, tos songs Of liberty
Flag worship, if admirable, is but
skin-deep sentiment Patriotism is in
grained In mans mind and body.
and l sometimes think the less he talks
of it the more he hassof it.. hope and
believe that If there were not flag in
the United States today we=would all
love our country and our liberties even
as we should love our neighbors. 1t is
the common everyday people who
have already made the flag; not the
flag that will make the people What
number Of years or of centuries are
likely to pass before our public men
will understand once for all that in
America we should no more be slaves
to set of ideas nor Of symbols than
we are supposed to be serfs in the
presence of physical and government
al force! Our Puritan fathers left the
old world to avoid mental and bodily
prostration before religious and secu-
lar idealisms. Go to, my lord; go to.
The hand" and head "of Douglas are
his own" and 1 hope will never be
put to use In mere idle ceremonial.
1 have faith to believe that BENJAMIN
Harrison was worthy executive in
the main. But take notice that neither
he nor his secretary of state, James
e. Blaine, nor Grover Cleveland, nor
Secretary of State Olney, have had
sufnclent confidence in our people and
country to drive foreigners from Be-
ring sea and save our seals from ex-
tinction by sending our flag to the
front and backing it up with
American soldiers and sailors
US have works occasionally, Ben
and Grover, and not so many words.
If Benjamin and Grover, unlike the
Quakers, must uncover their heads
to bright colors, let them doff their
helmets to my ladies-the Yankee and
Gopher girls-bright summer gowns
and gay winter hats and wraps. The
great unwashed-as the finical leather
cushioned, revolving armchair, this
my-busyday Office and counter
jumper sort ofamen are wont to term
the laboring and farming classes, the
mechanics and factory girls and other
by the day and week and all the year
around workers; the people, those who
have no time for rose water and pow
der puffs-the great unwashed can be
trusted to bring enthusiasm when II
is needed and get in line for any good
cause. Those who have fought our
battles and paid our taxes and raised.
harvested and prepared the food for
our non-combatants, our women and
children, as we'll as for our volunteers
and seamen; those who have borne
the burden of all our national con-
h1cts; they and their children and
grandchildren are ready and willing to
come to the front at any time. We
can, however, all freely say, with Gen:
Harrison, DO not be ashamed to love
the flag or to confess your love for it,"