The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-01
THE INVISIBLE RED FLAG.

Many thousands Of flags were displayed
yesterday in every part of the country. but,
so far as heard from. no other flag was dis
played than the stars and stripes. which is
not State flag. but the emblem OF ha-
ton. But while no red flags were openly
Haunted as a defiance to the flag of this
Nation, the invisible red flag of anarchism
was unfolded wherever a demagogue sought
in speech to create classes in this country
and to array one against the other. This
has been done so much in some Of the
larger cities that an element has already
proclaimed that the stars and stripes is
not their flag. This Is a dangerous senti-
ment; but every man who creates classes
In his speeches and seeks to influence the
votes of one of them by appeals to preju-
dice is doing what he can TO spread and
intensity such a sentiment. He may be-
come very eloquent about the flag of the
free, buc he is filling the minds Of those
who can be deluded by his sophistries with
the spirit of hate. He is inspiring a Sc
cession sentiment in every community and
preaching a revolution which will under
thermore, the demagogue who goes about
the country assailing this form of govern
men, declaring that 1t is for the rich man
as against the poor, and striving to cause
distrust, does more mischief than he could
by bearing aloft the red flag of anarchy in
a procession.
There is no possible excuse for the invis-
is for superseding the use Of the stars and
stripes by the emblem Of misrule and vio-
lence. This Is the country of opportunity.
and the only one In the world. There is
scarcely a prominent man in public life
or I'm any great industrial enterprise who
was not born under adverse conditions. So
far as wealth Is concerned, the experience
of the country is epitomized in the words,
three generations from shirt-sleeves to
shirt-sleeves." Every year that great lev
eler, the public school system, becomes
stronger and more useful. In the cities and
larger towns It offers liberal education
to the child of every man, under condi-
tions that make the well-to-do and the
poor equal. AS the years pass. the avenues
10 DeIter cOnultlOnS are Openeu Dy the OK
penditure Of public money. The trend of
public instruction Is toward the practical
and useful. Even ten years ago the manual
training school would not have been re-
garded as possible if desirable. Every
large city is giving attention to technical
education. Under no government in the
world have the mass of the people made
such progress as in this country. They are
more intelligent they have the comforts of
life. and millions of them have accumu-
lated property. Reforms are needed, and
will be needed as long as the race exists,
but they will come as the years pass, as
they have come in the years which have
gone. Demagogues have waved the red flag
of hate in speech ever since the days of
Washington, who was proclaimed by them
to be the foe of popular institutions, until
the present time, but without avail. Just
now more demagogues after office are wav-
ing the flag of hateful speech. of desecra-
ton, mistrust. heartburning and revenge
than at any one time. but they are none
the less foes of popular government and
human progress than they would be if they
were proclaiming their heresies under the
red flag of the declared Anarchist.