The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
DISSERTATION OF THE FLAG.
A Movement to Prevent the Misuse o
the National Banner.
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post.
A society of ladies (the Daughters of the
American Revolution( has undertaken to in
troduce improved ideas touching the use
and abuse of the American flag. 1t is high
time that some such step were taken. Not
only has flag Haunting become so common
as to lose it's significance and true purport
but it has been perverted to an advertising
dodge in a thousand different ways. 1t
vices daily coming forward to make the flag
ridiculous to the lover of ones country
1t is printed on cakes of soap and cakes
of soap are printed on it. Bicycle riders
sit on it as they course through the streets.
Horses carry it over their ears. Copies OF
it are impressed on hosiery and handker-
pages of yellow journals. Street vendors
sell it in every conceivable form and size:
We are passing through the silly stage of
patriotism, and all sorts of manufacturers
and peddlers are seeking to make money
out of it. Uncle Sam, as he is represented
in the newspapers, has his ungainly clothes
made of it, If any city of the old world
were to make such a display and use Of its
national bunting as we make of ours, the
traveller visiting it, even an American traV-
eler, would think that the inhabitants had
gone suddenly crazy.
These are all acts of puerility, but it is
not easy to legislate against them. The
Daughters of the American Revolution, as
we learn from letter of one of them in
the Tribune, advocate the passage OF law
designed to secure three things-hrst, that
the national flag or coat of arms of the
United States shall not be used for adver-
Using purposes; second, that no partisan
devices or Inscriptions shall be placed upon
or attached thereto; third, that those who
treat it with lndignity or wantonly inJure
or destroy it shall be punished. A bill en-
bodying these ideas blouse bill No. 549D is
said to be now before the judiciary COM
mittee. The ends sought to be reached by
this bill are entirely proper, and we hope
that it may be passed but we must rely
more upon education than upon statutes TO
accomplish the reform which is sought. Ger
tainly the flag of our country ought not to
of ciTaCr ton
medicine, or q yellow journal, or anything
else offered for sale. The government has
a right to prohibit such desecration of the
national colOrs. Probably public opinion
would sustain a law forbidding and pun
ishng it. 1t is not so clear that public
opinion would sustain law prohibiting po-
litical or partisan emhlemS to be inscribed
upon it, although 1t is a dissertation of the
flag to use it for such a purpose. In the
last presidential campaign the supporters
of Mr.. Mckinley sought to appropriate the
national emblem to their own special use,
and to convey by the exuberant display
which they made Of the idea that they were
more patriotic than the supporters of Mr..
Bryan. They may have gained some votes
in that way. The supporters OF Bryan had
the same. privilege if they had chosen to
exercise it. Perhaps they did not have so
much money as their opponents to invest in
flags. We cannot avoid the feeling that 1t
was an illegitimate use of the national col
ors, and that it ought to be prohibited. Yet
the practice is too common to be easily
eraGicated.
WQon IL Is pTOpOSSu 10 PUNISH peOple lOI
Offering indignity to the flag, we are met
with the difficulty of deciding what is an in
dignity. We consider it an indignity to call
the flag Old Glory, just as it is an indignity
to call respectable, middle-aged gentleman
Old Hoss. Yet multitudes of people think
that they honor the flag by giving it that
appellation. There is a controversy in the
newspapers now on the question who first
called it Old Glory and is entitled to credit
therefor. Is it an indignity to the flag to sit
on it? Some people no doubt. think that
it improves their patriotism to have a chair
cushion embroidered with the stars and
stripes. Certainly the wheelmen who go
coursing through the country with the flag
dangling under their saddles think that
they are doing something rather fine. Their
intentions are good They would be much
surprised to be told that they were offering
an indignity to the national colors Those
who use it as a part of the harness of their
horses intend 10 honor their country, and
would be astonished II a policeman should
of them. Persons who encase their legs in
the national colors mean well. They are
eccentric. but the idea of offering an indg-
nifty to the flag is as far as possible from
their thoughts. If the bill which the Daugh-
tiers of the American Revolution advocate
should pass we should look for some rare
decisions in the courts to settle what is an
indignity to the flag
Nevertheless we hope that the agitation
for it may be continued. on account of its
educating influence. 1t is mainly question
of taste that we are dealing with, and taste
may be cultivated by discussion. by exam
pie and by precept. The end of the war
sort of education, There will be natural
reaction against mmoderate f1ag-1ying. and
1t may be possible to pass a bill to curtail
the more glaring abuses of the flag.