Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-08-04
THE FLAG OF HAWAII.
Emergencies That Had to Do With Max.
ing 1t What 1t Is.


All histories that are printed of the
Hawaiian Republic fail to tell of the
interesting story connected with the
adoption of the flag of that country.
The adoption of the emblem dates
back about twenty-five years, when
the country was still monarchy and
Kink Kamehameha II. was on the
throne.
The story is handed down by pos.
terity. The exact date of the occur
renee is not known, though it was in
the year 1878. The King of thu
''key to the Pacific" awoke one morn
ing to find French warship anchored
safely in the harbor of Honolulu. He
became alarmed at the pospect of
conquest, and sent at once for his
Prime Minister. He was advised by
him to run up flag, and show the
visitors that the country belonged to
some one, and was not "no mans
land" to be pillaged at will by the
first foreigners who came along. The
King, needing the advice, cast about
for piece of bunting to represent his
nation, and fell upon an old British
flag. This he had run up to the top
of his highest flagpole.
The bunting had hardly had time
to unfurl itself to the breeze when
one of the chief advisers of the King
came running to him and told him
that he would have to take the flag
down, as the first thing he knew if he
did not an English man -of-war that
was expected at the island, would ar.
rive, and, the commander finding his
nations colors flying over Honolulu,
would take possession in the name of
the Queen. This frightened Kane
hameha, and he started another hunt
for flag. This time searchers IN
earthed an American emblem.
Taking the two flags, the ruler had
them made into one. The jack in the
corner of the English emblem was
left, while the stripes of the American
flag were added to it. Thus the
Hawaiian flag at first had thirteen
stripes and jack, the same as the
English. The King, when he had dis
posed of his French visitors, had time
to think over the matter. 1t was de-
cided that it would be better to have
only eight stripes, representing the
eight islands of the nation. The extra
pieces were cut off, leaving the eight
stripes, with white one on the top.
The jack still carries the st. Georges
cross, the st. Andrews cross, and the
st. Patrick's ross, the same as the
English.
Soon after the adoption of this flag
the whites, who had begun to settle on
the island, came more and more into
power each year until, as q result, the
monarchy was finally overthrown and
the Republic placed on a firm basis,
with white men at the head of the Gov.
ernment. The natives, who are su-
perstitious, believe the change in
power from the copper-colored people
to the whites is directly due to the fact
that the white stripe is directly over
the red in the flag. They say that had
the red been first the whites would
never have gained foothold on the isl.
and sufficient to warrant their taking
the reins of the Government in their
hands.
AS result of this superstition the
Legislature of Hawaii scarcely ever
meets but what some new bill to change
the position of the stripes on the flag
is brought up. The wisest of the men
among the mattress are kept constantly
at work on the drawing up of such
measures, and their members in the
Congress are ever busy trying to put
the bills through. The belief is that
as soon rs the order of the stripes is
changed, the red having the prefer
ence, the copper-colored natives will
again ascend to power and have full
sway in the Government.