Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-15
Dissertation of the Fling.

At a recent meeting of the Illinois So
ciety of the Sons Of the American Revo.
luton Mr.. Charles Kingsbury Miller de-
livered an address on this subject, which
ought to have a wide circulation.
Mr.. Miller begins by calling political
parties to account for using the stars and
stripes as a floating signboard hearing the
names of candidates. hanging across
streets, pasted on the fronts of liquor sa-
looms and thrust in the harness OF horses.
AS all parties do this, no one gains any
advantage from 1t. The net result is that
the flag ceases to have any special signi-
ficance. When two opposing parties or
factions use the flag with tho names Of
their candidates on it, they frequently
come into collision with each other, pull
down each others flags, tear them In
pieces, trample them in the dirt, or drag
them through the mire. Mr.. Miller cites
several instances of this kind, In one of
which, at GAINESVILLE, Wis, the flag was
actually rotten-egged. Probably nobody,
not even those who threw tho eggs, con-
sldered that the national emblem was de-
IN tnlS case. lnev were
thinking only of the opposing candidates.
The flag had become so common shat II
was, in their eyes, like any common rag.
If they had been arrested and fined for
their act they would not have understood
what they were punished for. In another
case, in Missouri the flag which bore the
nominations of political party, was
thrown upon a bonfire and consumed, amid
the pluudits of the onlookers. At the
headquarters of political committee in
Chicago n number of American flags hav-
ing the portraits of candidates printed up
OH them were spread over the floor. Visi-
tors OF an opposing political party enter
ed the room, wiped their muddy boots and
expectorated tobacco Juice upon these
flags. or course, these acts do not hurt
the flag, but they tend to breed contempt
for It, and they offend tho sense of all
people whose love of country is associated
with n love Of order and neatness.
The use of the flag for advertising pur-
poses is even moro offensive than its use
for political purposes The ways in which
1t is so used are endless. Tho stars and
stripes arc printed on towels n?ckties,
hosiery, awnings, posters, and cakes Of
soap. Somebody conceived tho idea OF
printing 1t on letter envelopes. An odd
result happened in foreign country in con-
sequence One of these envelopes mailed
from a city in the State of Massachusetts.
arrived at a point in Sweden, addressed
to an American student at n manual
training school. 1t was deemed by the To-
cal authorities, because of the print of the
American flag upon 1t, to be a communica-
ton from the United States government.
Immediately a special train was made up
and carried that letter to its destination,
forty miles distant. A very common use
Of the flag now is as an advertisement Of
whiskey. 1t finds employment in the
coats of negro MINISTRIES, in the skirts of
bailet-dancers. in the trunks of prize
fighters, in tho caps of circus-clowns. in
fancy dog-blankets. and in the covers OF
There Is nothing too common
or unclean fo1' Its use or abuse.
To correct all this, the american Flag
has been organized in New
York. with Col. Ralph +. Prime of Yonk-
ers as president Gen. .. o. Howard, vice
president; and Gen. Thomas Wilson OF
New York as secretary. II is union Of
the flag committees OF the various patriot,
ic orders in the United States. and will
work to secure the necessary legislation
for protection of the flag in ;he various
States. Vermont has already acted in the
matter. BY the act passed by our Legis-
lature, at its recent session, a penalty OF
not less than ten and not more than one
hundred dollarS is attached to the use OF
the natiorai flag or any representation
thereof for advertising purposes. The act
takes effect April list. 1899.