The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-13
----e----------e--ee--e----- -
THE PRESIDENTS FLAG.
That Designed for Mckinley Recalls
the Experience Arthur Had with

the Experience Arthur Huu WIN
His.
From the Washington Star.
1.-THE Presidents flag which has been
designed for President Mckinley is not
exactly a new thing" remarked an ord
nance officer of the army to a Star re-
porter, though it Is new as far as the
idea of q general flag is concerned. The
navy got up a Presidents flag for Presi-
dent Arthur, but he used it but once. He
wanted to take an ocean "Trip up to New
York on the presidential yacht, the Des-
patch, and the question was raised that
under the provisions of the constitution
he could not do So for the reason that
the constitution forbidg the President
leaving the United States while he is
President. 1t was urged on him that If he
flew a presidential flag on the Despatch
he would be in the United States, in
legal sense; that is he would not violate
the constitutional provision while sailing
under IL. even If he did go out on the
ocean. Gen. Arthur, who was lawyer
himself was not exactly welded to the
idea but he let the opinions of others pre-
vail and he made one trip, but that was
ali he would make. Since then the presi-
dental flag has never been used, and am
not exactly clear what has become of IL.
l am very clear, however, In the opinion
that no President will ever make an ocean
trip under II, unless there rs some change
made In that particular provision of the
constitution, which rs not very likely to
happen While at Newport President Ar
thur had a talk with Justice Miller. then
of the United States Supreme Court, and
Jeremiah Black Of Pennsylvania, who
was one of the leading constitutional law
yers Of the country. They both told him
that it matters not what kind of flag
he flew, or who made 1t, It was a danger
Gus proceeding in every particular, and II
would be better that 1t should not be re-
peated. That settled the presidential flag
as far as ocean trips were concerned. Dur
ing the same evening jeremiah Black told
President Arthur that Andrew johnson,
when he was President. once consulted
him on a qdestion which involved the
same principle. 1t appears that President
Johnson. during visit to Niagara Falls,
took a carriage ride, and without thinking
much where the driver was taking him,
found himself on the Canadian side of the
river. He remained there but a few min
utes, returning Immediately to the Amer
lean side. A paragraph got into the news
papers of the ride, which annoyed the
President so much that he personally re-
uuested a number Of newspaper writer's
to refrain from mentioning H. Inc result
of this was that there was but little pub
licity ever given 20 the incident, though
recently conversed with a newspaper man
who saw President johnson on Canadian
soil, but who, at his solicitation, never
made any publication of the matter.
Judge Black told President Arthur that
he had to tell President johnson that al
though he did It unwittingly he had vio-
lated the constitution, and that a depar-l
ture OF one foot from the American shore,
under a dag or not, vas as much viola-
zion as ten or more leagues out to sea-