The Republican journal., 1900-07-26
CAMPAIGN FLAGS
Must Come Down. A New Law that is a
Surprise to Most People.

Surprise to Most People.
1t appears that all the campaign flags
which have been hung out by individ-
ualS i'll this State must be taken down.
Only the committees of political parties
have right to display such flags and
they cannot put out a flag with the
name Of the candidate for governor
upon it, the names of the candidate lot
president and president being all
that ever are allowed to be attached to
the flag.
This has come as a surprising an
nouncement to most people. 1t is IN ac-
cordance with an act passed at the last
session of the Maine Legislature, chap
ter 1872 of the enactments of THAT year.
which was approved by the governor,
March II, 1899. 1t is entitled an act to
prevent the desecration mutilation OF
improper use of the Nag and here it is:
ANY person who for use or display
places OF causes to be placed amy in
scription device. advertisement OF
notice whatever upon amy flag, standard,
color or ensign OF the United states or
of this State, or WHO displays OF eX-
hibits or causes to be displayed or eX-
hibited any flag standard, color or
ensign of the United States or flag of
this State upon which shall in amy man
| ner be placed OF affixed any inscription,
device. advertisement or notice What
ever. or any person who shall attach to
OF represent upon any goods, wares or
merchandise any imitation or represent
| tation of the national flag of the I nit
| ed States for advertising purposes or
who i'll any manner mutllates, trampleS
! upon OF otherwise defaces OF detiles any
| of said flags, standards, colors or enslgns,
whether they are public or private
property, shall be punished by a fine
of not less than -: NOT more than so
! ''Proyided, however, that flags stand
ards colors or ensigns, the property
of or used in the service Of the | nited
| States orof this State, may have inscrip-
tons, names of actions. words, marks
CT symbols placed thereon pursuant to
/ law or authorized by men who have
served i'll the army or navy OF the
/ nited States. may place appropriate
inscriptions upon flags owned by them
OF used for memorial purposes, and
! duly appointed and accredited com
/ mittee of political parties may. during
the campaign preceding any election
for president and vice president of the
nlted States. attach the names OF
their respective candidates to the flag.
That is the law of the State of Maine,
though state officials and men who voted
for the law have hung out flags III Ell
tie innocence of any knowledge that
they were violating the statutes. No.
body seems to know just how this
law came to be passed, but probably this
is the way of it: There is an organiza-
ton out west, conducted by one OF the
professional reformerS who will boom
any sort of movement for the sake Of
making living out of it. This society
went to work to stop the use of the flag
for advertising purposes-a very lauda-
bic thing to do-and in pursuance Of its
purpose sent out good deal Of litera-
ture to State legislatures and to news
papers. Sometimes the latter printed
it, sometimes the former acted upon
the suggestion made. 1t seems probable
that this was the origin of this new
statute, passed in the last days of the
session and quite harmless in its appear
ance. 1t was the form sent on from the
west all ready for use.
AS will be seen by the text above
printed, regular campaign committees
appear to be at liberty to hang out as
many flags as they choose, provided
they bear nothing but the name of the
candidates for president and vice presi-
dent Those of John +. Hill and Hon
est Sam must be hung upon some other
flag than that of the United States.
There are lawyers who doubt the con
stitutionality of such a law, saying the
State Legislature has no power to enact
it, but probably no one will take the
trouble to make fight over it. Flags
raised in Augusta have been taken
down, as we'll as in Waterville Water
vile Mail.