The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-04


as harmony finds the chord, as rain the
river, the river the sea- and so the
matchless banner of the republic came
into being. A blossoming rod for all
the tribes. A pillar of cloud by day ana
a pillar of fire by night. It has been
carried many thousand miles and every
foot of the way q good angel directed
its course and beckoned II on Fitted
for every breeze, superbly grand on
every billoW and beautiful under every
sky That banner, shadowing beneath
its 1um nous folds nigh hundred
millions of freemen, the hope OF weary
eyed men, the succor of a world, that
flag, my comrades, which you followed
long years in one continuous campaign
of battle, up Lookout's crest, in the
burg. down to the sea, through the saw
age gloom OF doubt and upward
through the glorious havoc of victory
we give to the Kansas breeze tonight.
prayer: all benediction rests upon it;
it can know no further baptism OF
glory or honor
Drake inmortaIized him self in his
rhapsody to the Star Spangied Ban-
ner. and Key wove himself into its
shining glory by his verse. / would
rather be the memory of one of these
men, deep down in the hearts OF the
American people. than to own IN Zee
simple the environment men cali the
ssThe nag has journed wide wastes Of
waters in it's pilgrimage as an evangel-
The Fourth of July is now being ceie-
brated in the south Pacific. Al the
very line of longitude where the DAY
commences it's circuit of the globe, q
thousand islands in that sunooWH
archipeIago behold, as it rises IN au-
thorffv over them, the first CLEAN OF
Liberty after four centuries OF nlsfule'
Of outrage and oppression
THE flag we honor here tonight has
given the corsair Carib over 10 tne
cause of freedom. The mountain Ilu5e
81 Cuba is the backbone OF Liberty
Porto Rico, rich as the Niles, alluVlai,
under the friendly menace OF the nag
will fruit its orchards with American
freeTnen. The green canoes Oh 80
breast of the Pacific, grit round oy tne
eternal seas. swept by the tempesL OF
fra GRANGE. is the young sister OF LID
.sT-tv. and especially so to Topeka, Kan
sas. which remembers everything ia
waiiau only as a sweet woman
IT have been a little shalxy IN speak
ing Of your part. my comrades In Lne
achievements of the fiag. The east
wind waters my eyes; the lps Afeuiole
with a palsy and a sham01ng Tongue
faIters for the word
itaI: the hum of business hardly nusn-
"a. an avenue of lights hardly q block
distant. the tread of the gay TnuitIIuae
over it's broad pavements; here, InVad-
ing the precincts of trade, ana Jne
idlers' pursuit of pleasure, 1t would
seem to he a harsh discord in the rum
HE of business, and the laugh OF pleas
IRE To interject a sentiment to the
dag. The foundations of business rest
on the flag When the eye Wear1es OF
the flag, the grass will cover your COD
HE stones 1t gave four millions OF
ehatte1s the dignity and hope of men. It
opened the opulence of the south to the
vghir1 of driven wheels 1t has made
the world one part, and its nations one
market 1t has taught crowned heAas
the modest dignity Of the Repupilc; =
has bred industry, spurred Taffc, ana
created comfort and caused happiness
business should be it's devotee and
commerce, its staunchest advocate and
friend
II give this flag the nbation of my
heart It has conquered my love- we
both survived q common peril Festoon-
inv fhe CITY on a gala day. I'd the
lodged fronts covering the walls OVER
the doorways floating from q hundred
domes and towers and stans, at the
head Of the marching men, and efn-
l,hasized by the big drums, defiant ana
GOV iubilant or shy, proud or modest.
# il a thing of beauty. Over the town
as it gIfnts and gloWs above the tree
IONS. as it catches the sun and waves
its signaling welcome. Out on the sandy
reach of plain as it surmOunts the fort,
SWiSn1ug ana SRdy14Az ax1A SFsAA AAAAss IL
an agony of delight
AS we may meet it in a foreign land
with al the eloquent silence that
speaks OF home and the United States
OF America; as it rises out Of the Wild
erness of waves IN mid-ocean at the
masthead. proud. daring, defiant aud
free. as hunted by h1oodhounds ard
following the steady gaze of the north
star. the escaping prisoner caught
sight of It's colors and in his wild delir-
ftsno imagined it's stars were heaven and
its folds were rest. safety and home;
a = you old gray boards. saw it duff and
f411f4er and fade and 41eck and fly and
sweep and stream. and ripple and rise
along the battle lines advance, dare
devil, jaunty, saucy and debonair- As
it has covered with its grace the hard
shut eyes. the white hands. the torn
breast and stilled heart of friend. fell
low. companion and comrade. it has
been more than an emblem more than
a grace, a glow or glory. It was a sac
rament-
THAT flag is the United States. its
people, its laws, its institutions and its
God shaped destiny. As long as time
shall mark earth's centuries. may it
wave in honor in the sky; true to its
history. proud Of its traditions. remeEn-
berina its dead, the hope Of che humble
and the refuge Of the oppressed. To