The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-31
WHAT THE FLAG STANDS FOR.
f. f. Hendee Discusses the Perpetual
ton of Its Patriotic Meaning.

Special TO the Indianapolis Journal.
ANDERSON. Ind. May 9O.-For the sec
ond time in the history of the observance
of Decoration day in Anderson the services
were conducted by plain citizens. A year
ago the movement was inaugurated here
to take the strenuous work of arranging
the details off the ageing veterans. The
outpouring of citizens, children and soldiers
to-day was remarkable. More orders were
represented than ever before. Committees
were named and parties sent to all the out
lying cemeteries near Anderson, and not
a soldier sleeps beneath Madison county
soil tonight whose grave was not marked
to-day by a loving tribute of flowers
Thousands of people lined the streets
through which the parade moved, and at
the cemetery thousands more were assem-
bled to hear the address of the Hon. Edgar
L. Hendee. In the closing portion of his
address Mr.. Hendee spoke of the meaning
of the flag, and how that meaning shall
be perpetuated. In part he said
Tell of the soldier boys of 81, tell us
of their deeds of daring, their sacrifice
to save, their devotion to duty. their well
come wounds TO self that the Union might
live; tell us of their living death in rebel
prisons, how their feeble trembling hands
scorned the hateful offer Of freedom when
coupled with enlistment In the rebel army,
tell us of the wonderful courage of women
who watched and waited and worked and
prayed, and give them, as you always do
their full portion of praise for the final
victory; tell US again and again of the
heroes who sleep meath yonder mounds;
tell again and again of your awful
struggles for national life-tell us all these,
and then We will begin to understand what
Old Glory stands for
After hundreds and thousands OF years
of attempts and failures, right here in the
United States liberty made its last stand
for a government of, by and for the peo-
pie; If 1t failed here, 1t failed forever il
persisted utterly from the face of the earth
Dissension and disunion, secession and slav-
cry tried TO tear this last hope of humanity
from the skies, but you, men of the Grand
Army, shot secession and slavery to death,
you kept the stars and stripes in the
skies, and old Glory means you did that
1t means more, il means you put the flag
OF liberty there, to remain forever. And
you made old Glory mean that. You
made IL mean another thing, and that is
this-there is room in this country for but
one flag, and that flag is Old Glory
The other question-What shall we do
TO preserve and perpetuate what old Glory
stands for?
For one thing-treat the old soldier.
his wife, his widow and his orphan fair
and square. Don't accept his services in
81 in an avoirdupois scale, and now at
the end of his days, weigh out his pension
pay in an apothecarys scale
Another thing-we shall perpetuate it
=,
the Mosts, the Spies, the Emma Gold
mans. by killing anarchy and mob rule,
and by banishing any and all who teach
or encourage either the one or the other
I'VE shall perpetuate IL by emulating
the life of your great comrade, who, since
our last Memorial day. has joined the great
majority in the camp beyond the river
Mckinley, the sainted. His life was gentle
his deeds were simple and great, he gave
all TO his country.
Another thing-and most important-we
shall perpetuate what old Glory stands
for by keeping pure and wholesome the
citizenship OF our country Keep IL pure
from contamination without by sensible
immigration laws and keep IL wholesome
from within by each person being the best
citizen he knows how can learn to be
Let each be honest and fearless in doing
the duty from day TO day. let him be
unafraid in doing right, and equally fear
less in denouncing dishonesty. impurity
and all other things which go to corrupt
good citizenship and honest government
Emulate the life and conduct of the soldier
OF the Grand Army of the Republic There
is no community which is not made better
and purer. and steadier, and safer and
more patriotic and more unstampeda BILE
by reason OF having among it's citizens
soldiers Of the Grand Army of the Re
public. On all the great questions affect
ing the honor the integrity the purity
and the safety of the Republic and citizen
ship, you always have and always will
find the old soldier true 10 the flag. true
TO the government and true 20 right citizen
ship