Evening star., 1902-03-01
CORN AS NATIONAL EMBLEM.
Mrs. George Cabot Ward Suggests It's
ADOPTION


From the New York Tribune.
"The time Is ripe, think, for the United
States to adopt a national emblem, and the
history of our country points to the Indian
corn or maize as entitled to that distinc-
tion." said Mrs. George Cabot Ward yes
terday in discussing the claims Of various
flowers that have been mentioned in this
| connection. 1.-The reasons for choosing the
corn are so final that 1t seems to me i'm
possible that any one who has heard them
should consider for a moment proposition
to adopt a flower, however beautiful" con-
tinued Mrs. Ward. Corn formed the prin-
cipal article Of food for the early settlers.
and but for it they would have died OF
starvation. 1t is Divine gift, for God
never gave 1t to any other country, this
Gus. Although it will grow anywhere. 1t is
dfstfnctively of American origin, and has
doubtless grown here for ages"
Flowers. Mrs. Ward thought, might be
beautiful and appropriate for state en-
blems in the localities where they have a
special Significance in connection with the
history of the state. but no flower, she said,
could bring forward claims that would en-
title IT to become national in its symbolism.
one OF the strongest points advanced In
favor Of the corn Is that 1t can be grown
with equal facility in all portions Of the
United States.
the lakes to the gulf" said Mrs Ward in
this connection. "It is said that only per-
sons who have visited the south and the
west can realize what q powerful factor 1t
Is In our civilization, nourishing as 1t does
in both hot and cold climates. The harvests
OF the corn are the glory Of our country.
Another point In its favor as compared
with any flower Is that our great country
should have q life-sustaining emblem Peo-
pie come here from every country In the
world to earn their living: and think of the
benefit 1t Is to the poor. for as a food it Is
within the reach Of ALL
In Plymouth the people have a custom by
which they commemorate the sufferingS Of
thespflgrims and at the same time acknowl
edge their debt of gratitude to the corn.
When Forefathers' day is observed they
hold dinner, and each guest finds laid
beside his plate few grains of the parched
corn to which the first settlers owed SO
much. Advocates of the Indian corn feel
assured that 1t will only be a matter of
time before it's claims are acknowledged.
In nutriment 1t Is ranked next to wheat
and rice. The early settlers subsisted on
it. with the occasional addition of salt pork.
Mush and milk was considered a wholesome
diet. and samp was looked upon as a deli
| cacy. The coarse cornmea1 required only
the addition of water and salt to be baked
into a light and sweet tasting bread. A
recent speaker before the National Society
| OF New England Women referred with the
greatest enthusiasm to the homely fare Of
those days. saying that samp cooked as our
grandmothers used to prepare 1t was dish
which, for fine flavor and delicacy, could
not be exceeded by the cooks Of today. The
Pueblos esteemed corn as the most valuable
gift from the GODS and quaint legends are
connected with their history Of its origin.
Longfellow in THE Song Of Hiawatha" re-
fers to 1t Is This new gift Of the Great
Spirit Whittier, in 1.-The Corn Song" ex-
tolls its beauty and usefulness, and other
poets have written in it's praise. To decora-
ton on marble. bronze or any metal 1t Is
especially well adapted, say those who have
seen 1t put to this use. 1t appears sculp-
tured on several pillars of our national
Capitol, and its sharply defined outlines
would, it is said, reproduce effectively on
our currency.