Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-30
Suggestion That the Turkey
And Not the Eagle Should
be the National Emblem
1T 10 a FITTING SYMBOL
Domestic Bird More Fitting as An
Emblem Of American Life Than the
Eagle, Whose Dignity and Existence
Civilization Has Encroached Upon
BiakesIee's Tribute.


as the emblem Of our country instead
Of the turkey, which Franklin recon-
mended? asks N. T. Blakeslee In the
Chicago Tribune.
The eagle keeps himself at a distance
from civilization and is seen only oc-
casionally by hunters, who crack at
him with their rifles without reverence
for his symbolical character. He can
not be tanned so as to be Of any value
as pet. He sits on dry limb in the
geological garden and looks ashamed,
knowing that near at hand he has moth
ing to be proud Of He has no brilliant
plumage. He cannot sing or walk with
stately tread. as national bird
should, but waddles along with less
grace than goose or a duck.
1t must be confessed he has some
good qualities In his native element
he can soar and SO has become an ex-
ample to Fourth Of July orators. He
has given name to one denomination
Of our national currency and In that
form is not to be despised. he adorns
one side of the silver dollar, on which
he has struck an attitude suggestive Of
death.
But the true national bird not by ap-
pointment, but by merit, is the turkey.
He is a genuine American without any
foreign prototype. That our fathers
passed him by when choosing an en-
fblem is evidence that they had not cut
loose entirely from subseryience to an
cient Rome and foreign ideas of dig
atty and did not appreciate fully the
.ralue Of Americas distinct possession.
The turkey did not keep himself
lloof on a distant mountain top when
civilization came to the United States,
but came to meet it. He was anxious
to be domesticated. When our fOrefa-
theirs appointed Thanksgiving day IN
Plymouth. where meat shops were
scarce, they had only to so out into the
woods, and there were the birds ready
to be slaughtered.
The turkey is a proud looking bird,
even more SO than the eagle. He is as
large or larger. II he has not SO much
spread to his wings he has more to his
tail, and when that is fully extended
and his head is thrown up In proud
consciousness of his dignity and useful
place In civilization he acknowledges
inferiority to none. His step Is stately
and enlblenatic of the on marching Of
a mighty nation.
In artistic representa- ton his picture
is naturally painted in a different pose
from that of the eagle, The latter ap-
pears to better advantage In a front
view, the former in profile; the latter
poised ut distance in midair, the for
mer maintaining an easy equilibrium
upon fence or tree. So long as our re-
public was a wild fight of an expert
ment 1t was well to have it symbolized
by bird on the wing, but now that it
is established on sure foundations the
bird standing on terra firma seems
more appropriate.
1t may be argued that the turkey Is
liable to brief existence. That would
be an unfortunate idea to weave into a
national emblem, but the objection dis
appears upon second thought. He per-
petuates himself by yearly brood Of
young, enterprising offspring. The ed
gle becomes more rare with receding
frontier, but the turkey gives no indi-
cations of race suicide. While the
greater number of eagles are old and
tough, the turkeys are ever young and
tender.
In the matter Of plumage the turkey
is variegated and attractive. AS to
voice, his gobble may not be any more
musical than the scream of the eagle,
but 1t is more frequently heard. Fall
ing on the ear, 1t brings to mind recol-
lectlons Of Thanksgiving past and an
ticipations of one near at hand
When the eagle at last succumbs to
old age and dies his carcass rots inglo-
riously in some unseen crevice on the
mountain side but the turkeys useful
ness is not past when his days are
numbered In death he is still dear to
those who have nourished him, and
they gather to do him honor in rites
and Thanksgiving
Rowing OUTFIT For Passengers.
Ono of the fpatNraS Of tho now Cor