The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-02-22
General Charles King Of United
! States Army Speaks Before
the Mems Club
TRIBUTE 70 AMERICAN WOMEN
General King Tells of the Soldiers
Love of the "colors," and What
Woman Has Done to Spread the
Spirit of Reverence

General Charles King, of the United
States army, veteran of the Civil war,
hero OF the wars of the frontier, and
advanced to his present rank for brav-s
cry during the war with Spain, was
the guest of honor at a dinner given
by the Mems club of the First Con-
gregationa1 church on Tuesday even
ing.
The visit Of General King brought
ont one Of the greatest crowds ever
attending a meeting of the club
Fully 200 men and women sat down for
dinner and even larger company
was present later when General King
delivered striking1y interesting pa
triotic address on 'The Fag."
General King prefaced his remarks
with short talk to the members OF
the Boys Brigade Of the church,
which attended in full uniform and
furnished an army setting for the
speaker.
'"The man with the grievance is the
most detested man ia society,"" said
General King, "and next to him is the
man with fad. My fad is the flag"
The speaker than paid a tribute of
love and affection to the wife of Gen
eral Custer and spoke of her as one Of
the greatest women of the nation
one who had won tire hearts of all be-
cause she had asked so little and yet
done so much for all. This prefaced
his story Of the new ceremonies
which had been adopted by the army
in connection with the raising and
lowering Of the flag.
tour flag" said General King, "the
flag that we are ready to fight for at
the drop.of the hat when assaulted from
without, but the American patriot
is so practical that he never took time
to think of his flag when he was home
until he saw how that same flag was
reverenced and respected in other
and foreign nations. /"
ITO the Civilian" said General
King, familiarity has bred contempt
or continued misuse of the flag has
made it an object for improper treat
ment. But to the soldier there is
something sacred about the colors. ]"
He told of how other nations received
their flags with prayer and ceremony
but that the soldiers of the United
States had been accustomed to re-
ceive their colors by slow freight from
the contractor and have it nailed to
an old staff without any ceremony.
He spoke of the changes that the war
with Spain had brought to the army
in regard to the raising and lowering
Of the flag and described at length
the beautiful ceremony attending the
lowering of the co1ors at sunset.
He spoke of the playing of the
"Star Spang1ed Banner and Of how
the soldiers all stood and sa1uted the
national emblem. He told of the cere-
monies at Manila and how they had
brought respect to the flag and to the
nation. General King declared that
there was no reason for an American
to stand when the bands played
America for this was national
| hymn of Germany and England, but
that every true American should be
on his feet at the first bar of '"The
Star Spangled banner" the one
American national hymn.
General King told of the misuses
that the flag had been put to. OF how
| it had been used for advertising and
campaign purposes. He told of the
time when General Grant, then a
90 xads Io4 fn ~
his home in Ga1ena and when he saw
splendid flag on whichshis portrait
had been painted he said: "Take the
picture off. There is 40 man in the
world great enough or good enough
to have his picture on that flag
General King paid a tribute to
American women and their work in
bringing about legislation to protect
the flag. 'sThe influence of women,
said the General, (which formerly
was limited only to the home and
fire side is now being felt in the affairs
of state and the growth of woman's
work and woman's life has been
most remarkable. These patriotic
women have done much to protect the
flag from commercia1ism and bring it
to place of honor. They have done
what the United States Senate deemed
it unwise to do for they have awakened
in the home and in the school love
for the flag and veneration for the
nations colors.'
In closing General King spoke of
the socia1istic conditions in the great
cities and appealed to the people for a
more united country united against
the foes from without and evermorel
united against the foes from within.
Frank H. Just, proprietor and owner
Of the Libertyville independent, has