Evening journal., 1907-09-07
"The Stainless Flaa.v


Editor The Evening Journal.
Dear Sir. BY your courtesy and through
the columns OF THE EVENING JOUR
MAI. wish to say to tho voters Of Della.
ware Greeting. When ] decided to en-
ter the campaign that is now being waged
in our State O.icense or no Llcense), / did
so purely from a spirit of patriotism, to
oppose hat terrible thing prohibition On-
somnia), but / never dreamed that the
men who / had known as prohibitonlsis
would st0op to outrage the American flag
even TO win. In this respect they (pro-
hlbiuonists) have outdone the viest polti-
can that ever slimed the political arena
with their debaslng tendencies, and pros
tituted the American flag.
Can they deny III guess not But I will
lay a specific charge at their door and
thus afford them an opportunity to clear
their political skirts.
just forty-four years ago my father
yielded up his life beneath the enshroud-
ing folds Of Old Glory on the bloody field
Of Malvern Hill I always felt proud of
that fact, even though knew my blessed
mother cried herself to death by reason
Of my fathers early demise. But now
now that I see a stained CD flag waving
over my head every time I walk down
Market street / wonder what it all means.
TO make myself clear let ms say: A
banner strung across Market street. be-
tween Seventh and Eighth streets. bears
the inscription: "A Stainless Flag. and
a s&oonless State" and beneath It droops
Gas If in shame) the American flag. What
either meaning can be taken from the in
scription than that the Gag is stained fbe-
cause men drink and needs TO be cleansed
by prohibition?
deny that the nag that my fsther sac
rihced his life for IS stained; that the
hag that 1 fought and bled for is stained.
II that emblem Of liberty Il stained now
II ever has been stained. II az is stained
now IL was a stained emblem when it
waved so proudly az Bunker Hill; when Il
was defended so calamity at Lexington;
when its waving folds announced to the
world that the American colonies had
gained their liberty at Yorktown; when It
dened the power OF Great Britain on the
high seas during the war Of 1872; when its
glorious folds we're fired upon at Ft
sumpter; when the Cumberland's crew
nailed Il to the masthead and when il
rode triumphantly at AppomattoX; when
Il crossed the sea 10 free the downtrodden
Cubans and when it waves joyously every
Fourth OF July while the eagle screams.
Is the dag stained? Tell me you daught
ers OF the Revolution is the flag stained7
Tell me you Patriotic Sons Of America.
Is the flag stained? Tell me you men who
proudly bear title to the Grand Army Of
the Republic. I want to know II so, 1t is
no longer worthy Of being cheered by little
school children now being fought for by
the flower OF American manhood.
Is the flag stained you members Of the
Board Of Street and Sewer Directors OF
the city Of Wilmingtong II So let IL ny.
but remember the while, that at least one
citizen OF this fair city points the finger
Of shame at you all.
Dear reader. you. no doubt. wonder
what this all means. Well I'll tell you,
My little son. one Of the rising genera
ton upon whom this nation must depend
In the future came home one evening re-
Gently and asked me II the flag is stained.
1 answered no. But the little fellow want
ed 20 know the whole truth. He persisted
IN asking me what "A stainless Flag-A
Saloonless State' meant, so 1 decided 10
lay the matter before the public through
the columns Of THE EVENING JOUR.
NAL.
What self swollen egotsm those pro-
mbltonisis exerclsei Was Il through In
noeence that they placed the shameful
declaration above the purest emblem Of
liberty We know OF. II so, they are now
advised and should permanently remove
The obnoxious inscriptions wherever tn y
may be- But should they not do so. the
people OF this city should thunder vgor-
ously at the door Of the Street and Sewer