The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-03-27

N'''N iN' AANAN JNNi tiNNA hNh INV
Thomas Il, Reed and William Nc.
kinley are given faint and passing
recognition. In England II fifteen
thousand people were gathered to-
gether under one roof, as they are hero
and Mr. Gladstone or any other one
Of dozen OF England's great and we'll
known statesmen were TO walk down
the aisle, the audience would rise as
one man and for ten minutes there
would be an applause that would be
deafening, Your people are lacking
enthusiasm" This was quite a shock
to our American blood as It had al.
ways been our idea that we were
peculiarly susceptible in this way.
But 1t is not only about men but in
regard to symbols, of the things which
we in reality would die for, that we
fail to take proper notice of. Only a
few weeks ago at one OF the cities OF
the country there was military
play given. Near by this city Is sit
uated one of the forts OF the country
On that evening a score or more OF
army officers attended the play in full
uniform. AS the evening proceeded,
the play which was a delightful one
audience and was greatly enjoyed.
But the climax of the evening was
reached when at the close of the play,
the orchestra struck up THE Star
Spangled Banner" At the first sound
of the familiar and stirring hymn the
splendidly uniformed officers rose as
one man from their boxes where they
sat and stood in perfect silence, with
uplfted hats, until the last strain
died away. The audience was confus-
| ed, part of them followed the example
of the officers, while the larger num-
Der of them remained in their seats,
1t was a little incident but it in
dicated the carelessness of the average
| American over the special manifes-
tation of that patriotism which ought
to be so much a part of our national
| life that there never would be the
least hesitation in recognizing and APP
preciating the spirit of that banner
which we all so much desire shall
wave long over free land and brave
homes.
There never was a time when pat
riotism counted for so much as it
does today and what we want to learn
and what we must learn before the
world will take cognizance of our
strength and our power. our glory
and our love for humanity, is a great
er regard for the manifestation of
that patriotism. Here in our land
there is a spirit of unrest. Men are
crowdng in by thousands upon our
shores and many of them are possess
ed of little idea of the real value and
the real meaning of the stars and
ence anarchy is to put into it's place
something better. The best way to
check the fallaciOus theories of a
socialism which, as entertained by
many, has in it only the elements of
destruction and social discord, is to
instill in the minds of these people
who come from foreign lands, untutor-
ed and unframed, that the flag-the
red, the white, and the blue-as it
waves in the heavens, wherever it
floats, is the signal of liberty, of law,
of order and that there is nothing else
under the heavens which the Ameri-
can so truly loves as patriot as he
does "Old Glory" The way to show
, this is by having a reverence for the
flag and whenever the great national
hymns are sung like THE Star Spang-
led Banner" or MY Country, tbs Of
Thee" to stand with unbowed heads
in reverential mood before the great
blessings of the great country which
they represent.
Secretary Taft has lately said in
regard to the splendid fleet of battle
ships now in the Pacific, which are
soon to make their way into the dis
tant waters of the Orient, that they
will be a great object lesson to ma
lions like Japan and China. They will
represent to them, not so much the
tremendous strength of national
armament as they will the power and
the magnifcence of the great free
people beyond the seas. That flag
which has cost us so much in blood
and treasure, will appeal to their
respect as it never has before, and
that fleet by its voyage around the
world, touching the shores of most of
the great nations of the world, will
do more to instill a wholesome respect
and an admiration for the great re-
public of America than all that has