The National tribune., 1909-04-15
MpsuoRY.
The Flag DisrespectfulIy Used in Inang.
Gral DecOgafi0ns-lts Proper use
Should Be fSfudjtld.

The Flag Disrespectfully Used I'm Inang- |
ural Decorafious-Its Proper Use
Should Be fstudied.
Poor Old Gforyi, My, but she did
nave an 'in"-glorious time OF 1t ABOUT
inaugural timesi
People are, suddenly beginning 10
realize that fhe Flag and the Natlonai
coIors make the most beautitui uecoia.-
ing material lin the world. or course,
artists do not think this. They talk
ABOUT the "crudeness" of the primary
red and 'iblue,r- and would. rather
nave the softn fade shades, but Just ex-
pose those to the sun ana stress OF
storm such as We had on this last March
4, and you will find that crude" as
they may seem to the artist, they are
true" and do not run" neither do
they fade
But that isn't just exactly what
started this for Mighty few people
seem to have any idea at all of how to
handle even crude red, white and blue.
1t should be remembered always that
they are the" National colors,. and that
every one of them means something
Consequently those colors, singiy, COM
bined or in the Flag, must have peculiar
and exact treatment. In most instances
the colors" were at distress. That
is, when red, white and blue was used
for drapery the blue was always at the
actly the opposite treatment of those
draperies should have been the case.
Blue should always be at the top, white
just below, and red just below that
when the three are used in combination.
one who loves the Union will never use
red and white or blue and white in con-
junction without the complimentary
color. All combinations of Confederate
colors are red and white, blue and
white, or red and blue. You will never
meet up with the three in combination,
except in the Confederate flag, and,
heaven knows, they tried hard enough
to get away from the dear old red, white
and blue when they selected their col
ors. They could not do it, however, but
contented themselves with not using the
three in combination in any other deco
ration.
In putting two Flags together in fiat
decoration always turn the blue fields
out, bringing the stripes together in
the center. OF course, if you are deco
rating with a continuation of Flags
around a long wall, it is difficult to OBJ
serve this order, but be very careful
that the blue is never in any wise COW
cred in all around; as for instance, a
wheel with the field and stars around
the hub and the stripes on the outside
of the wheel. Avoid folding the Flag
in decoration If possible, and never
never, fold the blue field. Just try lay
ing the Flag fiat on a wall, with the
field and every star and stripe in evil
dence, and see how wonderfully deco
rative it is. The Flag was never made
to fold and twist and loop and drape up.
1t is meant to fly in the wind, free and
full.
Many women who thought they were
honoring the Flag made belt ribbons of
it, used it as neckties and for hat deco
rations, sticking hat pins thru it. oh,
1t was simply awful!
Women who carried Flags on staff
used the flagstaff to applaud with. This
Is habit of members of the Woman's
Relief Corps who carry the colors. They
sit with the Flag sprawled back in their
arms, and often trailing on the floor
and when they desire to applaud, in
stead of waving the Flags, they pound
on the floor with the Flagstaff. This is
SO crassly reprehensible that 1t seems
Incredible, yet II is done. When you
carry Flag, remember that the way to
applaud is byfwaving that Flag.
For sale on the streets were postal
cards galore with the Flag in various
stages of desecration. Soldiers kneeling
to take the oath of allegiance, with one
hand poised in airsand the other grasp
ing the Flag, (which was wiping up the
soil from the roadway. There were
pictures of Lincoln making his address
at Gettysburg, and"over the altar was
spread Flag with the blue field sweep
ing the ground, at distress, for it was
upside down. Other pictures of Lincoln
Washington and Taft had the pictured
face on the upper part of the card and
the Flag down in one of the lower cor
ners. This is a deliberate insult to the
Flag, tho, of course, 1t was not really
meant that way. Other postal cards
are shown with the beautiful face of a
young girl whose only drapery was a
Flag, and the altogether" would nave
been more modest than the suggestive
ness of the draped figure. Other cards
had the Flag spread out on the ground,
and a young lady dressed as Miss CO.
lumbia sitting on it. This also is an
insult to the Flag. Many of the plat
forms in store windows for the parade
were covered with starred bunting in
the National colors. You could scarce
ly think of a way in which the Flag and
colors should not be used that they were
not used exactly that way. 1t is glo-
rious thing to see the Flag and the Ma
tional colors everywhere, but let us
make study of how these should be
used and not desecrate them when we
really wish to honor them.