Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1911-08-31
Opposes National Flag for Schools.


Editor The Gazette;
noticed in your issue Of August 10th
a letter signed Junior" in which the
public is informed that there IL a move
ment on foot 70 get the Legislature at
the next session to tax the people 70
place the Federal flag on an the school
houses in the State. This letter tells as \
that this movement is engineered by i
the Junior Order Of American Mechan- /
les, a secret fraternity. having branch /
in williamsburg. IL also informs US
that a bin having this purpose in view /
would have passed the last Legislature |
II there had only been time. and that
our candidates 20 the present Legislature
have been sounded on the subject and
one expressed himself in favor of such
a bill and the other declared that be
considered that the State flag should be-
preferred. This information is impor-
tant enough 70 justify some comment
What right has a secret fraternity %
interfere in political mattersf /
thought that this kind Of interference
had been rebuked sufficiently IN 1850.
when the Know Nothing Organization
attempted. on the same ground Of pa-
! triotism TO force their political schemes
within the State, and We're utterly
demolished. III I am correctly informed
the Junior Order of American Mechanics
is opposed 20 foreigners and Roman
lCatholics lust as the old Know Nothings
were: but whether this be 50 or not
their intermeddling with the Legislature
is against public policy. I care not
what their purpose may be.
The Junior Order of American Ne
! chanics wish to have the people put
? the Federal flag over all our school
buildings. The writer of the letter in
question signed Junior" ssys that tn,
argument for the State flag would have
been sound enough before 1861 but sine,
Z the destruction Of secession, Il has no
bearing. This is an alarming doctrine
Despite the war We have still the Unior
and the States. and the accepted doe
: trine North and South is that one is a.
Z sacred as the other; that the govern
Z ment Of the United States is ''an indes
, tructible union of indestructible states
Alas for the rights Of the citizen o
the United States when the states shal
: be crushed into nothingness and
q gloomy consolidated empire be ESTABLISH
+. ed at Washington
Junior" IN his letter states that hi
purpose is 70 promote patriotism, bu
this can not be done in the way he pu'
. poses. The only way 70 do il Is 10 teac
& the youth the true meaning of our goS
a ernment-NatiOnal unity and Local SCI
=, government. Ii is self evident that th
: place for the national flag IS over n
g National Capitol, the National forts, Il
le National Army and Navy. and the plaC
for the state flag is over everything th'
Is belongs to the State. Especially is
- proper that the State flag should 4
over the schools. They are supports
- by State money and governed by Sta
0r officers. The Federal government hi
s. never given one cent 20 our school
~ AS result of the war Of ls6i-iS65 thr'
N millions Of ilhterate negroes we
80 thrown upon the South and invest
o. with the rights Of citizenship, and y
=. not one cent did the Federal COVER
ment give 10 their enlightenment Y
sc all remember the fate Of the Blair b
st which never could get the approval
Congress.
ne The statement Of Junior" that q
sc flag bill would have passed the IA
Legislature, If there had only been tim
@y is to my knowledge Incorrect The tru
he is that when the members came 20 I
feet on the bill. they found it Objeetio
10 able both on its merits and on the qus
ng ton Of expense. 1t turned out IN
IA these young people, constituting {
Junior Order Of American Mechanic
were calculating to tx upon the Sta
an expenditure Of 500. 600; for that q
n more would the hags have cost