Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-22
SECRETARY LANES FLAG DAY ADDRESS

Have you read Secretary of the Interior
Lanes Flag Day speech?
III has attracted remarkable attention. The
secretary delivered il TO his department clerks
quietly and unostentatously and a Washing
ton newspaper published the text The nnaf-
feected patriotism no less than the originality
of conception gave the speech instant popular
ity. Here * is:
This morning, as passed into the land office,
the flag dropped me most cordial salutation,
and from its rippling folds heard it say: Good
morning, Mr. Flag maker"
Il beg your pardon, Old Glory" said s.you
are mistaken am not the president of the
United States, nor the Eice-president, nor mem
her Of Congress, nor even general in the army
! am only i government clerk"
II greet you again, Mr. Flag-maker," replied
the gay voice. Il know you well. You are the
man who worked in the sweltcr Of Yesterday
stIpiglreping out the tangle Of that farmers
homestead in Idaho" SKI
ssNo, | anu not" / was forced to confess
"WelI, perhaps yousare the one who discov.
cred the mistake in that Indian contract in Ok
lahomag'
mo, wrong again. ! said
'.Well, you helped to clear that patent for the
opening of that new ditch in Colorado or made
that mine in Illinois more safe, or brought re-
lief to the old soldier in Wyoming. No matter,
whichever one Of these henefcent indiviuals You
may happen to be, give you greeting, Mr. Flag
makeerr
was about to pass on, feeling that | was be-
ing Knocked, when the flag stopped me with these
words
sYou know, the world knows, that yesterday
the president spoke word that made happier
the future of ten million poems in Mexico. but
that act looms no larger on the flag than the
struggle which the boy in Georgia is making to
win the corn club prize this sun.mer. Yesterday
the Congress spoke word which will open
the door Of Alaska, but mother in Michigan
worked from sunrise until far into the night to
give her hoy an education She too, is making
the flag. Yesterday we made new law to pre-
vent financial panics; yesterday no doubt a
school teacher in Ohio taught his first letters to
boy who will write song that will give cheer
to the millions of our race We are all making
the flag"
"But,' | said. impatiently, "these people we're
only working Then came a great shout from
the flag.
''Let me tell you who am. The work that we
do is the making OF the real flag. / am not the
flag, not at all. | am but its shadow. am
whatever you make me, nothing more ! am
your belief in yourself, your dream of What a
people may become / live changing life a
life of moods and passions, of heart breaks and
tired muscles. Sometimes ] am strong with
pride, when men do an honest work, fitting the
rails together truly. Sometimes / droop. for
then purpose has gone from me, and cynically |
play the coward Sometimes am loud, garsh,
and full of that ego that blasts Judgment But
always ] am all that you hope to be and have
the courage to try for. / am song and fear,
struggle and panic, and enrolling hope. ! am
the days work of the weakest man and the larg-
est dream of the most daring ] am the Consti-
tuition and the courts, statutes and statutemak-
ers, soldier and dreadnought, draynan and
streetsweep, cook, counselor and clerk. am
the battle of yesterday and the mistake Of to