The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-05-20
FLAG DAY
The 18Th Anniversary Of the Adoption Of
the Flag Of the u S. A.

To the President of the United /
States of America.
To the Governor of each state.
To the board of education of the diff
ferent states.
To the mayor of each American city. |
To the officers and members of all i
American patriotic societies.
To all fellow citizens.
In accordance with its custom for
the past eighteen years, the American
Flag Association reminds you that Mon
dav, June IA, 1915, will be the 1871
anniversary of the adoption Of the
stars and stripes, as the flag of our
country. 1t is a genuine satisfaction
that the public recognition of flag day
as national anniversary is each year
becoming more and more general. Any
reminder would seem unnecessary to
secure your cooperation in securing the
widest possible observance this year.
In the past and increasingly every
year, the governors of many of the
states have, by their proclamations,
called public attention to the day and
ordered the flag to be displayed on all
public buildings and invited their fell
low citizens to celebrate the day.
Also, mayors of cities, for recognition
of this anniversary have also ordered
flags to be displayed upon municipal
buildings of their respective cities, and
by formal proclamation or otherwise,
have invited their fellow citizens to do
the same upon their private buildings.
And the editors of newspapers, by
general action among them all, have
; by editorial comment and the publica-
ton of historical articles upon the sub
r ject of the flag, called attention to the
: day and urged the public to display
, the national colors on flag day.
School officers and teachers have or
:. dered and arranged for patriotic eX
erciscs appropriate to the day.
American patriotic societies, through
their officers and members, have stirred
e up popular enthusiasm by public ap
9 peals through local mediums and by OBJ
servances of the anniversary.
II The American people, from year t.
e year, more and more, and with a grow
O ing enthusiasm have celebrated tn
II day.
d We call upon all American citizen
T., - go, ! I,
rs public recognition of the birthday 0
v the emblem of our nationality
l. In many of the states, pursuant t
e law, in the public schools exercises wi
5, be conducted in celebration of flag day
By voluntary impulse let this also b
# done in private schools. Let us extern
Y this practice. Teach the story of tn
e flag, what it represents, and have tn
S young people pledge their fealty an
IS loyalty to it.
l. On the 14th day of June, 1777, cor
G gress enacted: ''That the flag of tn
n thirteen United States be thrice
stripes, alternate red and white; tina
ID the Union be thirteen stars, white i
'e a blue field, representing new cor
s. stellation.' The number of the stripe
g having been increased by the admissio
N of new states, the possibilities of tn
De nation s future development dawne
N upon our fathers, the original thrice
stripes were unchangeably restored b
act of congress on April 4, 1918, when
a.. was enacted: "That from and after tn
I'd fourth day of July next, the flag of tn
er United States be thirteen horizont.
-, stripes, alternate red and white; ths
" the Union be twenty stars, white, in
or blue field, and that on the admission {
new state into the union one star
: added to the union of the flag, and sue
addition take effect on the fourth da
Z of July next, succeeding such admi
sion.'
X Since the struggle of 1861 -1S65. tn
flag has become the symbol of might
z nation. 1t has been carried to the II
\ most parts of the earth, carving lbert
wherever it has been thrown to I'll
h breeze
! At this time of the great Europea
I war, the limits of its balefnl influence
n y