The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-07-22

ciple that sheds glory upon the bat
tleields of America.
There are veterans from some o
those battlefelds who tread the
streets of Johnson City, who carry
the scars and the loss of limbs in
the defense of that flag. Yes, some
of them were Color Bearers" fol
their regiment. Some of them have
seen one comrade shot down after
another, until the last, to prevent
"Old Glory" from trailing in the dirt
with his expiring breath ran the
Flagstaff into mother EARTH where
the fire was so hot, and where it re-
manned all through the battle receiv'
ing the fire from both sides-it could
not be rescued, and it could not be
captured by the enemy. (The writer
of these lines had the honor of bring
ing such flag off the field)
These veterans do not talk with
the soft pedal" when they see that
flag misused and people failing to
respect it. ..
Hypocritical patriotism is a great
deal meaner and more contemplate
than religious hypocritical psalm
singing!
One morning last May the veterans
of the Mountain Branch Home, who
went down town early were surprised
TO find the stores and hotels were
pfofusely decorated with "Old Clio
ry." Such a sight had never been
seen by the "oldest inhabitant" of the
Soldiers Home. One veteran said:
by gingo, Uncle Sam has declared
war against Germany
On further investigation it was dis
covered that all this display of the
flag was owing to the fact that the
Junior Order of Working Men of
Tennessee" were holding their annu-
al convention in Johnson City. This
display continued for three days.
On May 18th, the following appear
ed in the Johnson City staff:
johnson City is proud of the
handsome flag raised by the Junior
nrJor 1ua,. Tho bap1cop,a Coiannn
Hall school building on Wednesday"
Then again, on July 5th, 1915, the
was published in the staff:
HATS OFF TO THE FLAG.
"The greatest tribute ever saw
paid to the Stars and Stripes, says
Colonel Payson Bradley, past com
mander of the Massachusetts Grand
Army, to the Boston Record, was
not on American soil. When the An
cient and Honorable Artillery landed
at Liverpool on its visit to England
IN 1896, the line of march was crowd
I'd with over 100000 persons. When
we unfolded old Glory, we were
struck with surprise at the cheers
which went up from those English
people. AS we marched along every !
nan, from the Prince of Wales to the
owest bootblack, took off his hat. |
while the Stars and Stripes passed.
would like to see that happen once
n Boston or New York before I die"
We veterans at the National Home
would like to see it happen in John
ION City before we are all dead.
Now, that beautiful flag, presented
~ the Junior Order and hoisted to
he masthead of the flagstaff by
hose two beautiful girls on Wednes-
lay, May IL, 1915, has never been
owered or taken down since that
Iate-and all through Independence
Jay it hung at half-mast, mess of
ags, and is still there. What dis
race, and that too, over an educa-
ional institution.
On independence day not school
ouse had flag out. not a newspa-
er, of which there are two-The
'omet and the Staff. Gentlemen,
how your colors; don't preach, but
ractice patriotism.
On that day all the flags that were
ut in Johnson City could be counted
n your digits. Yet the Staff, July
tn, says:
MANY of the residences in the city
vere beautifully decorated in the
merican colors, many of the front !.