The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1916-09-07
Labor Day In IrvingtOn

maui JhOSe 1iHRS down. II you dOn
take them down Immediately, well go
out and cut them donw."
The chairman with firm and de-
termned look, stepped closer to the
audience and said: 81 want just few
words upon this flag incident, and
after am through the gentlemen may
go out and cut down the flags if their
Judgement warrants. This assemblage
here this after noon has been subjected
to a gross insult. We have been refer
ed to as anarchists. 1t is only the
ignorant or the enemies of Socialism
that will make such remark. Gap
plause). We hold no malice towards
these men, we only pity them. If we
ing the stars and stripes alongside the
red flag this afternoon. If we were
anarchists, we would not even be fly
ing the red flag, for the black flag is
the emblem of anarchy. The red flag
signifies that all men are brothers. 1t
was the red banner that was used to
lead the people of Israel out of bond
age. 1t was the banner in the battles
of Bull Run, Lexington and Ticonder-
oga. 1t is the banner that many a
heroic worker has fought and died
beneath its folds. 1t has been the ban
ner of the working class for thousands
of years, and want to say that | love
that glorious old banner.
| "The flag that stands for labor
On ev'ry land or sea,
Where wage slaves band together
And struggle to be free.
The flag that's bound to conquer,
That never will be furled
Till labor gains its rightful place
AS master of the world"
The poem was followed by great
applause and the speaker continued:
"Old Glory is a national banner, and
there is not Socialist who does not
appreciate and love that banner also.
| ardently love the stars and stripes,
the banner that was carried by our
forefathers in the battles Of their day,
the battles which had to be fought in
the revolution of the race toward So
cialism. love and respect Old Glory,
but Capitalism is trailing it in the dust
Look about you. 1t is evident on all
sides. 1t is used to advertise patent
medicines, tobacco and intoxicants.
can point out an incident right here in
your own little city. One of the men
who addressed this meeting with his
indignant remarks this afternoon is a
cigar manufacturer of your city. Most
of you are familiar with his brand of
cigar that has the stars and stripes
carried by a military squad under the
title Color Bearer on his cigar boxes
He has desecrated the flag, and l re-
iterate that Capitalism, the system
that these men stand for, is trailing
the flag in the dust, and it is up to the
Socialists to come to the rescue"
Here the chairman was again inter-
rupted by great applause. After the
applause had subsidized, he continued:
"Now, before introducing the first
speaker, want to issue this warning
If the stars and stripes are cut down
into the street this afternoon, l will
enforce the law tomorrow and punish
offenders for desecrating the national
banner on holiday. There will be
given the widest publicity of those who
had the temerity to resort to such
foolhardiness. Now these gentlemen
may go out and cut down the string
of flags if they wish. If they do, they
will suffer the consequences of the
law, but our candidate for mayor, Paul
Victor, will be the next mayor of Irv-
ington by an overwhelming majority.
Let me introduce him to you as the
first speaker of this afternoon"
The politicians, evidently with a
feeling of disagreeable nature, left
the hall amid thunderous applause.
The flags remained up that day and
long into the evening, until they were
removed by the Socialists. (INDIANA
BULLETIN.