The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-04-15
Teach, the Children to Honor
The FLAG of Their Country


The Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton are endeavoring to impress upon the
school children of this country proper
reverence for their flag. This patriotic or
ganization of women is asking the coopera-
tion of the school teachers IN having the
children rise. not only in the school, but IN
theatres, in moving picture houses, Wher-
ever they may be in public, when the ma
tional airs are played or when the colors
are shown.
A great wave of indignation has just
swept over this country on account OF the
outrageous peace at any prize" utterances
Of Professor William Lyons Phelps, OF
Yale University, made recently at Hart
ford, and later in New Haven.
'To spit on the flag is not to dis
grace it nearly so much as our nations
blood split on it. This business of fight
ing for the flag is an illusion. Those
brave fellows in the trenches are not
dying for the flag; they're dying Tor
commerce
eff we go in for armament let us
abandon the church. can't quite see
the consistency of going to church if
we mean. to murder those who inter
fere with our personal liberty. I can't
see the sense of talking about the
brotherhood of man if there is whole
section Of the human race which we
hate. / think that we ought to get rid
of that American motto Safety First
Honor, love, charity come first"
Whatever Professor Phelps, and sucl
pacifcists as he may say to the contrary
the business of fighting for the flag is NJ
delusion.
Is honor de1usion?. Is character de
fusion? Is integrity delusion?
One wonders what Professor Phelp
would do if burglar should enter his hom
and endanger the lifesor the honor of on
of his own household. Would he hand owe
his personal liberty, and refuse to fight t,
defend his hearthstone?
The American flag is indeed dyed witt
the nations blood. And through this bap
tism it has become the most sacred posses
sion of this country-for it is this country
What is this flag upon which Professo
Phelps and such as he propose to spit
have undertaken to tear down from it's higl
placer Is it rag, marked with stars an
bars, IN red, white and blue? Is it the wor
of mems hands? Is it a piece of colore
cloth, made and dyed in factory?
No. It is the emblem of liberty 1t is tn
heart of American life 1t is the freedom
of men, ana the honor of women, and tn
protection of little children.
The flag is sacred because it means a
these and far more than any or all of these
1t IS the most wonderful, and the mos
beautiful, and the most sacred and the mos
inspiring thing in all the world today t
every American. He who does not honor
has already expatriated himself from TIL
country. 1t matters not who he is or wher
he may live, he is not an American. For t
be an American and to speak of spittin
upon or dishonoring the flag of this cour
try, is like splitting upon the face of the or
who gave one birth.
The flag is the country. 1t is life, it
liberty, it IS love of native land
Let the children of America be taugl
to honor their flag. Teach them that it
the emblem of liberty That for it the
forefather died that this country migl
live. That it is theirs to hold high an
sacred, to die for if need be-
-O