The Glenwood post., 1917-05-26
THE ETIQUETTE OF THE FLAG

Much has been written of late con
cerning the Stars and Stripes. Some
of of which is correct. Like many
other subjects on which the public is
not as well informed as it should he,
there is a great diversity of opinion in
regard to the honors due the flag.
In the past few years there has been
deepening interest in the flag, and
while patriotism is a plant of slow
growth, the fact that it grows at all
is encouraging.
The beginning of interest in the flag
is due to the Grand Army of the Re-
public and its auxiliary, the Woman IS
Relief Corps. Other patriotic orders
have adopted the patriotic work as
part of their curriculum since the
above named orders took it up. 1t is
due to these orders that thirty-three
states have been induced to enact laws
for the protection and proper use of the
flag.
The Colorado laws prohibit the use
of the flag for advertising purposes,
its DETACHMENT or defilement, and
makes violations a misdemeanor pun
ishable by fine of 800 or imprison-
ment for thirty days. Also provides
penalty of $50 for each offense to be
recovered by civil action.
There were as many as sixty-eight
flags in use during the war of the rero-
luton. Each cavalry and many regi-
ments and companies had their own
flags before the present flag was
adopted June IA, 1777. The present
flag was first used at the battle of
Brandywine Creek on September l.
l777. That same year, June IA, con-
gress Resolved, That the flag of the
United States be thirteen stripes, al
ternate red and white; that the Union
be thirteen stars, white in blue field
representing new constellation AS
to the origin of the flag there is very
pretty tradition that Betsy Ross and
George Washington designed it and
that it was designed after the form of
Washington coat of arms. A very
pretty legend, but there is not one word
anywhere in support of this story.
Different persons have spent years of
time and small fortunes examining
public records and documents with all
the help that all of the departments
of government could furnish and not
one line or word could be found to show
that Betsy Ross or George Washington
had anything to do with either design
ing or making the flag. Since the
adoption of the flag in 1777 another
flag was adopted in 1895 bearing fit
teen stripes. We returned to thirteen
stripes again in 1878.
The American flag is the oldest flag
in existence All other flags have
been materially changed since the
auODIlOn Oh our liaS.
There is no allusion in any of Wash
ington's writings or any of his con-
temporaries that his coat of arms sug
gested the flag.
Projection of flags is as old as his
tory. For thirty-four centuries; be.
fore the sermon on the mount, before
the Star in the East. before the dawn
of civilization, the great Man, law
giver of the Hindus promulgated stat
utes and pronounced punishment for
the breaking of idols of the resecra.-
tion of flag. Four thousand years
ago and more the flag of n nation and
the emblem of that nations god were
alike protected by the death penalty,
and that a heather nation. Yet here
in this enlightened age the flag Of the
greatest nation on earth is desecrated
every day. Every den and every dive,
every sink hole of iniquity may use 1t
to attract patronage to every law de-
flying, 'God-defying crime and vice. BY
what system of logic can We require
other nations to respect our flag If we
don't respect it ourselves. With all our
patriotic demonstrations, we still have
the law.despising sons of satyr who
rave and rip the circumamvient air
with verbal pyrotechnics against tho
flag because it does not protect license
instead Of liberty. Graft and greed
instead Of Justice, freebooters and po.
litieal buccaneers instead Of national
righteousness, and emphasizes his rant