The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-06-18
Col. Spencer's
Flag Day
Address

The following is the splendid Flag
Day address delivered yesterday aft
ernOon at the Elks' Flag Day exer-
cises by Col Edwin Spencer:
Col Spencer's mastery address fol-
lows:
We have met today to commem-
crate the 14th day of June, 1877,
when the Continental Congress
passed a resolution that the flag of
the thirteen United States be thir-
teen stripes, alternate red and white:
that the Union be thirteen stars.
white in a blue field, representing a
new constellation.
We have met today to do more
than this. We have met to sit with
in the sacred shadows of those STAIN
less silken folds to again breathe in
the inspiration of our country's
splendid past. 1t is not Of much i'm
pIrlance to us now who took the red
from out the sunsets glow, or the
blue from out the bending dome of
heaven, or the white from out the
pGrest of the driven snow, or who
piucked the glittering sentirels OF
the night from out their silent home
to place them all together in one
harmonious blend we call the stars
al stripes; but it does mean much
to every man in whose veins flow the
red blood of an American to feel and
hear and live again its purpose and
its history
Ny thoughts are never turned to
dwell upon our country but that
think that all the sons of free men
should read at least one time in
each and every year the history Of
our country and our country's flag.
The quaint and homely epigrams
which were placed upon the flags
|of cur Fathers in the opening days
of the Revolution spoke the temper
and the metal of the people then
and now. One Of the flags they
carlid bore the Latin legend. "Qui
transtulit' sustinet"-"Who brought
us over still sustains us. Another
bore the motto of Massachusetts,
An appeal to heaven" and another
bore the words, Liberty or Death"
and still another had the picture Of
coiled rattlesnake ready to strike
with the words beneath Don't tread
OH me-" After the adoption of our
standard flag I have always been
g!a1 that it first fioated on the mast
head of the Ranger" ship com
manded by Capt. John Paul Jones
who carried it triumphantly across
the Atlantic and around the British
Isles in an effort to wrest he seas
from the clutches of our adversary
And from that time until now am
gladder still to say that there has
never been time that our flag has |
once been driven from the ocean, or |
that it has not stood sometimes alone !
in all the world for the safety and
the freedom of the unowned waters
Of the seas.
We have met today to more than
dwell upon the history OF our coun-
try and its flag. Today in this time
of stress and storm we have met TO
pledge anew our love. our lives. our
all to the maintenance and existence
of this republic. In Mohammedan
countries five times a day the Muez-
Tins sound the call from the Minar-
cts and the Mosques every good Mo-
hanmedan prostrates himself and
prays to Allah dedicating himself 10
his service and always with the
words, There is no God bu. Allah
ana Mohammedan is his prophet"
ignorance and superstition have al
ways demanded an outward nantes
.atlon IN order to maintain their
deal In America where surersti.
ion is but ghost and ignorance \
jigmy we do not need blare Of
-umpets and roar of drums to ded-
cate ourselves to the service Of our
'ountry and its flag. Already a hun
ired million people have quietly and
clemnly determined that our flag
mall remain unsullied and that our
shall never be forced to
lead guilty before the bar of his
DRY to any disgraceful act.
II is stated that in one of Napol.
ans memorable battles when the
forces were sweeping down
lpon him and it seemed that in.
vitable defeat awaited his army he
instructed his drummer boy to sound |
j retreat and the boy replied "Sire.
do not know how to beat a retreat
'ut, sire, if you will let me can
eat charge that will cause the
cad to spring from out their graves
nd turn the tide of battle And h
!apolean gave the order, the charge