The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-05-04
OUR FLAG.

Southern Ruralist. when YOU see
the Stars and Stripes displayed son.
stand up and take off your hat! Some.
body may litter. It is popular to de.
ride all expression OF noble senu-
ment. You may blaspheme in the
street, and stagger drunken in public
places. and the bystanders will not
pay much attention to you; but If YOU
should get down on your knees in the
street and pray to Almighty God. or
II you should stand bareheaded while
q company Of old soldiers marched hy
with their flag, some people will sneer.
Don't you mind! When Old GLORY
comes along, salute, and let them
think what they pleasel When You
hear them play "The Star Spanglcd
Banner In a restaurant or hotel get
up, even II YOU rise alone. stand there
and don't be ashamed Of IT, either.
For all the signs OF symbols since
the world began, there is never an.
other. save only the cross sanctified
on Calvary, so full Of meaning as the
Rag OF our country.
That piece Of red, white and blue
bunting means five thousands wears
OF struggle upward. II is the full.
blown flower of ages Of fighting for
liberty II is the century plant OF hu.
man hope In bloom.
II means the answered PRAYER OF
generations Of slaves. Of the helots
OF Greece, Of the human chattels of
Rome, Of the vassals Of feudalism OF
the serts of Russia. Of the blacks ..
America Of all the down.trodden peo.
pie Of the ages.
Your flag stands for humanity for
an equal opportunity to all the sons
OF men. We haven't arrived vet Al
that goal; there is Injustice stu
among us, many senseless and crual
customs " the past still cling TO us.
nut the only hope of righ,'ng the
wrongs Of men lies In the feeling pro.
duced In our bosoms by the sight Of
that flag
" stands for no race. II is not like
an English, French. or German FLAG
u stands for AN men who viii come
ana live with us under It's protection
u Is the only banner that means man.
kind Other flags mean rlorions
past this flag means glorious IN
lure. II Is not so much the flag of
our fathers as Il Is the flag OF our
children, and OF all children's children
yet unborn Il is the flag of tomo-
row-thc signal of the Good Tim.
coming ~ Il is not the flag of vour
KING its the flag Of yourself and of
our noighbOrs.
II has a power concealed In It's fold 3
and scattors abroad am influence ffom
It's tIutierinr That power and infm.
ence mean that in due time SLOWLY
ana ny force of law, vet surely AS the
footsteps of God the last ancient fraud
shall hc smittcn. the last unparncd
privilege removed. the last irregular.
itE set right the last man shall have
a place TO work at a living wage. m,
last woman shall have AN her rights
OF person and citizenship. and the last
ana least of children shall be- shelter.
ED and trained and cuuippcd bv M,
sovereign state and so have their
right 10 live.
Don't be ashamed when your throet
eaokes and the tears come. AS Won srr
it living from the mast OF a shin l.,
some foreign port You will never
nave % Wortmcr emotion Reverence n
as You would the signature Of tho
Deity
by thousands the Victims of the old.
world caste are steaminc westward
seeking here the thing that n,.
stands for, opportunity It stands fo,
the open door OF ambition against the
closed door " caste
II waves defiance at an ghosts thcv
that have for long mumidatcd men
the ghost OF monarchy. the ghost or
Uristocracy the ghost of war rr
ghost Of ccclesiasuc rule. an fb,y
That sull lag shadowy hands upon t5r
'ilr Ot Europe and Asia
Listen, SON. The band /, playirr
Tho star Spanelcd Banner" rher
have lct loose "Old Glory" yonlr.
stand up and Hu-rh ,or tie r.r and
o' your country"