The Elbert County tribune. [volume] (Elbert, Elbert County, Colo.) 18??-1920, 1918-08-23
Old Glory
BY ELLIS PARKER BUTLER
OF The Vfgfloufes

at the top of the mast | tackled on
alag" to dutter in the breeze that
blows continuously here on Long Is
land. The flag" like the snil. is "A
piece OF old canvas. 1t flaps In the
breeze like any flag. but 1t does not
mean n thing! j can look out of my
window and see that flag" fiuttering
and not feel the slightest emotion of
any sort. I made it. | know it Is
nothing but piece of old canvas.
ripped from large piece sand nailed
there.
Some day--but God forfend any
such day-that flag" might have
meaning for me. l might look out of
my window and see 1t fiuttering there
and know that my boy would never
ngnin look up Mt 1t in his play and
the sight OF the poor rag might fill my
heart with agony. II any neighbor
then came into my yard and laid rough
hands on that flag and tore II down
and trnmpled on it / think l would
kill him. The poor rag would be sa-
cred because of the memories that
chung to 1t.
It is because IL means so much, is
the symbol of so much, that our ma
lions flag is so sacred that the man
who defiles<it deserves to be shot
down la the act.
A fiag Is a symbol, sign, as the
cross is symbol and us the triangle
Is symbol. The mere silk or bunt-
Ing OF the flag are nothing. A burial
squad tramps through the woods bear
Ing the body of dead comrade, and
digs his grave and covers him over in
his last bed. On the ground lie two
bits OF wood. They are nothing but
bits of wood, to be burned, or to be
left to decay. The dead mans com
rades pick them up and bind one
across the other and plant the cross
thus made at the head of the grave.
Now the bits of wood have become a
sacred sign and Whoever destroys that
cross, or defiles 1t. Or throws it down
IS indeed dog. The bunting and the
silk of our flag are nothing not un-
til they are assembled In the Stars and
Stripes Of our flag and thrown to the
breeze as the symbol of loyalty and
patriotism do they demand our rever-
ence.
Why We Honor the Flag.
We honor the flag because of what
IT stands for. Those who dishonor
our fling disbonor all IT stands for. In
DAVIS Hike these when orr nation is at
war. there might be pIaced under the
dome of the capitol MT washington a
preat hook of thousand pages. On
the first page might be inscribed the
Americans Greed. prOclaiming be-
lief In national honor, national justice
and national honesty and belief in
free government for this free Ameri-
can people. TO Washington then
might be called all the people OF the
nation, to sign, one after another,
their names in the great book so that
all America and all the world might
know how each man and woman and
child stood, until all our millions We're
enrolled. There is no need OF this.
The Americans Greed Is written In
the Stars and Stripes or our nag our
flag stands for all that could be writ
ten In the great book at washington.
1t stands for honor, justice, national
honesty and free government ana
when the time of stress comes, as at
present. the nag is MT hanu' ready TO
be raised In twenty million homes'
proclamation OF loyalty as vaiid as
signed and sealed book. Our nag is
not galiy coiored decoration 10
brighten our towns ana villages; IL is
creed-an Il beiieve"-to ten our
neighbors. our nation, ana the whoie
world now we stand.
It Is remarkable to what an extent
Tags, even the simplest, tell the ma
iional stories. / Glanced upon the flag
of the little grand duchy of Luxem-
burg a few days ago for the first time.