Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-06-16

a decent respect Tor the Op1n-
ions Of mankind.
The sacredness Of treaties, which
under the American constitution
become part of the supreme law
OF the land.
A distinct national trait of char
acter, born with the founding of
the republic, for arbitration be-
tween nations.
These were the outstanding points
made by Hon. Charles E. Pickett OF
Waterloo, who gave the annual Flag
day address here yesterday afternoon
ut the Elks club house. The speech,
characterized by Mr.. Pickett, himself,
as a mere ..visit from the platform with
the audience" was one Of the dearest
char" rizations of American national
the ever heard in this city. The
\. ;ather was unusually warm, however,
in consequence of which the crowd was
not as large as have attended former
Flag day programs at the Elks home.
The hall was decorated with large
American flags and big bouquets Of
flowers. Prior to the address of the
day, the lodge gave its ritual work, the
audience sang the Star Spangled
Banner and "Auld Lang Syne.' DIR.
r. T. Chipperfield delivered the invoca-
ton, a quartet sang Its for You Old
Glory" Forest F. Hall gave history
of the flag, j. r. Burnstedt gave the
"Elk's Tribute to the Flag" Miss Lora
Boysen gave fine rendition of 'The
Flag Goes By and r. NJ. Johnston
and Miss Rosalind Cook played clari-
net and piano duet Of patriotic airs.
The quartet was composed of the Miss
ses Lennadore Berg and Lillian Smith
and Messrs. E. s. Boudinot and H. d.
Hughes.
Flag In Ritual.
Mr.. Pickett was introduced by Phil
Merrill, exalted ruler Of the lodge. BY
way Of preface, he related how the
American flag has been adopted MS
symbol in the Elks ritual. Two differ
ent rituals had been written and third
was under preparation when the Span
ish-American war broke out. In that
war, an American Mason might shoot
q Spanish Mason or an American Odd
Fellow shoot Spanish Odd Fellow.
Mr.. Pickett, as chairman of the ritual
committee, reported in favor Of max
Ing the Elks order distfnctively an
American order. And so the flag was
adopted as one of the symbols and
American citizenship made an essen
tial to membership.
In reciting the things for which the
American flag stands, Mr.. Pickett found
that In the settlement of world ques-
tions today. the nations OF Europe are
just now arriving Mt the place where
the thirteen American. colonies stood
when they wrote the Declaration OF
Independence. All the great world
thoughts OF toiay--open treaties, self
determination Of peoples. representa-
tive. forms of goyernment-were horn
here In America less than 40 years
ago. These are things for which the
American flag stands and are the ideas
which gave the flag birth.
Autocracy Supreme.
Going back $50 years. the speaker
viewed the world-Catherine on the
throne In Russia, friedrich the Great
ruling Prussia, George III in power in
England and the Bourbons holding
France. Autocracy ruled supreme In
Europe, with the only sign Of an awak-
ening Of democracy in England, where
Edmund Burke and others like him,
representative OF the popular view,
were openly opposing the king.
The principle involved in the revolu-
tion-popular representations back
OF all the world problems today. The
United States today is the only genuine
republic and 1t is founded upon the
principle that nations like individuals,
must have morals. 1t has been writ
ten into the constitution Of this country
that treaties become part Of the
supreme law of the land
Ideas Not New Here.
The ideas Of arbitration and OF In
ternatiOnal peace are not new. One
hundred and two years ago the United
States made treaty with Great
Britain limiting the ornaments to be
alIowel on the Great Lakes. Many
treaties providing for mediation have
been written IN America. Within rec
ent years treaties have been made
with fourteen Of the leading powers
providing for arbitration Of all ques-
tions Of difference and providing that
declarations of war wait until a year
after the verdict Of court of arbitra-
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