The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-08-08
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
THE AMERICAN FLAG

MONONGAH, Aug. e.-CEdltor
The West Virginian)-Though not
man of letters, feel that it is
time that some one in this locality
should say few words in the cause
of the flag Of our country, which. by
the request of our President. who
! should be 100 per cent American,
is being dragged through the muck
and mire OF the most abomfna BILE OF
slime holes in the world today,
meaning the coal mines by which
this city is surrounded.
After talking the matter over
with, many ex-service men. think
that l can say truthfully that what
1 say here one may consider the
voice of practically every man.
who gave up his all. that he might
cross the ocean to foreign land
to uphold and protect our flag in
it's God-given glory.
I dotnot propose to condemn our
President for sending the army and
militia into the coal fields. but
when he; drags Old Glory from the
staff to set in the muck and stencil
of a coal mine, dragging her from
the pedestal which untold thous-
ands of our ancestors have laid
down their lives to build and pro-
'tect. then would not call myself
a loyal American were to hold my
! tongue.
From the time was born I have
been taught to look upon my coun-
try's flag as a symbol OF life, love.
liberty and happiness, not as
tool in the hands of the moneyed
trusts to fight Americans. That is
why I enlisted at the age OF Il
when the late war started; that
might face any man, as a man,
knowing that l had done my bit that
Old Glory might still wave proudly
on high. beacon to those who
sought land of liberty. do not
wish to speak of myself, however,
so much as of those comrades who
really sacrificed what I would have
been willing to give.
AS a member of the Engineer
Corp, I was, so to speak, in the
grand stand reviewing those mass
es, ebbing backward and forward
over French and Belgian hills and
| valleys, falling to the ground in
their last long sleep, like wheat
before the sickle, that you and l
might live under Old Glory without
fear Of German kultur and auto
cracy.
| Few have been. privileged to
| watch division go into action
| and to see how bravely, gayly, and
| proudly they march into the valley
| Of the shadow, with Old Glory fly
| ing over them like guardian an
| gel sent from the hearts Of loved
\ ones at home. Many never came
1 hack. Those who did return, Oft
| times disabled for life, sacrificed
| that the flag of the nation might
not be shamed.
/ Some of them were fathers, and,
though hard to believe, some were
grandfathers, others were mere
boys, but all were one. in the spirit
Ito fight to the last that Old Glory
might go marching on. have met
| many of these men who had lost
! arms, legs eyesight, voice or hear
ing that the flag which had never
/ known defeat might still wave over
1.-the land Of the free and the home
! of the brave" in a true representa-
| ton. Thousands upon thousands
| Of these brave and loyal Americans
Laid down their lives for this same
| flag, which at this moment waves
over the most disreputab1e slime
hole that ever made a profiteer 5
millionaire.
If YOU. the citizens OF these Uni
tied States, let such a Dissertation
of the flag which represents all
that you hold dear. continue with
out protest, can you from the bot
tom Of your hearts say, They have
i not died in vain
4 I ask, asia loyal and true Ameri-
can, that every man and woman
who respects the flag to arise and
| make such a violent protest that
the President must change his de-
cision.
IN closing, Il wish 4 to state that
have nots Intended to besmircnl
1.-THE honorsandEloy altyg OF the opera