The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-11
What Does Flag Day Mean?

one may well ask. Benjamin Frank
lin explains il this way;
"On inquiry, and from study, l
learned that the ancients c1usid-
cred the serpent an emblem OF Wis
dom; and, in some attitudes, OF end
less duration. Also that countries
are often represented by animals
peculiar to that country. The rat
tlesnake is found nowhere but N
America. Her eye is exceedingly
bright, and without eyelids-emblem
of vigilance. She never begins an
attack, and she never surrCndcrs--
emblem of magninimity and cour-
age. She never wounds even her
enemies, till she generously gives
them warning not to tread on her
which is emblemntical of the spirit
OF the people who inhabit her coun-
try. She appears apparently weak
and defenseless, but her weapons
are nevertheless formidable. Her
poison is the necessary means for
the digestion OF her food-show
the power of American resources.
Her l3 rattles. the only part which
increases in number, are distinct
from each other. and yet so united
that they cannot be disconnected
without breaking. them to pieces
showing the impossibility of an
American republic without n union
of states. A single rattle will give
no sound alone, but the ringing of
the l3 together is sufficient to
startle the boldest man alive. She
Is beautiful, In youth, which in
| craR seth with her age. Her tongue
| Is forked, as the lightning; and her
abode Is among the impenetrable
rocks"
The next style OF flag was the
Betsy Ross stars and stripes. When
+ properly made ats proportions are
perfect. the first and last stripes
being red, with alternate stripes OF
white. The blue field for the stars
| Is the square of the width OF seven
stripes. II was unfurled for the first
time at the battle OF Saratoga, on the
occasion of the surrender OF Gen
| eral Burgoyne.
The compilation OF Old Glory has
meaning equally as significant as
the banner OF the Colonists.
The stars AZ the flag represent the
thought taken from the Constel LA
tion Lyra, which signifies harmony
The blue of the field was taker
from the standard Of the Covenant.
ers Of Scotland and is also signifi.
dant of the league and covenant oi
the united colonies against oppres.
siop, incidentally involving vigilance
perseverance and justice. The starr
were arranged in circle TO symbol
, ize the perpetuity of the union, tn,
{ circle being the sign of eternity
Both the 13 stripes and the stari
) showed the number of the United
! Colonies, and denoted the subor
dination OF the states to, and theiI
; dependence upon the union, as wei
as equality among themselves. Th,
, whole was an ensemble OF the pre-
| vious banners, the red flag OF tht
army and the white of the navy
A, The red color, which in the days o
I II man glory was the signal of de
, fiance, denoted daring, and the whit
= purity.
Y At one time the flag was altered
e by congress to Is red and whit
$ stripes and 10 stars, the idea beinj
to add a new stripe and star 70
$ every new state, but 1t was agaiI
y altered by returning to the origina
l3 stripes. 1t was seen that in tim
. the adding OF the stripes woulC
! make the flag too unwieldy. Th
= new star Is added to the flag on tn
= Fourth of July following the ad
mission OF each state into the unior
. We now have As,
! l have read that ours is the oldes
!, flag among the ensigns of the worlt
!, II antedates the flag of Spain, es
:, tablished in 1885; the French tri
A color, 1874; Englands royal stand
q ard, 1901; the existing flag Of POI
!. tugal, 1890: the Italian trlcolo
h lS4s; the flag of the empire of Gel
g many. 1870: the Swedish -Norwegia
+. ensign; the recent flags OF the ol
e empires Of China and Japan and III
e colors OF all the South America
r states, which, in truth are said
|. have been designed largely from ou
J. own pattern.
g The worlds largest flag hans
}: in the court in the center OF N
postoffice department building
? Washington. 1t is 10 feet long,