Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1896 — UTAH'S STAR’LL BE THERE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

UTAH'S STAR’LL BE THERE.

The Maiden State Will Find a Symbol on Old Glory Next Fourth of July. Another star added to the flag of the nation! With alacrity the maiden State steps Into line and answers to the call of number 45. The change in the national flag made necessary by the addition of Utah will not be acomplished until July 4 next year. After that date every Government flag will have forty-five spangles on its blue field. Already it has been determined just where in the field the new star is to be placed. There are six iKirallel rows of slats in the regulation flag, and Utah will take her position at the right-hand end of the fourth row. As has been said, Utah will occupy the space at the right-hand end of the fourth line from the top. Room is not needed soy many more, inasmuch as tlie only territories remaining available for future States are New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arizona. In this account, however, no thought is taken of t lie great reservation known as Indian territory, from which the slice named Oklahoma was cut out, nor of Uncle Sam’s vast Arctic province of Alaska. Without a doubt there will be a further change in the arrangement of stars some day. A new star is always added to the flag on the 4th day of July following the date of the State’s admission. The act of Congress admitting Utah provides that the President shall issue a proclamation on the subject. It is by no means necessary, however, that the chief executive shall proclaim the birth of a new State in order that the latter mny be recognized as such in law. Congress has the power to admit a State

without reference to the President at all. Wyoming and Idaho were admitted without proclamation from the W hite House. On the other hand, President Harrison issued proclamations with regard to the admissiomof the two Dakotas, Montana and Washington in November, 1889. It is rather an odd fact, by the way, that Oklahoma has not yet earned recognition in school books generally as a territory of the United States. Anybody is at liberty to make United States flags. Thus it comes about that all sorts of patterns of the national ensign are on the market and in use. But if any one desires to have the colors as they ought to be reference must be made to the standard adopted by the army and navy. This standard, altered from time to time by the addition of fresh stars, is preserved and will continue to be kept by the Secretaries of War and the Navy, in the War Department at Washington, close by Secretary Lamont’s office, is displayed in a glass casethe true regulationflag of this country. To exhibit it better it is illuminated by a brilliant electric light. This is the original; all others must be imitations or else they are not correct. In the military and naval service of the United States many patterns of minor flags are employed. For example, In the army there are very pretty “standards,” so-called, and “guidons” for artillery and cavalry. The navy has ever so maiiy sorts of flags, some of them being especially designated for the use of blue jackets on shore, when they are serving as troops for the time being. Just at present a complete change is being made in the flags of the army. New designs for them are being executed and some of these have not been finished yet. The patterns are being prepared by draughtsmen in the War Department, under the supervision of Secretary Lamont One novelty is that in future each cavalry regiment will have one national flag. Hitherto that arm of the service, strangely enough, has not possessed an edition of the Stars and Stripes. The War Department has already ad-

vertised for bids to furnish an entire outfit of flags on the new patterns for the army. They will cost quite a big sum of money. For instance, a regimental flag of silk cannot be bought for less than $l6O. This Is much more expensive than the regulation Stars and Stripes, for the national ensign in silk comes at about SSO for the large size required. The flags used In the army are of silk and of bunting; the former are employed In parades and In battle—there is nothing too good for real fighting—while the bunting flags are for drills.

OLD GLORY AS IT WILL LOOK AFTER NEXT FOURTH OF JULY. (Showing the exact position the star of Utah will occupy.)