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 THE STEOMAN PRESS. 
 
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 T the urgent request of many of my friends for copies 
 of the address of Mr. Edwin F. Deering, in support of 
 my effort to secure a vote of the town to erect a flag 
 and pole on the town hall and keep the emhlem of liberty 
 floating at appropriate occasions I have published the whole 
 history of my efforts, taking justifiable pride in my own work 
 as well as acknowledging the kind services of all those patri- 
 otic individuals who stood by me and generously supported 
 the measure. 
 
 This work is the outward expression of my love for my 
 adopted country, being as many already know, English by birth, 
 but loyal American to the core and faithful in my allegiance to 
 America, Massachusetts and Arlington. 
 Yours for American Liberty, 
 
 Edward H. H. Bartleit. 
 
 The Voice of the Press. 
 
 Mr. Edward II. H. Bartlett has the right to take a commendable 
 pride in the stars and stripes as they float from the Town hall, for Mr. 
 Bartlett is he who put " Old Clory " there. Mr. Bartlett, though 
 born across the water, is just such an American as President Roosevelt—^ 
 likes. He is every inch a Democrat. He believes in the people. 
 His first vote was cast for the late Benjamin F. Butler for governor of 
 Massachusetts. Mr. Bartlett has been a resident of Arlington for 
 eighteen years, and he has served the town well in distributing town 
 reports and notices for public entertainments and so on, to the end of 
 the list. — Arliiigton Expositor. 
 
 2 
 
How Arlington Got the Flag. 
 
 Fully realizing that the Arlington Town Mouse, as well as 
 any other public building, should have a flag, and that during 
 elections, town meetings and hours the various officers are in 
 session and holidays, it should be displayed, I waited eighteen 
 years for some native born to take the initiative, failing in 
 which, I circulated the following petition and obtained the sig- 
 natures, thus starting legislation upon the matter. 
 
 The Petition. 
 
 Arlington, Mass., Jan. i6, 1905. 
 To the Honorable Board of Selectmen, 
 
 Town of Arlington, 
 Gentlemen : 
 
 We, the undersigned citizens of the Town of 
 Arlington, respectfully petition your Honorable Board to insert 
 the following article in the warrant for the annual March 
 meeting to be held March 6, 1905. 
 
 "Article . To see if the Town will pass the following 
 vote or act in any manner thereto. 
 
 Voted : — That the sum of one hundred (100) dol- 
 lars be appropriated for the purchase and erection of 
 a flag staff, flag and fixtures for the town hall build- 
 ing, the same to be expended under the direction of 
 the board of Selectmen." 
 
 Edward H. H. Bartlett. Geo. Y. Wellington. 
 
 Wm. H. Webber. J. A. Marden. 
 
W. A. W. Webber. 
 Wilson Palmer. 
 Frank P. Dyer. 
 Alfred H. Knowles. 
 Chas. W. Grossmith. 
 Chas. F. Parker. 
 Edgar D. Parker. 
 Chas. H. Stevens. 
 H. A. Perham. 
 Frank P. Winn. 
 M. McLeod. 
 S. A. Fowle, Jr. 
 Chas. T. Hartwell. 
 Geo. S. Bartlett. 
 Geo. H. Lowe. 
 H. D. Hawkins. 
 Wm. E. Freeman. 
 A. Foster Brooks. 
 Frank J. Rowe. 
 Henry F. Derby. 
 Geo. C. Tewksbury. 
 H. T. Lawton. 
 John F. Sweeney. 
 N. J. Hardy. 
 J. W. Bailey. 
 A. D. Hoitt. 
 F. A. Johnson. 
 John H. Hardy. 
 Chas. S. Richardson. 
 R. I. Crosby. 
 J. H. Crosby. 
 N. E. W^hittier. 
 Ivers L. Wetherbee. 
 E. G. Wood. 
 J. E. Duffy. 
 Timothy O'Brien. 
 Denis J. McCarthy. 
 Chas. F. Scannell. 
 Geo. F. Tibbetts. 
 
 A. H. Seaver. 
 O. W. Whittemore. 
 John R. Hendricks. 
 Philip A. Hendricks. 
 A. VV. Trow. 
 Mat hew Rowe. 
 Benj. H. Pierce. 
 John Lyons. 
 Thomas Hughes. 
 R. W. Blake. 
 F. W. Bennett. 
 J. O. Holt. 
 John A. Bishop. 
 Geo. W. McClellan. 
 E. F. Deering. 
 J. H. McLelland. 
 W. W. Rawson. 
 R. W. Hilliard. 
 R. A. Welch. 
 A. Cough lin. 
 W. E. Marshall. 
 Frank F. Russell. 
 A. G. Taylor. 
 L W. Holt. 
 Chas. W. Kenison. 
 John Ewart. 
 S. T. Sawyer. 
 W. H. H. Tuttle. 
 H. L. Frost. 
 Herbert L. Kidder. 
 C. F. Perkins. 
 C. R. Whytal. 
 O. J. Derby. 
 C. A. Parsons. 
 E. D. Hooker. 
 C. F. Oakman. 
 Geo. O. Russell. 
 L. D. Bradley. 
 Russell W. Barr. 
 
F. S. Sutcliffe. Wm. Whitmore. 
 
 Arthur J. Wellington. M. E. Callahan. 
 
 .W. H. Hunton. Frederick J. Grossmith. 
 
 Frank Y. Wellington. George B. C. Rugg. 
 
 George E. Ahern. * John I. Peatfield. 
 
 Wm. H. Murray. F. E. Fowle. 
 
 E. S. Fcssenden. Freeman N. Young. 
 
 Chester G. Peck. F. E. Thompson. 
 
 This article was incorporated in the warrant for the 
 annual town meeting, March 6, 1905. The ])r(iceedings at 
 the town meeting were fully reported in the Ailiiigton Expositor, 
 from which the following extracts are here rej)ublishcd. 
 
 Installation of Flag on Town Hall. 
 
 The matter of raising the American flag on the Town 
 Hall building was introduced by Edward H. H. l^artlett, who 
 appeared in its favor with a small flag in one hand and a list of 
 the names of citizens favorable to the raising of the flag in the 
 other. The amount asked for this purpose was $100, and the 
 appropriation of this money was opposed by the committee of 
 twenty-one. 
 
 E. F. Deering, a natural humorist, who says some very 
 good things, in a manner and style that are all his own, and 
 which are sure to create a number of laughs during delivery, 
 favored the raising of the flag. At the close of his remarks 
 he received generous applause. In substance Mr. Deering said : 
 
 " Mr. Moderator, fellow citizens, ladies and gentlemen, — 
 I stand here to-night in the capacity of a sincere citizen and 
 tax-payer of Arlington. A low tax rate pleases me because I 
 am human but God forbid that I should so far forget my man- 
 hood and my patriotism as to vote against the raising of the 
 
 5 
 
American flag on top of our Town Hall in order that we might 
 have a lower tax rate. I am not that kind of an American citi- 
 zen. They don't raise that kind of men among the old Green 
 Mountains of Vermont, the state that produces such men as 
 Ethan Allen, Capt. Clark and Admiral George Dewey, who, 
 with one shot from his flagship Olympia, on iVTay i, 1898, 
 changed the whole map of the United States and thereby 
 caused the raising of the American flag over a down -trodden 
 people, who, in time, under the protection of that flag, will be 
 enjoying the same blessings of a free country that you and I 
 are enjoying to-night. We are all American citizens. No man 
 is to be blamed for his birthplace. As a rule he has to be 
 born pretty near the locality where his mother happens to be at 
 that time. My parents left the old country for America in a 
 small sailing vessel and were over six weeks before they tied up 
 to Long Wharf. They were a long time in getting here, but 
 they got here just the same. I came over with them, but I 
 don't remember anything about the trip. But when I did come 
 into the world I thank God I was able to breathe the fresh air 
 of a free country and was born under the protection of the 
 American flag. That flag stands for good credit. Anything 
 that has the backing of that flag is worth one hundred cents on 
 the dollar in any spot or place on God's footstool where the 
 flag can be found. That flag, with that grand young man, 
 "Theodore Roosevelt, as commander-in-chief, means a 'square 
 deal ' to every man wherever the stars and stripes are flying. 
 Why isn't that a pretty good emblem to have floating from the 
 roof of this Town Hall ? 
 
 Now what do you suppose these would be ex-citizens of 
 Arlington, whose busts adorn the walls of this hall of fame — 
 men who have made good history, and men who by their lives 
 and actions did so much for this country and her institutions — 
 what would they say to the committee of twenty-one, who for 
 
 6 
 
the insignificant sum of $ioo would not recommend the rais- 
 ing of the American flag on the building whose roof to-night 
 shelters the sweet memory of these honored men — what would 
 they say to this committee of twenty-one, if they had the 
 power of speech to-night ? I know what they'd say — ' Shame 
 on you.' 
 
 We have just passed through one of the most interesting 
 elections this town has had for years, and the pure in hearts 
 won out. This town stands to-night for all that is pure, clean 
 and wholesome. We want pure air the coming year and if the 
 Board of Health do their duty, we shall have it. We want 
 pure water and we want a pure tax. That means an honest tax 
 and if the Board of Assessors do their duty, we will have that. 
 You have voted for a good, clean, safe town and if the board of 
 .Selectmen do their duty we will have that and it won't be nec- 
 essary to spend money for outside help to accomplish it. 
 
 Now with all this purity in our midst what better emblem 
 of purity could we have flying from this building than the 
 American flag ? There isn't a doubt in my mind but if the 
 Angel Gabriel should blow his trump any time during the next 
 year 'Kingdom Come' would be located in Arlington, some- 
 where between Lake Street and Arlington Heights. 
 
 They are teaching in our public schools what the flag 
 stands for and what the colors mean. '1 'he red says 'Be brave,' 
 the blue says, 'Be true,' the white says, 'Be pure.' What 
 better emblem could we have for good citizenship than this.' 
 
 The flag pole is to run up on the front side of the building- 
 up above the roof. It is customary on most flag poles to have 
 a gilded ball on the top of the pole, but I would not recom- 
 mend that, as the town has gone no license, and we don't want 
 any high balls on this particular pole. It might not be safe 
 with so many self-confessed moderate drinkers as we have in 
 town. In its place I would recommend an emblem of the 
 
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 American eagle. It's a bird we all admire for its strength, 
 wisdom and farsightedness, and it would be a warning to 
 the ofifice holders to keep an eagle eye out on town affairs. 
 Washington's birthday we have just celebrated. The cherry 
 tree still lives, but let us get together as good citizens and 
 ' bury !he hatchet,' and stand up for the old historic town. 
 
 Arlington is noted as the town Paul Revere rode through 
 but di'Jin't stoj) in, and there are lots of good people doing the 
 same thing to-day. 
 
 Now we want to hold out inducements to these people to 
 sto]) here and make their home among us and be proud of 
 Arlington and on the nineteenth day of April let us unfurl 
 'Old Glory' to the breeze from off this building and celebrate 
 Patriot's l^ay as man among men and not as peanut politicians." 
 
 On motion of Edward H. H. J^artlett : 
 
 Voted : — That the board of Selectmen be empowered to 
 instruct the janitor to have the flag displayed from the Town 
 Hall building from the hovn^ of eight a. m. until the hour of five 
 p. M. on every day when the various Town Offices are open 
 for business, and on all National and State holidays. On all 
 Election Days the flag shall be raised at the opening of "the 
 polls and be displayed until the hour of closing. 
 
 On Patriots' Day, April 19, the flag was raised for the 
 first time. 
 
 One of the two contests was over the appropriation of 
 $100 to provide a flag and staff for the Town Hall. The 
 amount asked was granted though the finance committee had 
 reported unfavorably. — Boston Herald. 
 
 The flag from the staff on Town Hall, procured through 
 the energy of Mr. Edward H. H. Bartlett, will be flown each 
 day during office hours of its several town departments, besides 
 on regular holidays. — Arluigton Advocate. 
 
 
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