Texas Almanac, 1943-1944 Page: 49
[338] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
49
FLAG USAGE-TEXAS RANGERS
How to Fly and Display U.S. and Texas Flags.U.S. FLAG USAGE.
Legal provisions with respect to mutilation
or defiling the United States flag, or using
it as part of advertisements, are found in
Sec. 3 of Title 4 of the U.S. Code. A national
flag code was formulated by a National Flag
Conference, sponsored by the American Leg-
ion in 1923. The National Flag should be
flown or displayed only from sunrise to sun-
set, should be carried at the marching right
in procession with other flags, should be dis-
played in the center of a group of flags and
at highest point, should be at peak when
flown on same halyard with other flags, but
flown from different staffs at same elevation
as other flags.
When displayed against a wall, with stripes
in either horizontal or vertical position, the
blue field should be on the flag's own right
(observer's left). When suspended in a street,
the flag should be draped vertically with the
blue field to the north in an east-and-west
street, and to the east in a north-and-south
street.
The flag should never be used for a cover-
ing, drape or other utilitarian or purely deco-
rative purpose, should not be exposed in such
a way that it will be damaged or soiled. A
flag no longer a fitting emblem for display
should be destroyed, preferably by burning,
with reverence and respect."
Meaning of Colors in Flags.
The colors in the flags of both United
States and Texas mean as follows courage
(red), purity and liberty (white) and loyalty
(blue). The committee, headed by Oliver
Jones which in 1839 wrote the recommenda-
tions for the present Lone Star Flag of
Texas, specified that the meanings should be
peace (white), war (red), and friendship
(blue). This part of the recommendation was
not adopted by the Texas Congress.
TEXAS FLAG USAGE.
Following rules are from Acts *of Forty-
Third Legislature, 1933 (p. 186, ch. 87)
Flown out-of-doors, the Texas flag must be
on flagpole or staff which is at least two and
one half times as long as the flag. It should
not be unfurled earlier than sunrise and
should be taken down not later than sunset.
It should not be left out in rain. snow or
other inclement weather. It should always be
hoisted briskly and lowered slowly. It should
be flown with the white stripe uppermost
except in case of distress When the flag is
displayed against a wall, the blue field should
be at the flag's own right (observer's left)
The Texas flag should be displayed on all
state memorial days, it should fly at e.ery
school on every regular school day
The Texas flag should be on the marching
left in a procession In which the flag of the
United States is carried, its staff should be
behind the staff of the flag of the United
States when the two are displayed with
crossed staffs. The Texas flag should be
underneath the national flag when the two
are flown from the same halyard. When
flown adjacent to the United States flag, it
should be unfurled after the national flag,
and should always be displayed to the left.
When flown from separate, adjacent flag-
poles, the United States flag and the Texas
flag should be of approximately same size
and on flagpoles of equal length. When the
two flags are displayed on a speaker's plat-
form, the Texas flag should be on the left
side of the speaker, the national flag on the
right. If the Texas flag is displayed alone
on the wall behind a speaker, It should be
above him and with the blue field on the
flag's rlght (observer's left). The Texas flag
should not' be used as a drape to cover a
speaker's platform; should not be draped
over the hood, sides or rear of a motor car,train, boat or other vehicle of transporta-
tion, should not be allowed to touch the
ground, should not be used as covering for
a ceiling, should not be used as any portion
of a costume or athletic uniform, should not
be embroidered on cushions or handkerchiefs
or printed on boxes or paper napkins, should
not have any printing or lettering of any kind
on it, must not have any advertisement
placed on it, or flagpole, or be used in any
way for advertising purposes, should not be
used as a decoration over middle of street
or In any other way purely as decoration
Bunting should be used for such purposes
When carried on automobile or float, it
should be with staff firmly fixed to radiator
cap or chassis. It should not be displayed,
used or stored in such manner that it will be
easily soiled or damaged When the Texas
flag is in such condition that it is no longer
a suitable emblem for display, it should be
destroyed, preferably by burning, "with the
spirit of respect and reverence which all
Texans owe the emblem "
In addition to the foregoing in the statute
cited, Acts of the Legislature of 1917 (Third
Called Session, p. 81) provide a penalty for
disfiguring the Texas flag in any way, using
it for advertising or commercial purposes by
printing on it, or the flagpole, or otherwise.
The Texas Rangers.
Note -This article is mainly a brief summary
of "THE TEXAS RANGERS," by Professor
Walter Prescott Webb of the University of Texas,
published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston,
in 1935.
For more than a century, the Texas Rang-
ers engaged in taming the Southwestern
frontier. They put an end to scalping raids,
pacified the Rio Grande border and brought
to justice a large assortment of cattle thieves,
fence-cutters, train robbers and murderers.
"They combined the fighting qualities of
three races they could ride like Mexicans,
trail like Indians, shoot like Tennesseeans
and fight like the devil "
Stephen F. Austin employed a small' body
of Rangers as early as 1823 to protect the
frontier colonies against bloodthirsty Karan-
kawas and other tribes. On Oct. 17, 1835, on
the eve of the Texas War of Independence,
the council of the revolutionists formally au-
thorized the employment of a corps of Rang-
ers to guard the frontiers. The Rangers
protected the settlements against the incur-
sions of Indians while Sam Houston and his
ragged army defeated the troops of Santa
Anna.
In the period of the Republic. the Ranger
organization was enlarged and was used to
patrol the frontier and to punish Indian raid-
ers. Depredations by freebooters on the Rio
Grande and threats of invasion by Mexican
troops also kept them busy on the border.
Each Ranger provided himself with a good
horse, a rifle and a brace of pistols.
After Annexation.
When Texas was annexed by the United
States, the Federal Government assumed re-
sponsibility for protecting the frontier and
the Ranger organization virtually was
dropped. However, the federal troops, large-
ly infantry, were so unaccustomed to border
and Indian warfare that the Rangers were
reorganized. In the Mexican War, which
followed soon after annexation. Texas Rang-
ers served as scouts for the invading Ameri-
can armies and took important parts in the
fighting. They "were not only the eyes and
ears of General Taylor's army, but its right
and left arms as well " In Mexico City they
were called Los Diablos Tejanos-The Texas
Devils.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Texas Almanac, 1943-1944, book, 1943; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117165/m1/51/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.