Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-10-27
Our Suggestion for Raising Funds to Com
plete the Washington Monument.

day, that the Mayor of New Orleans, with a
due patriotic regard for the memory of our
great WARRINGTON, recommends lin connec>
ton with his suggestion to close the coffee-
houses on the day of election) that the Wash~
ington Monument Boxes be placed at the polls,
to receive contributions to assist in the com
| pletion Of that great work.
Our readers, and many who legitimatey are
not, will excuse US by referring again and for
the last time, doubtless, to the origin OF plac-
ing those boxes at the polls and the subse-
quent results arising from it; they would the
more readily excuse US if they knew, as we
know, that we have nothing interesting to Sc
Iect from the papers at our command, and that
we are forced to fill out paper with something.
Ia the Sentinel Of April lc, 1852, in an arti-
Gle abiding to the Appeal to the American
People by the Monument Board, which we
| published, the extract below occurs, which was
the cause of boxes being placed at the polls in
many portions Of the country, and by which
means many thousands of dollars have been
added to the Washington Monument Fund: =
ave therefore respectfully propose, as proper
| occasions to make contributions in accordance
with the request of this appeal, and which
would be eminently national in its design, that
a separate box be placed alongside the ballot-
boxes in this State on the l4th of June and
LIST of November, which box shall be called the
"Washington Monument Box" and on it paint
ed in large letters:
"One Dime to he Memory Of Washington"
Assuredly, few would 60 away from the
baliot-box without depositing that small piece
of coin on such an occasion and for such an
object. If this system would be univer sally
adopted throughout the States, a very large
sum would doubtless be raised; and a work,
which shouM be the pride of every patriot, thus
continued ia its ascent to the skies. What
say our contemporaries"
AS suggested, boxeswere placed at the polls
in this parish-and from this parish the first
remittance was received at Washington of mo-
ney collected by such m~eans-being at a NUM-.
cipal Election in this town, under the Mayor
atty of Dr.. il HoRNsBY, who first put the idea
into practice; and we are happy to say that
there has been scarcely an election held in the
parish since that date--in this town at least
but that subscriptions have been thus obtained
and the money duly forwarded to the proper
authority.
The idea above advanced, or the suggestion
made, rapidly few over this State and the other
States Of the Union, and in a short time the
President of the Board at Washington ac-
knowledged the patriotism and feasibility of
the proposition, and in another Appeal to the
American People, quoted in his address the
above extract, and warmly urged it upon all
commissioners of elections to have such boxes
placed at the polls, with the inscription upon
them as suggested. The Board had already
received handsome donations through such
means, and the President fel, assured if the plan
was strictly carried out throughout the Union,
that a sufficient sum by this means alone would
be raised to complete the monument.
1t cannot but be a source of great gratifca.
ton to every properly organized mind, 10 know
that it has been the instrument Of e~ffectins
some good, either to his fellow man, or to the
honor. glory and happiness of his country. We
truly acknowledge that we felt an inward pride
that. in our humble sphere, as an editor of an
understanding Journal, we had been the means
of effscting much good in a great patriotic
cause. But, we discovered, rs it almost al
why's happens in similar cases where some sin
R4EIAI AEft d. aEE nHa &C. rL rHL .
gle act has given rise to great events or results,
that there were writer's (u Virginia and else
where) who claimed the authorship Of our
suggestion. ll aa1sa -
II was not j matter Of much consequence
Or Of any coasequence perhaps-who origina-
ted the plan, so that good results emanated
from it bot naturally wishing to have the mat.
ter definitely settled, more for the reputation of
Iberville than ourself. we addressed a letter to
the Board. and received the following reply.
which we trust will not be Objectionable to
our readers, as it may tend, in connection with
the above, to bring the subject more promi>
nently before the people, and renew to the
minds of commissioners the request which the
Board made, that boxes be placed at the polls,
in accordance with our suggestion. to receive
Dime Contributions to complete the Monu.
ment to the Father of his Country: /
WASHINGTON NATIONAL MosuMENr Orrrcr,
*as December 90, 1852. i
w. P. BRADsuRH, Esd Editor Sosah<rn Seuinei,
Plaquemine, La. - e.44s
Dear Sir. Your favor Of the 2lst inst. was
received At this Office this day. It affords me
great pleasure to be instrumental in doing YOU !
Justice % 10 the origin Of the suggestion re-.
garding the placing Of boxes at the election
polls throughout the Union. labelled .One
Dime 70 the Memory Of Washington. 2 the funds
TINS collected 10 b devoted to. the National
Washington Monameht fund. The first pub
lie notice Of this plan of which we have any
kuewledge. was Published ~ an Editorial in
your valuable paper Of the 10th Of April last,