The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-06-03
WASHINGTON NATIONAL MoNUMENT.-EGP0SI
ff0N or THE MANAGERS.


T6as Meubsrs ~ ne Washiagion National Monument s.
eiety nsroughoaatk AZ United &aiss'
II has become the duty Of the board Of managers
form you which disturb the discharge Of the
trust cOnhded 10 them
This society was established in the city of Washington in
the year 1888 for the purpose stated la is constitution
q erecting great national monument 70 tho memory Of
Washington The Of the federal government For
this object the managers and their successors chosen under
that constitution solicited and obtained funds from indi
ydua associations and public bodies in every part Of The
Union, without distinction u party or Of creed accepted
offered contributions from Indian tribes and blocks Of mar
bic with suitable inscriptions, from countries IN the Old
World and obtained from Congress authority TO build the
monument on land belonging the nation at is metropo
rs Their aoors have been 50 lar successful that there on
the 4th OF July 1913 IN the presence OF the represent
atves Of the people and the States and Of assembled
multitude, the cornerstone Of the laid The
work thus auspciously commenced has been diligently
prosecuted and the close OF the last collections
had amounted 70 two hundred and thirty thousand dollars
and The shan Of the monument had reached the height Of
hundred and seventy feet During the past the
managers felt il TO be their duty invoke the attention Of
Congress 70 the history and prospects OF this poas work
Their memorial referred BY the House Of Representa-
lives to select committee of which the Hon. Henry May
Of Maryland, chairman This committee after
l examination Of the sahjeet made report the 22d Of
February last emphateay approving the conduct Of the
managers and recommending shat the of two hum
dred thousand dollars should be subscribed by Congress
behalf of the people title United States 60 aid the funds OF
the society," The understood To have
been acceptable to the House but action on II was inter
rupled by plot secretly contrved aud suddenly disclosed
the principles which the society had uniform
" acted and degrade enterprise sacred to patriotism
and humanity into instrument OF party On the
very which the select committee made their suspicious
accommodation TO the House Of Representatives crowd
persons assembled the City Hail. and there voted for
seventeen individuals, named in printed ticket be OH
aud managers Of this society The only previous
nouncement Of this proceeding notice signed ~ w
EckoR, clerk W n. NJ Society and published on The eve
ming of the 2is OF February in the "Amecap Organ and
the Evening STAR and the morning Of the 22d in the
National Intelligence On the cath of February, IN the
astnamea paper the result OF the election proclaimed
in the following publication:
Here follows the list heretofore published in the Union
This pretended election OF managers of The Washington
National Monument Society not nude according TO the
constitution and without the OF any notice
authorized by the board OF managers The constitutional
time Of election is every third year from the year 1886
The years therefore for holding elections according
to the constitution are 1888, 1871, 1874 lSiT, 1850,
1883 and 1885, The pretence for holding election In
is55 is that the last election was held in s49 that the
existing board of managers then elected and that,
dating from that election, the year 1855 is trennia
period Surely, unconstitutional election in 1855 Is
made constitutional by the fact that there had been
unconstitutional election six years before But the title
and authority of this board derived not from the
election of lS4a but from elections and appointments
long prior thereto and, in fact from direct graft In the
constitution ITSELF independent Of all elections by the
members of the society had there been regular
and valid elections by them since the adoption OF the
sttuton Not only has the absolute validity OF their title
and authority been recognised by the society through
long series of years and by the government of the Un
ted States but tits unequvocay admitted by the official
ruding themselves into the seats OF this board under
color Of the spurious and void election peperaed the
22d Of February last The notices preceding and follow
ing the pretended election OF February %, 1855
given without the authority knowledge Of this board
The secretary of the society the officer whose province
it would have been sign publish any such notices.
The individual who did sign and publish them the
clerk of the board Of managers his duties those of
recorder and messenger he had color of authority
sign publish any such notices; and he had not any
whatever communicated to the board his purpose
OF issuing them It's regular meetings Tuesday Of
every week the last meeting prior to the pretended cleo
ton had been held Tuesday, the 10th Of February and
the board then adjourned again Tuesday the
27h of that month In consequence of the proceedings of
the 22d special meeting was called for the gath On the
reading according to usage of the journal Of the last pre-
yous meetng II was found TO contain minute importing
that the board had authorized the holding election
on the I'D This false entry by Its order expunged
According the published report of the pretended cleo
on the whole number of votes cast 1861 Of which all
given each of the persons elected except
one who received 754 votes and Of the persons
elected member Of tine existing board. This election
carried certificates of membership (which be
obtained by the contribution of dollar for EACH issued
without the authority knowledge of this board and it
is now beyond the of the board to ascertain by
whom they respectively issued what money if any
was paid for them. But il is certain that payment
this has reached the hands Of the of this
society," the officer who ought to have received ii,
The unanimy of the votes of the pretended election
the ed of February last the certificates Of member
ship which carried that election the total exclusion from
the future management of the society of those who had
heretofore conducted its affairs the substitution Of per-
sons, out rev, II OF whom had been known
friends the suddenness and precision of the movement
the conccamcnt OF the purpose to the of its
executiona manifested that the election the result
of and secret combination between persons
not members Of the Washington National Monument So
ciey There is conclusive evidence that plan Of the
election silently yet soemnly resolved" and framed
in the secret lodges of sect styling itself time the
knownobing party, at another the American party
and that Its object transfer the entire and
elusive management of the into its hands
and TO Dust every other description OF citizens from
all participation in the trust. OF such revolution in
the principles and conduct Of the society this board
could not consent to be the instruments agents they
would have made themselves BY voluntary surrender
their trust to illegal On the morning Of the
Gath of February several members of this board repaired
TO their office, in advance of special meeting of the
board which had been called and to be held
The clerk exhibited them letter which had been nd
dressed to him by Vespasian Ellis esq. claiming 70 have
been elected first vice president of the society in which let
ter the clerk warned allow any use or nspec-
ton of the books and papers Of the office without order
from the writer those whom be represented The pre-
tensions OF the letter also urged by several
who came in, claiming to be officers and managers under
the proceedings of the 22d The constitutional
present, disrcgarding these Interruptions examined
some extent The books and papers in the Office but during
the examination others of the pretended board
office and at length the claimants under the movement of
the 22d organized themselves board aid adopted
resolution requesting all present who did not belong TO il
TO leave the The constitutional managers present
disregarded this intmaton they also did several quite
ineligible predictions Of attempts AZ violence from with
out which The pretended managers would unable
prevent or control At length the pretended board being
still present. this board proceeded to business After cor
al