Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-03
The National Monument.

The Star of last evening says we have in
vited it to controversy concerning the future
management ofthe Washingto. Monument. We
have invited nothing but plain statement Of
the facts on which the old Board rest their
claim to the control Of the Monument We
asked the Star to give the points on which the
old Board maintain that the election 1.-THE ed
ultimo was void. The Star cannot do it, be-
cause there are no J facts on which their claim
rests. We said, "let the public have light on
this subject" Let the public know precisely
why and wherefore the old Board hold on SO
tenaciously to positions, from which the Socie-
ty, by unanimous vote Of all present. elected
thems The Star viii not give the grounds
it cannot make out prinaa .tacie case.
The Star says:
"we admit the inability Of the real Board to
raise means Mt this time to carry on the work.
That inability, however, Is the result of the fraud
by which they were discredted."
The charge Of fraud comes with bad grace
from those who went to the place of election, to
re-slect Themselves asus1al, but who found none
others to vote for their reelection 1t comes
with bad grace from men who had held their
appointments six years, instead Of three, for
the want Of q quorum of five persons at the
triennial. election which ought to have been
held in 1852 II comes with bad grace from
men who 1.-TWO Of them) actually voted the
American party" ticket Fraud indeed
The charge Of fraud is gratuitous and utterly
unfounded- But the Star deprecates the COM
pletion Of the Monument by partyi Why,
the Society itself is party, composed Of those
who choose to join it, by the contribution Of
one dollar.
Every man who pays one dollar, IL citizen
Of the United States, native or naturalized has
a right to vote; and no one proposes or enter
tains the idea Of preventing any one from
making his contribution and enjoying all the
rights Of membership. Party, indeedl Have
not Masonic lodges been appealed to for funds
on the ground that Washington was a Mason
And suppose those lodges had contributed
enough to build the Monument, would the old
Board have refused their donationsf Certainly
not; and yet in such an event. the Monument
would have been built by the Masonic frater-
nifty But we tell the Star that the American
party viii ere long embrace the main body Of
the American people, whose peculiar right and
duty it ia to complete the Monument
II is idle, II is nonsense, to raise such puerie
objections.
But to rscur to the main point Of this article.
We want the facts, data, points, grounds, on
which the old Board seek to set aside the late
election. Talk Of secrecy Why don't the
mouthpiece Of the old Board come out openly
and boldly, and submit to the public the facts,
points, and grounds above adverted tor We
do not invite a controversy, but zoe challenge
a publication Of the grounds on which the old
Board assume their right to continue to con-
troll the Monument.
As to a suit in court, to decide the question,
why do not the old Board institute suit, If they
think they have any claim to control the affairs
Of the Monument
II the court has jurisdiction OF the matter,
and will entertain the suit, we promise that not
one weeks delay shall be produced by the new
Board, to final decision. But win the Star
give us the facts and points which we have
solicited, for the enlightenment Of the public
mindf We do not belSepe 10 Mill
The Washington correspondent Of the New
York Express remarks;