National Republican., 1875-11-15
Washington Monument.

SIR: am glad to see that o number OF your
correspondents are attacking the Washington
Monument and the Monument Socety-not be-
cause either deserves to be attacked, but because
It shows that somebody is beginning to awake to
the fact that there is o burning disgrace In our
midst, and is anxious that somebody else should
bear the blame Of It. Anything is better than
the staRnation Of utter despair which has,---.aed
for so long to settle down, uraE- great under
taking. It is prnS..ie that this great nation is
able to fp'-S mat monument. A cent apiecefrom
TIE people ofthe country would do it. How toget
the money is the problem. Any practical sugges-
tion on that head would be OF real service to the
cause. But 1t does not seem likely that attacking
the Monument Society, making unfounded and
ignorant assertions about 1t and about the raonu.
ment, will aid much in the work. =.
THE MONUMENT SOCIETY
is composed Of many Of the best citizens OF this
District and the country, men whose names are
guarantee to all who know them OF the honora-
BILE discharge OF the obligations, public private
which they are willing to assume. The President
fthe United States is s--c6fcio president of the
society; General Sherman and Mr.. Corcoran are
its vice presidents; ]. b. II. Smith, esq.,, Of Balti
more, is the treasurer, and John Carroll Brent,
esq.,, secretary. Tho other members are John B.
Blake, James NJ. Carlisle, James Q. Hall, FItz-
hugh Ooyle, president National Bank or the Re-
public; James q. Berret, VIM. J. Mcdonald, Chief
CLERK United States Senate; Charles II. Nichols
superintendent United States Insane Asylum; d.
A. Watterson, John N. Brodhead, Second Comp
troller United States Treasury; Edward CLARK
Architect United States Capitol; Rear Admiral
Levin NJ. Powell, u. S. N.;iWalter S. Cox, Chas.
T. Slansbury, Past Grand Master of Masons, Dis
trict OF Columbia; Fred. D. Stuart, Past Grand
Sire, / o. O. F., and the Governors Of the several
States. s-
1 think 10 sane man suspects these gentlemen
Of misappropriatng or embezzllng the funds that
may have come into their hands, or of willingly
negiecting or mismansging great public and
patriotic trust.
The fact is that these gentlemen have devoted
themselves with persevering earnestness to their
work, and have left nothing untried TO complete
Il. They have held. regular meetings every
month, and often have had many special meetings
in the month. They have repeatedly submitted
their accounts and all their transactions to the in
vestigation Of Congressional committees, and four
times al least have these committees reported In
the following words: SIT may we'll be questioned
whether any society executing plan for collect
ing money go extensively has met with equal sue
cess in justifyng the integrity Of its agents, and
1t pleasing to state that not cent Of the funds
received by the society has at any time BEEN lost
by investment or therwise."-Forfy-fhiYd Cong,
1sf Session; Report No. ass, H. R.
The reason why the
MONEY NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT THE MONUMENT
was not Immediately secured is that the original
idea was to make the monument Peoples testi-
monial by limiting the subscription to one dollar
for each person. The expense Of collecting sub
scription in such small sums necessarily absorbed
q heavy percentage Of the amount, and no doubt
some Of the money collected may have been dis
honeItly appropriated by some Of the numerous
agents employed, and never reached the society,"
This, however, Is mere conjecture. The point OF
present Importance is that the repeatedly audited
accounts Of the society show that every dollar re-
ceived by 1t has been faithfully accounted for and
applied to the purpose for which II was raised No
portion of tho fund has been used for salaries or
comper sation 10 the officers of the society.
without emolument Of any kind they have
labored for years In this work. The dollar sub
scriptions having ceased, the society attempted
other methods for raising funds. They appealed
to the country at large, to the individual States
10 the Congress Of the United States.
THE RECORDS OF CONGRESS
contain the full history Of their efforts and show
that they were interchangeable In their endesyors
to accomplish the object OF their Organization.
Their views were urged upon Congress with great
eloouence and power BY Hons. NJ 2. ChiPmnn, r.
). B. sener, S. S. Cox and others, but all without
avail.
society with the new hope that the patriotism Of
the country might be aroused to sense of the
necessity for its own honor, that this work should
not remain in its present condition to insult the
memory OF Washington In the midst of the ma
tional rejoclngs over the fruits OF his lifelong
iabors. An address to the country, prepared
with great care was offered TO the press with an
urgent REQUEST for its Simultaneous publication,
Not a single paper in the United States did more
than make N eagre abstract oft.
An appeal was also commenced and Is now In
progress. TO all the organized societies OF the
country TO subscribe TO the work. and this effort is
meeting with an encouraging success. These
suhscriptious are tcontingent upon the whole
amount
NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE MONUMENT
beins raised The Masonic fraternity and the
Odd Fellows' society are responding nobly TO this
cell and other organizations are following their
lead. Those who really wish success TO the
wo-k will do nothing TO dampen their patriotic
al word about the site Of the monument: It was
stated In q recent newspaper article that the
ument was in reclaimed morass." We, who
live in this city, know that Il is situated onthe
fCp Of natural hill. The site was selected by
Washington himself for the location Of q monu-
reference 70 the completed plan OF the city the
site Is one Of the very finest that could be chosen.
This needs no proof 10 any one who will 20 upon
the around. and examine the relations Of the spot
10 the other portions OF the city, and Its great
public buildings and avenues.
The plan Of the monument may not be the best
that might have been adopted. bat It Is too late
has cost s2500oo and has received In its walls the
votiYe tablets Of the country aud the world.
There are but two courses open to us-hnish II or
tear IL down. Every sentiment OF national pride,
gratitude and honor revoits az its continuance N
It's present condition during the Centennial Of our