Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-11
Thursday, October II, 1883.
A SPECIAL TOWN MEET1NG.

some months ago the press of this city
 published large number of interviews with
 citizens of all classes in reference to the use that should be made of the $50. .OoO appro- l priated for soldiers monument and also re- gardlng the old State House. The opinions expressed differed very largely in reference
 to the State House, but the preference for
 memorial library building instead of monu-
 ment was almost unanimous Since the pub lcatlon of these interviews the proposal to
 use the appropriation for memorial library
 has been very thoroughly considered by Ad-
 m1ral Foote post. The matter was referred
 by that organization to committee who re
 ported In favor of a memorial library. The
 report was fully debated at 8 meeting in
 which by previous vote it had been made
 the order of the day and it's recommenda.
 ton was adopted by an overwhelming ma.
 jority, majority so large as to be substan-
 tlally unanimous. It is well known that the
 vote appropriating the $50, 900 was mainly
 due to, and indeed originated in, the wish of
 the members of the Grand Army of the Re
 public in this city that some monument or
 memorial should be erected in honor of their
 comrades who died in the service. Thouoh
 of course the members of the Grand Army
 do not possess, and probably do not claim,
 the exclusive right to determine what the character of the proposed memorial shall be. 1t is eminently fitting that their wishes should
 be consulted and that considerable weiobt should be given them. No better test of i what those wishes are could be had than l the very well considered and very decisive vote of Admiral Foote post It appears that | the veteran soldiers of the city are fully in | accord with the views of the rest of the citi l zens. They wish that some substantial and permanent memorial of their dead comrades should be erected, but they are willing that 1t should be connected with a purpose of great and general utility. It evidently does not appear to them that it will be any the less valuable as a memorial because it takes the form of building that will be daily visit ed by hundreds of people, and because pub lie attention will forever be drawn to it and the memorials it contains by other causes than the memorials themselves.
 This seems to the veterans, as well as to the great majority of citizens, the very best sort of memorial. In the meantime 1t IS to be borne in mind that the vote of the town was, that $50, 1000 be appropriated for monument. The word memorial is indeed used 1n the second clause of the vote in l which clause committee is appointed to carry the purpose of the first clause into exc cution. But it would be the merest ouibbIe to say that the use of this word in any way modldes the vote. The clause which deter. mines the purpose of the appropriation must control. and not that which designates the committee. The committee understands the vote 9s exclusively calling for monument. and are justified in this construction by the opinion of able counsel. The vote, therefore plainly does not repre- sent the substantially unanimous wish of the citizens. It must be either carried out as it IS or 1t must be changed. A town meeting has power to rescind or amend any vote not yet executed which has been passed at pre- Vious meeting. town meeting ought to be called at once. The committee are powerIess to do anything in the direction of the pub ic wish while the present vote stands but are compelled to act in opposition to the pre- Vailing sentiment.
 The matter has been fully discussed and meeting called now would be held with full notice to everybody of what is to be acted 1pon, and those who attended it would pos 'ess thorough knowledge of the subject before it. We venture to say that not ten per ,ent. of the fifteen thousand electors of the town knew that this appropriation was to be considered by the meeting which passed it. And it goes without saying that the only real discussion of the measure has taken place ifc z y,, I posing that a large majority would favor building town meeting now will De fair test of public sentiment in regard to t. The selectmen should call special town 1 meeting. If they neglect to do so it should oe called on application of twenty electors, IS is provided by law.