The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-06

To THE PEDESTAL. FUND OF THE STAT
OF LIBERTY.


OF LIBERTY
New YORK, September Goth, 1884 -
The Sons of the Revolution, asociety com
posed of descendants of the men who
took part in the war for American indie
pendence, deeming it appropriate that
they should in some way identify them.
selves with the work of raising funds for
the completion of the pedestal of the Sta
tue dedicated to that Liberty for which
their fathers fought, have, through their
Board OF Managers appointed the under
signed special committee to cooperate
with the American committee of the Sta
tue of Liberty.
The people of France have acted most
generously: Contributions have been
made from all classes and from all parts of
the country; the Statue is completed, and
will shortly be ready for transportation to
America. But, on the other hand, al
though the patriotic object sought to be
attained would seem to have been famil>
lar to every American through the daily
prints and otherwise, yet popular interest
and national pride in the accomplishment
of the American part of the work, the
providing of proper pedestal for the re-
ceptiOn of the Statue, have not thus far
been aroused to the extent desirable and
necessary. In fact such apathy and in
difference has been shown that the Amer
lean committee informs us that the
amount OF money at this date remaining
in their treasury is so reduced, that with
the necessary daily building expenditures
of about three hundred dollars 1890 0Q),
the fund will last but eighteen working
days longer, though the additional
amount of money needed TO complete the
pedestal is one hundred and twenty five
dollars 1925, 100000. If, through lack
of the necessary funds, the work shall be
brought to standstill, the disgrace would
be national, and particularly CALLING tC
every American possessed of the least
feeling OF patriotism.
The American committee has found one
of the greatest difficulties in the fact that
the public generally has seemed to fee
that the work was in the hands of a few
rich men of the city of New York, who
would contribute the amount required
IL 10 SiCullJ W UG uCoiIGu blub buio III
preston should be removed for if evel
there was work which ought to be ac
complished by subscription of the nation
and the people, it is this one The statue
is gift of the people of France to the
people of American. While large sub,
scriptiOns are always desirable, 1t would
be far more to the credit of this great
nation if every man, woman and child
should have a. block in the pedestal. This
committee does not believe that the Amer
can people are Indifferent to this great
work, but that they are not yet sufficient
ly awakened to sense of its Importance.
1t, therefore, calls upon the people fol-
their aid. 1t will take but /, $50, 900 sub
scriptions of ten cents each, 125,000 of &
dollar, or 1850 of ten dollars to COM
plete the work. Never in the history oil
this country, have the people failed to re.
spond to the call of patriotism, and this
committee knows that this appeal will not
be made in vain.
Among various plans for the further
ance of the work. the committee has ar
ranged that the steamboat Florence
shall shortly run regularly between New
York and Bedloe's Island, the full profit
derived from the same to go to the statue
fund The cost of ticket there and back
will be twenty-five cents. From this
date, each contributor to the funG will