Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-04-16
Irnr soLpLERs NoNnNNNE
,vn., vas Done at Last Saturdays
sneciaI Town Meeting.

THE TOWN AND A FITTING TRIBUTE TO ms
DEAD DEFENDERS.
There was a good sized attendance at the
sueoial town meeting held last Saturday after.
noon. with all parts Of the town well repre-
sented. The article Of the warrant on which
The town was called together to take action
was the following
~ s.o ~ tbetowp will vote 10 instruct It's seectmtn
N e5eet soldiers monument, aud II 80 to appropr
ate money therefor and to take such tutiher action
yelating thereto az may be deemed advisable
After the meeting had been called to order
and The warrant read, Col. Haskins took the
floor and briefly stated why the meeting had
been called. The vote passed at the annual
town meeting for the erection OF soldiers
monument was clearly illegal, because the
statute explicitly says that
crowns may, at town meetings, the warnings for
which contain an article for that purpose, instruct
ibs seiectnen 10 erect monuments to the memory Of
citizens OF such town who died In the service Of the
country during the war for the suppression OF the
rebellion In the Southern states
The vote passed at the March meeting did
not instruct or empower the selectmen to
erect the proposed monument, but put the
work in other hands. Col. Haskins also al.
luded to the reasons why II was fitting for the
town to erect monument to her soldiers who
Gave their lives for their country, and said
that it had been felt by many that the town
should do this work without assistance frOm
any source The Grand Army post had raised
the sum Of $1,000, which its members had
generously offered TO contribute toward the
oroposed monument but the speaker had
felt, az had many others, that the old soldiers
should keep this money for their own excel
lent work Of charity and relief, aud that the
town should give the whole Of the money
necessary 10 erect monument. He there
fore offered the following resolution
Essoired, That the seeclmen be aud are hereby 10.
structed to erect upon some suitable site within the
village Of BratlebOrO, and have completed ready for
dedication on or before Oct. 2O 1886, soldiers mou-
nmept, under and by virtue Of the provisions Of No.
a Of the acts Of the legislature Of the state Of Yer
mont approved Oct a. 1884, and that sum Of money
not exceeding $4,000 be and tho same Is hereby apprO
prlaed for that purpose and that the selectmen be
the aforesaid sum- 5000, or such portion thereof
may be- necessary 10 pay for said monument aud To
carry into effect the provisions Of tue vote a. aiore
That Frederick Holbrook, Joseph Draper, Hoyt II.
Wheeler Julius j. Estey, EDWARD Z. Crosby, Edwin
H. Putnam Ehjah wales, Geo. i. Gale, Geo f. Sci
leck and Daniel b. Stedman be and are hereby Ap-
pointed an advisory committee TO consult aud advise
ton Of said monument, and together with the select
men to constitute a committee TO M the time aud
make the necessary arrangements for an appropriate
dedication Of the same upon its completion.
Col Hooker followed, and 10 opening ex
pressed his regret that it had been found nee
essary to call tue voters together again on this
subject but the fault, he said, was his own
as be had drawn and introduced the resou.
ton which was adopted al the annual meet
ing. Col Hooker then proceeded to explain
the action OF the committee OF the Grand
Army. which had adopted the Hines design
aud we're proceeding to make contracts for its
erection when the selectmen informed them
that they should not feel justified in drawing
orders for the money under the vote as it
then stood. He said that the SUN originally
asked for building the monument was 5000,
but the price was finally reduced TO 5000.
Mr. Lyon had agreed TO quarry the founda-
ton stone in the base of the monument all
in one block, which was the only way TO A.
sure solidity and permanence. As regards the
bronze work there was vast difference IN
the quality Of bronze. That which Mr.. Mos
man wonld furnish was the same as the an
cient bronzs which had stood for Centuries
without corrosion. On these and other points
| Col Hooker indicated the action of the com
miuee. The $1,000 which the Grand Army
post and Woman's Relief corps had raised.
hs said had been raised distiDctively for mon
ument purposes, and it would be used for
nothing else. 1t was the privilege Of the yo-
tiers to tsy what design they would have. lie
believed the Hines design to represent what
the people of Bratteboro wanted to put iuto
a monument. As an amendment, therefore,
to Col. Haskinbs resolution properly a sub.
]
R,solrej that the selectmen are hereby directed t.
appropriate the Of 1900 out Of any funds beiour
ing to the town, or in their discretion to borrow the
same, for the construction and erection Of soldier
monument, and the seectmen are requested to cou-
struct said monument according to plans aud design
| OF George A. Hines aud Of mAteria and make as al
ready approved by sedgwick Post No. s, @. A. R. De-
! partment of Vermont.
! Hon. J. NJ. Tyler said that every good citi-
zen would deprecate the raising OF any con
troversy over duty, which was also a priv.
lege like that Of erecting a monument to
Brattleboro soldiers but certain facts must
be borne in mind. The Law must be complied
with, and the law says the selectmen shall
build the monument no one else can do 1t
legally. /. IL Of the first importance to select
suitable design, and such a design cannot
be selected in town meeting. 1t is duty
which must Of necessity be delegated to n
committee. A careful study OF the subject
must be made other monuments may be
visited and designs studied We must be sure
that We are getting the best thing for our
money, and the work must be done economi.
cslly.
Hon. j. Martin asked whether the Grand
Army committee had not already made such
study, and Col. Hooker replied that he had
made 1t poiut 10 examine into the subject
and was satisfied that he had got the night
thing.
Mr. Stoddard agreed that there should be
careful study Of designs the town was not
then prepared TO decide on q design Nume-
rous designs had been on exhibition. but not
an individual in the hall was prepared 10 take
the responsibility Of deciding on a design. A
competent committee like that named IN Col
Hasklnss resolution must select the design,
and then the voIk of construction must lie
| open to competition.
! Col. Haskins, who was obliged to leave the
meeting to meet an imperative personal en-
| gagement, again took the platform to say
lthy, that, as the subject of price had been
named, he had figures in his pocket frou, re-
sponsible men, Offering 10 build monument
from the Hines design for $4,000, and to du
pllcate the monument at Ksene for 1000
Inc competition had only begun once let ii
De known that the matter was open to fair
ana honorable competition, and monument
men from Maine to the Rocky Mountains
would be here to offer designs and conn, Ia
for the work. The whole thing must be nut
! IN the hands OF the legal guardians of the
town. VIC
w. II. Alexander asked il Col. Hooke,'s
amendment tied the town down TO the Hines
design. On being answered in the af6rma.
tive, he said he should oppose it because for
one thlng, he did not believe the surface stone
now being taken from the Dummerston auar.
suitable tor monumental purposes, or as
70 OOtnlucu III greater QeDLl.
Hon. b. ID. Harris supported Col. Hash ms
resolution. The matter was one in wbi,b
great care and deliberation should be used
The monument, when completed, should be
an expression to this and coming generations
OF the taste and culture Of our citizens.
hon Jacob Eltey took the floor. and said
he did not see buttne whole thing was 8, tiled
Inc Grand Army committee had gone on and
made verbal contracts for their design these
contracts ought to be held binding we were
IN honor bound to vote for the Hines design
AS substitute for the Hooker resolution he
would offer the following
Resoired, that the selecimen be and are hereby Al
leeted 70 appropriate four thousand dollars ont nt
ssng iuIus belonging to the town or In their dscr4
uou 70 ouIroW the same, for the Construction ana
eIeeton OF soldiers monument aud said selectmen
ltquesteI 70 construct, locate and erect said mon
S Seht y and win the advice aud approval of I'M.
Department Of Vermont - Ne NeP"oH''
The clerk found difficulty in rsod;no ,be
resolution and Col. Hooker come 10 bis rs.
cue, saying that though he did not write n n.
kneW what It was This amendment GsubsIi-
tut was satisfactory to him and he accented
II III place OF his own. 1t meant that II the
design chosen by the seleclmep was sstisfac.
tory TO the Grand Army, then we wonld haye
. monument II it was not satisfaetorv 70
them, then no monument