Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-05-28


BRArTLEBoBo, May %, 1886,
TO s. ~ Herrick, Esq.,, and your associate
Selectmen Of Brdtth5oro:
Gentlemen You have troublesome duty
10 discharge In relation to the soldiers mon
ument. However you discharge it, there
will be grunibingand scoldng. Asmen Of the
world you do not expect TO please everybody
No doubt your intention and fort will be
to discharge your duty to the town faithfully
and to the best OF your ability. In so doing
you may hope, but can scarcely expect, to
satisfy everybody nor to escape carping criti-
cism.
The advisory committee" is, as every
body knows, Of no legal ,fficacy. No one
who voted for il could have supposed it to be
anything more than a body of men with
whom the selectmen could consult, II they
chose, and get such assistance in making up
their minds what to do as such committee
could help them to.
After ALL the selectmen have the whole le-
gal power and they must exercise it to the
best Of their Judgment and take the whole
responsibility. Assuming this to be all no it
has occurred to me that the selectmen would
naturally like to know the minds of their
constituents on the suit so far az any diff
ference of opinion has been developed.
How shall they find out the minds Of their
constituents2 am wholly opposed to an
other town meeting.
II anything was clearly apparent at our
last town meeting, it was this-that the de-
tails OF what and whore a soldiers monu-
ment should be was a sui jet that could not
wisely be determined in town meeting A
town meeting is not a body 30 constituted as
to be competent to arrange details. They
must be left to suitable agents and the town
voted, as the act cont mplAtes, that the &c.
lectmen were such aRents.
You must get at the minds of your con-
stituents in some other way than by calling a
town meeting and as humble contribution
l write this scrip to you, such as | would like
to be written to me were a town officer in
! your place.
To come to the point then, have very
strong and decided conviction that mouu-
ment OF granite surmounted 10y Mead's RE
oording Angel is Tie thing for Bratteboro. l
have no faith whatever in the makeshft Of
zinc commonly called white bronze it il too
cheap and unsubstautial it may last aud may
not probably not, but if it should it is too
insignificant But the figure on top-thats
what more particularly have in mind. II
you, as selectmen, fail to secure for us the
Recording Angel" as a crown to the monu-
ment shall believe that we and our descend.
ants to generations hence will say and feel
that the selectmen OF Brattleboro OF 1886
made an unfortunate and irreparable b'under.
l could mention many who agree with pe il
these views both men and women, but as
am not authorized to speak for any body bu
myself, forbear to do so. Don't suppos,
that shall be one OF the "scolders" IL yot
decide against my notions but l shall very
likely say that you made great and disas
trous blunder.
II you care to know why my opinion i
such az l have expressed, here are some o
the reasons inducing it:
lst 1t seems to me eminently fitting t,
have an emblematic figure suggestive of tn
inscribing upon the rolls of fame the heroi
deeds bravery and patriotism of our soldiers
This is not monument erected by our sol
ders- By themselves, 10 themselves, and t0
themselves We're il so, it might be consid
cred want of deicacy for them to be pro
claiming and eulogizng their own merits
But it Ia something far otherwise and better
it is a monument erected by their fellow cit
zens az a testimonial of their appreciation @
their bravery, self devotion and patriotism
and in that view an emblem signifying tbs
I an angel has in cribed their names and heroi
deeds upon an imperishable registry is som,
thing that commends itself to every citizen.
=, ID. Such monument would be unique
? such az no other town has ~ yet, and probabl
no town ever can have.
81. Besides being a memorial Of our al
= probation of our soldiers services devotion
! etc, it will be an object of artistic pride
. all of US.
4th. 1t will be, not a common, monot
- nous repetition Of what other towns hay
=, done, but something peculiar to Brattleboro
= 9TH. 1t will be known throughout Il
. country as something gotten up by Brattl
boro, which no other town had the opport
/; nifty nor the taste TO accomplish.
:, oh. 1t will be, in my belief, an object
pilgrimage to all interested in our solderJ
thousands will come to Brattleboro express
- to see it.
- 9TH. And this is a continuation OF the san
=, thought. On the dedication OF the mon
. ment, where hundreds would come for Il
dedication Of monument OF the old commo
= place type, thousands will come to be prese
:. at the dedication of a monument that won
= appeal to their artistic and patriotic feelin
- as such a monument as this would do.
a 8th. And this is of the least importanc
but perhaps worth thinking Of Brattlebo
:; would gain great credit and honor througho
:, the country for her artistic taste and know
> edge of what is fitting and appropriate.
- might suggest still further reasons III
operate ON my mind, but will not trout
~ you with anything further, only to say in co
- clusion what everybody knows who is
. quainted with me at all,-that / am not o
=, who is welded to his own opinion and has
overweening confidence in his own judgmeu
u yet believe that If you adopt the Mead {
sign, so called, all our soldiers and others "
% may now be of a different opinion will in I
. course of few years all agree that you d
-. the right thing. RoYA0L TYLER.
A This is addressed to you informally,
Il. you are at liberty to do what you like with
-
A WOmRn's Earnest Plea.
Editor Of Phenir Is Brattleboro to lose her h
10 position the apprecatiye home of gifted people
Is questioning the fitness Of Larkin Meads "Angel"
A. A. HvN