The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-01-10
Q. p. MATTocKs,
III. w. RICHARDSON,
II. w. HERsEY,
y a. GORpON


1t was moved that the majority report be
accepted.
Mr.. j. p. Baxter said 1t seemed to him that
| a mere monumental stone was insufficient.
| Ii seemed TO him as II something was owed
| to the survivors Of the war, that something
ought to be done 10 perpetuate the memory
of all the soldiers who went into the war.
He sDOke Of his visit to the building erected
at Greenwich. in memory OF Nelson's battles.
Pictures and relics kept here were very inter-
esting and attracted thousands to see them
every year. The mement0es Of heroes who
have passed away are always interesting.
The committee had succeeded In raising
$1,000. 1t was going to be difficult TO raise
enough more to raise q monument tnat
would be credit TO Portland. IL would be
impossible 10 erect a suitable one, sixty feet
high, for $4,000. The old city building In
the square had four good walls, and he be
lieved that for S25, 900 1t could be remodelied
into memorial building that would be q
credit TO the city, ana at the same time afford
c0mmOdious quarters for the Grand Army
organizations, which could support the build
ing at an expense Of not more than $500 or
$1,000 yearly. He supposed legal bugbears
would be brought upIagainst the proposition,
but they could be pushed away. All that
was asked was that the new committee be
authorized to procure plans for q memorial
ball In Market Square, using the material OF
the old city building. While fayoring this
plan, Mr.. Baxter said he should not contend
against the will Of the Association. II the
Association decided that it wanted a monu-
ment, he would do all he could to help the
work along. (Applause)
Calling Vice President Dana TO the chair,
General Brown took the floor. He said that
at no time since his connection with the AS
sOcatiOn there had been a moment so dis
cOuraging and uncomfortable TO him as THIS,
when 1t was necessary for him to stand Pc
fore the Association to oppose the majority
report He knew the difficulties and dan
gers through which they had passed to reach
this point. After all that had been done,
when they had secured $1,000 and the most
eligible location in Portland, a proposition
was made to give up everything. lie re-
viewed the struggles through which the As
sOciatiOn had passed, and said that the OBJ
lect was to build a monument, and not
building, hall or library. The people had
given freely. What for? A monument. The
committee went 20 the legislature and asked
that the lot on which that Insignificant build
ing stands be set aside for monument. The
legislature granted the petition, and when
the proposition was formally put TO vote un-
der solemn sanction Of law, the people de-
cided that monument should be erected,
not a memorial building. Now IL was pro-
posed 10 put everything back where u was
Ia the beginning. Suppose the Associa-
tiOn decided that Instead OF monument we
have something else; that the money SUD
seribed for that purpose be diverted, ana the
land which was given on CONDITION OF re-
moving the building be used IN different
manner-WOulu the people Dc contents oup-
pose the building Is rem0delled, beautlhed or
disfiQured. what would be the result? | am
a member OF the G.. A. r., and no one es-
teens that body more than l. As one of the
q. A, r. protest against taking this build
ing, and under pretence Of making 1t build
ing for a body that must die out In time,
make it a perpetual burden on the city. III
the majority report prevailed you would
have a monument, not to the men OF the
war. but TO Incidence.
Capt. j. w. Deering said the vote Of the
city was for the removal OF the old city
building. He believed that the new PROPOSE
tiOn could not be carried out without going
TO the legislature. lie objected TO having
such a plan sprung upon the public sudden
ly. He moved the substitution OF the first
minority report for the majority report. This
was the report opposing the reconstruction
Of Old City Hall into a memorial building.
MIR. Elliot King asked whether the object
of the majority report was not rather to per-
petuate associations that did not belong to
the war.
Colonel Mattocks said he was opposed to
either Of the two first reports, because the
committee was exceeding its business In
going outside of its instructions 10 make
suggestions and recommendations. He was
in favor of a memorial hall, when the COM
nsittee had funds enough, but no submitted
that the committee was not doing the duty
for which 1t was appointed. The committee
was never instructed TO recommend any nan:
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