The San Francisco call., 1896-03-01
The Government Urged by Reso.
luton to Return the Gift
to Its Donors.
NO FEELING IN THE MATTER,
The Opposition Is Said 10 Be Based
on appropriateness and
Bad Precedent.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. GAN
informal unveiling of the Marquette
statue, which the State of Wisconsin pur-
poses presenting to the Government, oc-
Cured in Statuary Hall at the Capitol
this afternoon.
The covering was removed in order that
}. W. Losey OF La Crosse, the chairman of
the committee appointed bv the Governor
to inspect the several models presented
and select the one that should be executed,
might personally admire the work and
satisfy himself as to the correc tness with
which it was done.
Senators Villas and Mitchell, of Wiscon-
sin, as we'll as a number of the Wisconsin
Representatives, were present, as was
also Mr.. Trentanove, the artist who mod
eled the statue. =:
great deal of uncertainty exists re-
garding the date on which the Marquette
statue will be presented to the Govern
ment. Mr.. Trentanove believes the pre-
sentation will occur on Friday next but
the Wisconsin people say the presentation
may not take place for several weeks.
In view of the opposition which the
American Protective Association is under
stood to be making to the acceptance of
the statue by Congress, it is regarded by
some of the gentlemen interested as good
plan to postpone the ceremonies for fort
night or more until the present excitement
connected with the affair shall have disap-
peared.
This afternoon Representative Linton of
Michigan introduced in the House the
joint resolution regarding the statue of
Father Marquette which has been ex-
pected for several days. The document
reads as follows:
WHEREAS, For the first time in the history of
the United States there has been placed in the
Capitol a statue of a man in the garb of a
churchman, said statue being that of a Jesuit
priest named Marquette, who died in or about
the year 1879, and who is referred to
in the joint resolution, a reason
for accepting the statue, as ''the faithful
missionary" and whereas, the Revised Stat
utes OF the United States (section 1Sl4) pro-
vide ''on1y for not exceeding two statues in
number OF marble or bronze from each State of
deceased persons who have been citizens there
OF and illustrlous for their distinguished civic
or military services, and when so furnished
the same shall be placed in the old chamber OF
the House of Representatives, now known as
Statuary Hall, in the Capitol of the United
States; and whereas, the said Marquette
never was citizen OF any State, nor OF the
United States, nor performed any civic or mill
tary duty therefor; and whereas. the statue
representing him is OF the ecclesiastical char
acter alone, being fashioned in church habili-
ments and paraphernalia, and otherwise en-
tirely. inappropriate for the position occupied
in Statuary Hall, thereby being contrary to the
intent OF the joint resolution which provided
for its acceptance; therefore be it
Resolred, That the placing OF said statue in
the Capitol is not only without authority, but
in direct violation OF the law; and be it further
ResoEued, That said statue be removed from
the Capitol and returned to its donors.
Mr. Linton said, in explanation of his
joint resolution, that ever since publica-
tion has been made of the fact that it had
been received at the Capitol members had
been receiving memorials and petitions in
relation to it, asking that Congress refuse
to receive it. "The joint resolution" Mr..
Linton said, "sets forth the reasons why
we think the statue ought not to be placed
IN the Capitol. There is nothing to say, OF
course, against Father Marquette. and
there is no feeling in the matter that re-
lates to him. The opposition to the statue
in its present place is based entirely on its
being inappropriate thereto and does not
come within the terms of the law"