The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-19
RECTOR HOWELL SPIED0N
n VIEW PHASE IN MoETT0BLIofS
HOT MONUMENT STRIFE.

oNN-
AHectisns-A Centroversy Abeut n haonu-
nnent THAT Was Torn the Tewn All Up
PORT JERvIs, Dec. 1s.-Monticello. the saat OF
Sullivan county, IL divided a. TO area by o street
along which tho business places and homes OF
Its 1900 Inhabitants are builti and AZ TO social,
religious, and political matters. its people take
their stand around the two soldiers monu-
ments erected within ten minutes walk OF each
other on the street that cuts tho village In two.
Whatever is done in the town. the monument
question comes up. and the bitter feeling which
began when. in 1894, q memorial to the soldiers
and sailors Of the civil war was suggested,
shows itself In nearly every transaction among
tho people Of the town. At present the end OF
the monument trouble 10 not in sight. nor have
the happenings Of the past few wooks served to
render q settlement Of the question easier.
II is Editor Barnum Of the Republican Watch
man, one OF the two Monticello newspapers, to
whom the responsibility for the monument fight
10 traced. He didn't begin It with any idea Of Its
consequences, but suggested that, as many brave
men went to the front from Sullivan county In
1861. II would be right and proper for the
county seat to have a monument In their
memory. A law had been passed a short
Il Q before allowing counties to raise by
taxation $4,000 for the erection Of such
memorials in the county seata. Mr.. Barnum
urged that the question be submitted to the
voters of Sullivan county. 1t was submitted,
and the voters. by a majority Of thirty. Ave. de-
cided not to tax themselves for a monument.
That was at the election of 1893. Mr.. Barnum,
still ~euiltless of evil intent, then proposed that
the women Of Monticello take the matter up.
raise the money for a memorial. and erect the
monument In the green In front of tho county
Court House. Let 1t be understood that Mr..
Barnum was not malicious in making the sug-
gontfon and that ho did not plan ~ hiring about
the troubles which grew out OF his suggestion.
The idea of q soldiers monument to be
erected by the women Of Monticello was en-
Enthusiastically taken up. Mrs. Thornton A.
Niven, a niece Of ex-Gov. Flower. and wife of
the son of the late Gen. Niven. who was one Of
the most prominent men in the place, called n
meeting of the women Of the town to form an
organization. 1t was held at Mrs. Niven's
house. The organization was formed at tho
first meeting. Mrs. Niven was elected Presi.
dent. Her daughter, Mrs. Samuel A. Greene. was
chosen as Secretary. Her niece. Mrs. J. F. Rosa.
was made Financial Secretary, and the efforts
to raise the money began. Fairs and bazars
were held. Subscription papers were circulated.
Money began to accumulate, and suggestions
for designs for the monument were requested.
Drake & Stratton. q firm Of founders, offered to
give n bronze figure for the monument II the
citizens Of Monticello would build the pedestal.
The project seemed to be going through without
o hitch, when. in 1895, some ono said that tho
organization should be Incorporated. so that, as
the Hon. G.. r. Luddington expressed it yester-
day. ait might have a being. could enter into
contracts, and could sue and be sued" Month
cello. being the county seat, has q large popula-
ton of lawyers. to whom tho idea of an organ!-
"a tion unable to sue and be sued was repugnant.
When tho proposition to incorporate was
made. the association held a meeting.
Thirty-four members were present at 1t. TWEEN.
ty-seven of them voted to incorporate. The
others, among whom were Mrs. Niven and her
relations. who held all the offices, the money and
the pledges, voted so!idly against Incorporation
the association, carrying with them the money.
The twenty.seven who wanted TO incorporate
diers and Sailors Monument Association I'm.
M i4 +. +. BasS: w pEsn 81 s4!j h u B snsa MRS MRS
william Am, L, Thern soIsu wife nea q IT,. s1.Tudge o Thorn
ihm In s x put to use Its POWER ~, to sue sue a nd
Solicited. The suit was decided in favor Of the
INCORPORATED. and the Originals appealed. The
hfpRsai' w " hsshSMir MI. S SSsi % %Ss e 1s { su chs 81 nns POI o.
the Board Of Supervisors. and the monument
soldier on a granite pedestal. and the Incorpo
rated :ssSI ss15 i The so ]na1ssss n0 N. SECOND and aa in,
was devised by some one who recalled that Gen.
Niyen was a Democrat in war times.
During the time this controversy was going
on the two newspapers in the town fairly
sizzled will communications. open, letters
especially, prolific, and he as sued for $4,000
suit. and MI. Luddington had to pay $50. The
church members divided on the question. and
the spiritual teachers Of the people d w Sssf
ness men found that IT, they were patron
lied by, the Originals the Incorporated would
generous additions. Some families split, society
was disorganized. and the town suffered IL
many ways from the war that was carried on
When the Originals got their monument fin
ishsh they invited ted Gen W Noe FORD no. now sla n
Tor the big day Of the Sullivan county fair. Tn
Ineorporsted got Gen. Palmer: Secretary Of tn =
fair. An outbreak was avertcd BY. the two or
ators, who arranged that each should speak a
rated laughed.
Then the Incorporated bought a plot of Liant
Ter, now AmbassaG %9 to France; and Gel: l.
the factions reached a ,torrid state. Women re
fused to speak to their old friends; men bega1
fsS S ~ero abe fs ' to Rsep out out Of Of he fEea row; Ann ANON SS
tlOso VINO ola lTy 70 DC neutral were Inc mini
tiers, but they did not meet with great success:
The split vas comPllete, and the breach In
may be drawn from the base OF ono monunen
to the base OF the other, anil It Is impossible I
live In the town and avoid standing on one O
the other side of It. Tho Luddingtons, Thor
tons, ostroms, Bushes, and Palens lead the Il
corporated legions. The Nivens. Fairchildl
and Greenes head the Originals. and the war
q continual one.
. This situation led to the troubles in tho Pre-!
byterian church which eliminated In the loci
ING Of the dOOrB on the pastor. the Rev, James 4
MacGownn. on Easter Sunday, 1896, and his sui
r sequont withdrawal from the pastorate. Hedie
one, Of the Niyen family, was a witness in II
, The troubles Of the Rev. David 7. Howell, fe
. two years rector of st. Johns Episcopal Churcl
? who last week WAS fned Us for assaulting h
wife, are In n measure traceable to the nom
; ment rumpus. although other elements entere
into the case. st, Johns has had a hard tin
!, since the death Of the Rev. e. K, Fowler In I'll
{ early seyenties after a rectorship Of more thu
church since then, and all Of them have ha
: trouble. The church has, two, endowmen
u "a ma ~ oaoh In 80 thar, IL fran, &