The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-02
PRoPosED STOWE STATUE.
Objections wn-Correspondence Between Rev. Mir. Stowe, Son of tho Famous Woman, and Mrs. Rendrick,


 The Hartford Times of yesterday gives to the public the full correspond ence between Mrs. Kendrick of the Equal Rights club and the Rev, Charles F, Stowe. The letters explain them selves and are of interest to the citi- zens of the state, as it is purposed to erect statue of Mrs, Harriet Beecher Stowe on the capitol grounds;
 To the Editor of The Times:
 Will you kindly publish following communications, which explain them selves.
 MRS. KENDRICK.
 Hartford, March l.
 Hartford, Conn.,, Feb. 25 '97. Rev. Charles F. Stowe, Simsbury;
 Dear Sir: Your communication of February 23 is before me and some matters referred to therein lead me to think that you have received an alto 8ether wrong impression of our com mittee and it's proposed work You write of mysterious movement" I am at a loss to understand how movement is mysterious that was published in a paper having a wide cir culation. You will find by reference to The Hartford Times, city edition, Mon- day, October 5, 1896, a report of the meeting of the Hartford Equal Rights club, at which a committee was ap- pointed to formulate plans for erecting memorial statue to honor the memory of your distinguished mother, Mrs Har- At,s f,, does away with the implication of a mysterious movement" You also say in your letter that you have learned that your aunt, Mrs Hooker, and your sisters were concerned among others, in this movement. That is entirely un- 1 true. The committee wished for photo I graphs for the sculptors use and ob- tained them of the Misses Stowe | through the kindness of Mrs. Hooker. l To that extent they were concerned and consulted, but no further. The commit tee deemed it wise to wait until the sketch model was brought to Hartford then, with something tangible to show, the family and friends were to be con- l suited. We may have erred in our | Judgment as to methods, but did what | seemed the right thing to us at the 1 time. It has been my personal eXperi- | ence that extended newspaper contro- l Versy is unprofitable, and for that req | son many misleading statements have 1 been unchallenged. We were confident l that the model would be convincing 1 argument in our favor, and waited un- 1 til it's arrival. You will recall that I wrote you on the 18th inst, asking you to come to the city and view the model. It was then, and not till then, entirely I ready for inspection. I hope at an early date you will find 1t convenient so to do, and I am very confident that after this explanation you will feel that the Stowe memorial committee has done nothing mysterious, has had no desire to defy or ignore the wishes of the Stowe family, and has only held l sincere desire to perpetuate your moth CTS memory in a way which, in their opinion, would not only honor Mrs. 1 Stowe, but would be a credit alike to the family, the city and the state. Very sincerely,
 ELLA B. KENDRICK.
 Simsbury, Feb. 26, 1897. Mrs. Ella B. Kendrick:
 Dear Madam: Your esteemed favor of yesterday received this morning. The revelations which 1t contains are 1 certainly a surprise to me. I now per- ! ceive that I have done you a great, ! thought unintentional injustice, which l will gladly do anything in my power to make good. 1 had not seen the arti- cle published in the Times of October g., 1896, and you are the first to call my attention to the facts which were there by given to the public. I did not learn of the movement initiated by the Equal Rights club to procure a statue to my mother until after my letter to the 1 Courant was printed. I did nothing to correct the general impression that the ! letter was directed against the move- ment you represent. because, feeling that I had been entirely ignored in a matter in which I, being Mrs. Beech CTS son, certainly had a right to be in- formed, felt no responsibility whatso- ever.
 Now, without regretting or retracting my published letter in the Courant, and without asking the pardon of statues in general, or of any statue in particular, for what I have said I now say that I am not in any way opposed to a statue to my mother from the model on ex- hibition in the capitol building. My sisters have seen it and are much pleased herewith. Their taste in such matters are 8 safer guide than mine. Consequently Mrs. Stowe's family ap- prove-that is, of the model and statues likely to result therefrom. As to your methods, the position of the statue in the capitol grounds, the expediency of state approximation, and numerous questions of detail, the family may nat urally be excused from either having or expressing any opinion. You are at liberty to make such use of this letter as may to you seem best.
 Faithfully yours, CHAS E. STOWE.