The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-17
VETERANS PROTEST
Think the Goddess of Lib
erty Too Feminine for
the Soldiers Mon
ument,
HOME TALENT ADVOCATED
Association Will Fight the Award
in the Courts-McEwan
Upheld.

The members Of the Veterans Right:
Association, at a meeting held in tn
Avenue House on Saturday night, pro
tested in no uncertain tones against th
design for the proposed soldiers nonu
ment selected by the Monument Commit
tee, and determined to further their pro
test by fighting, in the courts If neces
sary. against it's final adoption. The.
claim that the design is inappropriate
in that it does not contain the figure o
soldier, and that the competition shoult
have been limited to local talent.
Isaac Strauss, of Hoboken, who, at thu
recent meeting of the Republican Count.
Committee, made assertions sderogator,
to Congressman Thomas McEwan's ac
tions as counsel to the veterans, wa
literally hauled over the Goals and handlet
without gloves The cid soldiers vigor
ously denounced STRAUSS assertions
and condemned his action in making
them.
When at $50 Preident w. B. Simmons
raped for order there was an .unusuaill
large attendance considering the inclem
Comrade P. H. O,Neill started the bal
a-rolling by reading letter from th'
Hudson County Granite Workers, an or
ganization which had submitted de-
sign for the monument, ana Wnlch In. In
members seem to think should have peer
the one adopted. The letter was as fol
lows
Dear Sir-On receipt of report of com
mittee appointed by the Granite Cut,
estimate the cost of the design select
ed by the New York sculptor for lour
Soldiers and Sailors Monument, we
found that all the designs oiIereo py
demned with the exception OF one
which our committee positively states
can be duplicated for 81, 800 We hled
protest with the Grand Army commit
tee not to confirm the award for the
following reasons
because the model is inappro-
: pirate, representing model oI the
Goddess of Peace which may be en-
blematic of the Goddess OF War 1t is
copied from statue supposed to nave
been erected before the Christian era.
2-The height, twenty feet, is too
small for the money to be expended.
3-The money in addition to the
$500 appropriated by the county, was
I'VE were snubbed by the G.. A. R.
nored, but not insulted.
Comrade O'Neill then offered the follow
ing resolution
Resolved, That a committee of the
Veterans Rights Association be In
structed to wait on committee of the
Granite Workers Association, and II
the above facts as stated prove TO De
true. that a committee CONSISTING 81
as many other coTnradeS-a as he may Sc.
lect, be instructed to draw up set OF
resolutions comdemning the action OF
the G.. A. r. committee, and the same
committee draw up a bill requesting
our members of Assembly, to protect
our home industry in all things, and
particularly, when the work can be
done here cheaper and as good as else
where; and be it further
Resolved That the said bill enlarge
D.. the G. A. r. Monument Committee to
consist of one member from each G.
A. r. post, one member from the
Union Veterans Union. one from the
Union Veterans Legion, E swe g ifS4a from the
sociation, and the President of the
Granite Workers Association of Hud-
son county, who represents the tax.
payers as well as the home industry of
our county.
Mr.. O'Neill said: ."aIn making the
award to other than local talent the
committee has oone gross injustice K
the granite workers of Hudsons county
There are sixteen of these and they repre-
sent 100000 worth of property in oul
county. It was a matter of local pride
which induced them to enter into the com
petition and it should be a matter OF
county, whose deeds the monument is tt
perpetuate, that the work should be dont
at home.
The speaker said that some of the mem
bers Of the committee had absolutely ne
say in the selection of the design
Continuing, Mr.. O'Neill said: sThe de-
sign selected is inappropriate E for al a sol D,
woman, not the soldier whom it is sup
posed to commemorate A person, un
less he was told, would never know thai
ory of the soldier Every veteran soldier
and sailor should protest against its
adoption. Let US have figure typical o.
the soldier wearing the uniform in which
he fought with his gun in his hand.
1.-THE design selected is not satisfactory
to the great number of veteran soldiers
and sailors. 1 doubt If the committee
had the right to make the award to q
competitor outside of the State. Oul
State and county are the laughing stock
of the whole nation in this matter and il
is the duty of everyone Of US to figh
against the proposed award.
1.-THE general public who gave theil
money for the monument, the schoo
children who contributed their mites, and
various ways the accomplishment of the
object and who are the ones most in
terested, should have some say as to the
design to be selected and not leave the
matter entirely to two or three disin-
terested persons"
Secretary Charles r. Vale said:-'The
design selected is manifestly inappropri
ate We want soldiers and sailors
monument and not a statue of Venus
Minerva or any other goddess"
motion was then adopted that the as
sOciation invite committee of the gran
ite workers to be present at the mex
meeting, to decide on action to be taker
to prevent the award being made as
agreed upon by the Monument Com
mittee.
President Simmons resigned the chair
to Comrade John r. Jurgens. The presi
dent spoke of the statements made by
Jacob Strauss, of Hobokenk at the re-
cent meeting of the Republican County
Committee, in reference to the relations
ton as it's counsel. He said
1.-The fair name of our association an6
our honest friend and counsel Thomas
f. McEwan, Jr;, have been assailed. Al
my duty to. defend both. A slur cas-
at the friend of a soldier Is a slur cas-
at the soldier. This association is no.
now nor has not been since its organiza-
Tending the rights of veterans, and I un.
Qualifiedly denounce as false any state
ment to the contrary.
The speaker referred to the probability
of the formation of an organization o.
Republicans to be known as the McEwar
League, which, he said, had for it's .object
the fighting of the Republican ring now
in control Of that party. He urged The
membeSs of the Republican party, t.
Join the new organization.
Comrades O,Nein, Vale and Simmons
were appointed committee to- draft Z
County Committee denying the Charges
made by Committeeman Jacob Strauss a
Monday nights meeting of that body and
stating the relations of Counsellor Nc.
EVAN to the association and what he fad
done and was doing for the cHuse Of ths
a resolution of thanks was rendered t.
Hon. Thomas McEwan and Past g. A. r