Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-09-28
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER q 1899

wish to interfere in the matter. and
told the superintendent to go ahead
and do as he saw At. He persisted un-
~ ne got the opinions on the matter,
which he found were like his own. In
the end the matter was exactly where
It was at first. The Governor and
Council placed the usual great reli-
ance upon the discretion OF the super
intendent, and told him to proceed as
he saw f1t.
The objects are worthy, but the
methods used by the commission were
closely akin to blackmail. They stat
ed that II the State did not take hold
and do her share, her name would oe
left off the monuments. and no men,
ton would be made of her in the least.
After taking everything into consid-
Grafton Superintendent stetson found
that as "a states had already taken
steps toward raising the money, ne
would have the Maine school children
do their share, and he has issued the
following circular, which will be
mailed to all the city and town super
intendents and teachers:
Augusta. Sept. %, 1898.
To Superintendents and Teachers:
Two national commissions have recent
funds to provide for the erection of d
monument IN memory of the men who
were killed by the explosion of the bat
The other is asking for funds to erect
a monument in Paris, in 1900, in honor of
General Lafayette.
The department has delayed making
public these two requests as long as It Is
thought prudent to do SO. The fact that
the national monument is for the pur-
pose of honoring men who lost their lives
state leaves us no choice In coltribut..
ing to this object. The fact that General
Lafayette was at one time the guest OF
the State, and the still more important
fact that he was a friend of Washing
ton. and largely instrumental in securing
our independence as a nation, make our
duty In this matter clear.
The commission on the national mOnu-
nent asks for the signatures of all the
school children of the State. No pupil is
allowed to contribute more than one cent
to this fund. Blanks for soliciting sigma
lures will be sent school officials and
teachers on application.
The commission on the Lafayette mon
ument provides that no pupil will be al
lowed to contribute to exceed ten cents
The commission does not ask for the sig
natures of those contributing.
1t is suggested that the offerings for
the national monument be made on Oc-
tober IA, 1898, this being the day selected
by the committee having the matter In
charge. 1t is further suggested that the
offerings for the Lafayette monument be
taken on the 18th day of October. the an
niversary of The discovery of America by
Columbus.
1t is hoped that superintendents and
teachers will explain the objects Of these
two movements, interest the children in
them by suitable readings, recitations
and other exercises, and , give TINS sonaion mat,
as will insure contributions which will
be creditable to the State.
Maine's place In past and current his
tory does not make 1t consistent for her
to stand second in the line. The position
which the name of our State will occupy
upon both monuments because Of our
battleship which was destroyed. places
upon us the responsibility of SO respond
ing to these calls that the world will see
great men but also have the rare quality
of appreciating the services they have
rendered. s}s Ms.
The names of the pupils signing the
should be placed in p6ckage carefully
and securely wrapped. and addressed as
follows: state Superintendent of Public
Schools, Augusta, Maine" Write, the
corner Of the package: "National Monu,
ment." Within the package shoula be
placed slip of paper on which is, writ
ten the name and postofiice. address of
the teacher having charge of the school
making the contribution, the, name OF
the school and the town in which it is
located; also the number Of signatures
and the amount Of money enclosed.
The same instructions apply in for
warding the contributions secured for
the Lafayette monument fund: Teachers
are asked to be specially careful in plac-
ing the words Lafayette Monument" on
the package containing the funds for
that commission.
Respectfully.
w. w, STETSON,
Observation-Disclosures af p,,hlic Schools