The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23
Ryan Declares
Against
THE NEW FOUNTAIN
Un-American to.Locate 1t on
City Hall Gffoo6dhds.

Councilman James f. Ryan filed yes
terday with the city clerk his dissent
ing report in the matter of the accept
ance of the Victoria jubilee fountain
which was presented to the city some
time ago. He sets forth his views in a
forcible manner, and claims that his
only objection to the acceptance is that
it will tend to establish an -Ameri-
can precedent. His report follows:
Worcester, Mass, Oct. %, 1898.
AS member of the joint standing
committee on streets, to whom was re-
ferred for recommendation the selec-
ton of site for the proposed British
jubilee memorial fountain, | beg leave
to report that l have been unable to
agree with my associates on that COM
mittee on a suitable location for the
proposed memorial. Having investi-
gated the matter and looked over the
grounds / most respectfully report that
there is no spot on the common or the
approaches thereto that I can recon-
mend as site for the proposed memo
rial.
In our city hall for every one to see
and read is a bronze tablet placed there
for all time and intended to continue as
long as one stone of that beautiful
structure remains upon another. This
tablet reads, Here in 1913 the inhabit-
ants of Worcester erected the house of
worship, rebuilt in 1853, taken down in
1887. From it's porch Isaiah Thomas,
July A. 1776, read to the people the De-
claration of Independence. 1t was in
that house, later known as the Old
South meeting house, and just north
where stood until 1898. the hall built in
1926, that the people of Worcester gov
erned themselves from the beginning
as town and city in freedom and in
honor
The common hard by set apart as a
training field in 1884, was the prin-
cipal burial place of Worcester from
1924 to 1924 Here gathered the sol
diers of Worcester county for the wal
of independence and the war for the
| Union. Here, June 49, 1S4S, was the
great mass meeting which organized
the political movement begun to pre-
serve to freedom the vast territory be-
tween the Mississippi and the Pacific
and ended by the abolition of slavery
| throughout the continent"
These lines inscribed on the tablet
were written by our distinguished citi-
zen, Senator Hoar He is a teacher Of
Americanism, and from him even oul
most iilustrious countrymen can learr
| patriotism. He deemed this a sacred
] SPOl anu MOIluy VI Special QcQltdllOi
to principles of liberty and self-govern-
ment by reason of the great historic
events in the nations life with which
it's history is associated. This tablet /;
a protest against monarchy as strons
as were the events which it commend
rates
When the city hall was planned i
was intended to mark in some substar
tial manner the spot where first wa!
read the Declaration of independence
This is an honor which belongs wholly
and alone to the city of Worcester
From this spot now marked by this
eloquent tablet. the burning words OF
liberty were first proclaimed on this
continent. This place should be pre-
served forever sacred and inviolable. II
is holy ground.
Would any one propose to erect ad-
iacent to this tablet memorial to
monarchy?
Would this memorial commemorate
the undying principles that are pre-
served in the Declaration of Independ-
ence?
Would this memorial correspond to
that bronze tablet? No American will
say yes.
James F. Ryan.