The evening times., 1898-10-18
A MONUMENT TO LAFAYETTE
Contributions of School Children to
BE Taken Tomorrow.


Be Taken Tomorrow.
The children of the public schools of the
District of Columbia In common with the
scholars OF all the pubic schools of the
land, and the students of many of the
big colleges, will tomorrow pay substan-
tial tribute to. the life, character and
services of Gen. Lafayette, by contri-
buting toward national fund for the
erection OF a magnificent monument to
the memory of that great man.
Appropriate and elaborate exercises of
patriotic nature will be held in every
school room or school assembly hall.
Superintendents have shown a person
al interest in the project ind indorse it
as being one that will be productive of
greater love of country and a more eager
desire. especially on the part OF the pu-
pills of the primary grades, to know more
of the history of the noble Frenchman,
and of the history of the great nation
that has grown out of the war of inde-
pendence.
Appropriate programs have been ar
ranged In the schools for the proper OBJ
servance of the day and opportunity will
be furnished the scholars to contribute
toward fund for the erection of a
monument to Gen. Lafayette at Paris, as
a tribute of the school children of Ameri-
ca.
The movement is being conducted by the
Hon Ferdinand w Peck, of Chicago. who
is the commissioner general from this
country to the Paris Exposition, and has
been indorsed by the President and his
Cabinet by resolution in the Senate, the
Committee on Foreign Relations in the
House of Representatives and school con-
ventions and boards of education in every
section and State of the country.
The resting place of Gen. Lafayette In
Paris is marked only by a plain granite
slab. The grave Is in the grounds of the
Convent of the Petit Oicpus, known
through Hugo's Les Miserables,' and in
the cemetery of which convent repose the
bones of nearly 1500 victims of the gull
lotine. buried indiscriminately.
The memorial commission was formed
for the purpose of erecting a monument
to the memory of Lafayette as a twenti-
| eth century tribute from the people oi
| America, to be unveiled with fitting cere-
mony July 4, 1900, and thus grandly cele-
| brate United States Day at the Paris EX-
| position. 1t is estimated that the cost
| will be a quarter of a million dollars.
The movement is expected to have g
! far-reaching effect upon the children ol
! the land. The President, therefore at the
| request of the nationa! committee, asked
| the governors of the States 10 name to-
morrow, the anniversary of the surrender
! of Cornwallis at Yorktown, as Lafayette
| Day" to be observed in every American
| school district In the universities anc
colleges the heads of the institutions have
| been asked 10 appoint committees from
their students to arrange and carry ou
| IL. AvTi= t,a nv H. ra hs
turned over TO the president of the cor
! iege. who will forward it to the treasures
of the Memorial Commission.
| In the higher grades of the public an(
! parochial schools the same general pIar
will prevail. so far as possible. as in tht
| universities and colleges.
In the primary grades and Distric
! schools the children have been asked K
| solicit from their parents or acqUaint
ances small contributions of from l to Il
| cents each. to be given TO their teacher.
| and thence forwarded to the treasurer o
the commission.
President Mckinley was one of the frs
of the high officials of the present Ad
| ministration 10 become interested in The
| undertaking.
The officers of the commission are Hon
| Ferdinand w. Peck commissioner gen.
eral Hon. Alexander H. ReveIl, presi
| dent of the Union League Club of Chi
! cago, vice president; Hon. Charles II
| Dawes. Comptroller of the Currency
| treasurer: Robert J. Thompson of Chica
| go. secretary; William r. Day. ex-Secre
! tary of State: Senator William b. ALI
| son, Edward Everett Hale of Boston
| W, r Harris. United States Commissioner
! of Education; Archbishop Ireland of St
| Paul. Mimi: John w. Mackay presiden
! of the Commercial Cable Company: Mel
Vile f. Stone, and Charles Collier. tn,