Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-11
CRAWFORD's CELEBRITY,
The Morrill, Proposition TO Gid It
Senatorial Fun.
washington Post. 1Oth.)


II the House will agree to a resolution
which passed the Senate yesterday by a
vote of 30 to p, the Statue of Liberty on
the top of the Capitol dome will be Gov
cred with gold
The consideration of the resolution,
which was presented by Senator Morrill,.
was accompanied with some amusing
features-so amusing, in fact, that the
solemn Mr. Pettus the Confucius Of the
Senate, arose to protest against any more
testing on a subject which had been pro-
posed by the venerable and distinguished
Mr.. Morrill,. The introduction Of the
resolution was accompanied by Mr.. Nor
rll with a brief statement ID the effect
that while the statue ought II be ap-
parently a work of art. it was, in fact,
no better than a lump of eoGl. THE
only possible remedy is to have il gilded, -
said Mr.. Morrill,, and he added that the
cost of the necessary gold would be
5000.
As soon as the word gold" fell from
Senator Morrlrs lips the alert Stewart,
of Nevada. who is siversaturated, was
on his feet There was a ripple of laugh
ter i'm the chamber as Mr.. Stewart began
to talk. Under ordinary circumstances, "
said he sit would be quite appropriate
to gid the Goddess of Liberty with gold.
but just now it is particularly appropri-
ate, inasmuch as a portion of the Ameri-
can people have become fetch worship
pers of gold, 1t is the custom Of fetch
worshippers. both ancient and modern
to exhibit in every possible form the god
they adore. The gods of the ancient
were emblazoned on monuments or en-
eraved on works of art. As We have
no other god now but gold. let it be
blazoned on the dome of the Capitol
where all can see whom we worship, and
let every one understand that we wor-
ship nothing else"
CHANDLER WANTS 1T STRIPED.
Mr.. Stewart was so evidently in earnest
that the laughter increased as he pro-
gressed with his speech. and grew 10
general merrment when Mr.. Chandler
suggested that the statue ought to be
striped with gold and silver about half
and half-"given bimetallic decoration"
as he expressed It.
"Why not replace the Goddess of Ii
berty with a statue of the elder Roths-
child?" asked Mr.. Allen. Of Nebraska.
NO" replied Mr.. Stewart, to whom
the question had been addressed If
had my way, l would go further back. l
would put a calf there to represent the
original arrangement"
1t was at this point that Mr.. Pettus
entered his protest against such levity,
and Mr.. Hawley gave the discussion a Sc
rious turn by asking if anybody had ever
heard of a golden statue. 81 have never
even heard" said he "of taking a splen-
did bronze statue and covering it with
gold leaf. Bronze is appropriate and du-
rable, and in every way the right metal
for a statue. / should be very sorry to
see a glaring gold statue on the dome Of
the Capitol. 1 think it is bao taste"
do you think" asked Mr.. Spooner
"that by gliding this statue with gold or
even with silver the Goddess of Liberty
would look any the less like an Indian
than she does now?"
Before Mr. Hawley had time to give
his opinion of the bronze lady Mr.. Nor
rill made another appeal for the trans
formation of the statue from its coal
like appearance. This led Mr.. Gray to
ask. in all seriousness, what the figure
represented
ut is intended to represent Liberty"
responded Mr.. Morrill,.
LOOKS LIKE A SQUAW.
Some think it is an Indian chief OF an
Indian squaw" said Mr.. Gray. Il did
not know what it did represent"
Senator Allen then came forward with
a proposition to rebronze the statue and
thus restore il TO its original appear
ance, but there was some question as to
whether this could be done. 81 think it
could be FURNISHED in some way" said
Mr.. Allen, land thus save the expense OF
the gold leaf"
"Why not take a liberal dose of soap
and sand?" asked Senator Hawley. 'al-
though l am in favor Of voting the
whole thing down."
Mr.. Aliens amendment being defeated,
a yea and nay vote was ordered on the
resolution, and it was passed.