Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-20
Meeting in the Interest Of Proposed
Paris Monument.
UNDER AUSPICES Of LOCAL SOCIETIES
Utterance of Senator Mason Excites
Displeasure in Audience.
QUICK RE L o r T

ty, and his career as q soldier-Iin fact, La
fayette in every phase of his life and work
was the theme of distinguished speakers
last night at the meeting held in Columbia
Theater for the purpose of indorsing the
movement to commemorate the memory of
the French champion of the United States
by the erection of monument. The meet
ing was under the auspices Of the Sons of
the American Revolution and the Sons of
the Revolution, and was a noteworthy
The monument to Lafayette
will be unveiled July 4, 1900, which will be
United States day at the Paris exposition.
Senator William E. Mason was the last
speaker of the evening, and in the course Of
his remarks he took occasion to say:
Hungary had her Lafayette, Poland had
her Lafayette, the United States had her
Lafayette and the Philippine Islands will
have a Lafayette"
The senator was Interrupted by Kisses and
applause, the evidences of disapproval pre-
He was not feazed, however,
and quickly added:
To my friends in the audience who
choose to applaud by the method geese and
snakes indulge in I would quote one Of
Lincoln's doctrines, that No man is good
enough to govern another without his con-
sent. L am with Lincoln
The incident quickly passed and was soon
forgotten in the applause Senator Mason's
patriotic utterances provoked.
MIR. Chaplin Brown Presides.
When the exercises of the evening were
opened every seat in the playhouse was
occupied and hundreds of persons were
standing. Mr.. E. 3. Hay was director of
ceremonies and introduced Mr.. Chaplin
Brown, who presided. Seated upon the
stage were the following:
Mr.. Donald Mclean, Mr. Ffoulke, Mr..
B. B. Wilson, Mr.. Gaillard Hunt General
R1tclpllpr Rowland.
Mr.. e. B. Hay, Major Green Clay Goodloe,
Mr.. Marsh, president Mayfiower Society;
Mr.. .Hardie, secretary Society Of Colonial
Wars; Mr.. H. Randall Webb. DIR. Marcus
Benjamin, DR.. II. L. E. johnson, Mr.. f.
NJ. Padelford, Mr. Frederic May, Mr.. Chas.
Early, Mr.. Barry Bulkley, special represen-
tative Lafayette commission; Mr.. Robert j.
Thompson, secretary Lafayette commits
sion; DR.. John w. Buckley, Rev d. J.
Stafford. Mr.. Henry May, chairman; Adj
miral James A. Greer, Mr.. William H.
Pearce, Mr.. John Paul Earnest, Mr.. Fran
els E. Leupp; Mr.. Charles S. Taintor, Sur
geon General Walter Wyman, Mr.. w. NJ.
Vanhorn, Mr.. ]. A. Sample, Mr.. Cazenove
G. Lee and Mr.. Chaplin Brown.
DIR. d. ]. Stafford offered up the invoca-
ton, praying fervently that liberty might
be granted the whole world. "Give lib
erty.' he said, ito Italy, the sunny land of
art; give liberty to Cuba, to Porto Rico,
the Philippines, to our struggling sister re-
public, France; to Ireland Give liberty, oh,
God. to all the earth Teach US to love
those who have struggled for liberty, the
heroes of liberty. God bless our dearly be-
loved America, the home of liberty and the
country of man. God grant His blessing to
the President, to the members of his cab
met, to the members of Congress, the mem
bers of the Supreme tribunal, the governors
of the states and territories and the Com
m;ssioners of the District Of Columbia
The Object Stated.
Mr.. Brown then stated briefly the object
Of the meeting, saying:
I'VE Americans of today, lost, as we
needs must be, in contemplating the mar
velous successes of our arms by land and
by sea, enthused by the feats of daring and
bravery so characteristic of the grand old
Anglo-SaxOn race, should not forget, in ad-
miration of the valor of our soldiers and
seamen, the men who have made possible
this grand republic of ours. All honor, /
say, to the heroes of today who, with in
dependence as their priceless possession,
have been able by their proWess to give
that same boon to those who have borne
so long the yoke of tyranny; all honor to
the heroes who have advanced. and will
still further advance, our starry standard
until the benetfcent influence of American
civilization is extended even to the be-
nighted people of the far distant Philip
pines. But while paying due homage to
them, let US not forget to take d RETROSPECT
tive view, and let us not forget, in the par
donable turbulence of our enthusiasm, the
men OF rs.
I'VE are gathered here to testify by our
presence our Endorsement of the project
that has for its idea the erection, dedica-
ton and unwilling of monument to Gen
Lafayette at Paris, France, on the Fourth
of July, in the year 1900.
The ChiIdren's Part.
ut was indeed a fortunate inspiration of
Mr.. Robert j. Thompson, the secretary of
the Lafayette commission, that the children
of America, in all the public schools of our
land, have been given an opportunity to
subscribe to this memorial to Gen. La
fayette, and equally happy is that inspira-
ton that presents to the Sons and Daugh-
tiers of the Revolution the opportunity to
assist the young people in their laudable
work. There is not one of us here tonight
whether or not it will be his privilege to
attend the grand exposition at Paris who
will not be grateful for the opportunity
given us of aiding in some way, by pres
ence or by voice, project so praiseworthy
SO Christian-like-may l be permitted to
say?-relisious, and SO ennobling.
While Mr.. Thompson first suggested this
movement, yet 1t has received the indorse-
ment of our honored President of the
United States, of the United States Senate,
of the House committee on foreign reia-
tons, of forty-one state executives by
proclamation, as well as of our commits
sioner to the Paris exposition, Mr.. Peck
and has been accepted by the French gov
ernmcnt with gratitude, and that nation
has granted site in the famous Tuileries
Garden for its location.
we are also told that it will be an
American monument built by American
funds, an American sculptor and American
workmanship. And well it may be. The
bones of Lafayette and his wife lie buried
in an obscure cemetery in Paris, wherein
reDose those of about 800 victims of the
guillotine. The duty of Americans is plain
The bones of that brave Frenchman can
have no more fitting place to lie than under
a monument erected by the descendants of
those patriots whose land he fought to
free"
Mr. Brown paid a glowing tribute to the
character Of Lafayette, saying that reared
IN luxury he feared no priVation: rich in
the worlds goods, he gave freely, and with
a devotion to liberty he risked his life's
blood in the cause of American independ-
ence. Washington loved him as a SON, and
there has never been a foreigner whom
Americans have more warmly admired, nor
statesman who has held more uninter-
ruptedly the respect and admiration of his
own race.
Secretary ThOmpsOn's Remarks,
Mr.. I.obert j. Thompson of Chicago, sec
rotary of the Lafayette memorial commits
sion, was introduced. He spoke briefly but
fervently of Lafayette, completely enrap-
turing the audience and calling forth by his