Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-04-10
Names for the Hall Of Fame.

beaut1ful temple Nilch d y"
woman's generosity and public spirit
is 10 erect on the bank of the Hudson
If Is the plan to inscribe at once the
name and deeds of the 50 most famous
Americans in all walks of life,
and $50 more at intervals dur
ing the coming century, 50
that all Of the 200 panels shall be
filed in at the end of the Goth century.
The iudges 100 in number, shall select
only the names of native-born Ameri-
cans and the name of no person IVY no
has not been dead at least 10 years.
The temple or hall itself is to be a part
Of New York University. but to be
strictly national in character. Its
erection is assured and however one
may look upon the proposition it is at
least a matter Of no little interest to
assist the judges, eminent men. wisely
and fairly chosen, in their selections.
The first 80 names to be inscribed at
once will naturally be the so greatest
Americans. men of the past genera
tions whose fame is secure in history.
Who will they be? Few indeed will
he furnished by New York, the home
of the Hall of Fame, for that city and
state have furnished but a small num-
Der of our great Americans. Assum-
ing. as is fair that the judges will ac-
cept and not try to correct history,
New England and Virginia will
monopolize at least two-thirds of these
first 80 inches 1t is a simple task to
record the worlds judgment on large
part of these For instance, who
would question this list of great
American statesmen. soldiers ana
sailors: George Washington, Andrew
Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant. Thomas
.Je fferson John Adams, Samuel Adams.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison.
James Monroe. John Quincy Adams,
John c. Calhoun, Daniel Webster.
Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln, Lieut..
Gen. Winfield Scott. Gen. William
r. Sherman, Gen. Philip II. Sheridan,
Gen. Robert T.. Lee, Lieut. Gen.
Thomas ]. (StoncwalD Jackson, and
Admiral David G. Farragut. There
| have been other great statesmen ana
soldiers and sailors but it would be
| difficult To include more IF them in the
| first - names and give a fair repre-
| scntation to literature. science or the
other lines. benjamin Franklin, of
course. would be one Of the first names
chosen ana he would rank both as Il
statesman and a scientist.
Turning to literature not one of
these names could be disputed: Ralph
| Waldo Emerson. Henry w. LongfelloW,
| Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen
Poe. John G. Whittier. William Cullen
| Bryant, Washington Irving. james
Russell Lowell, ana Oliver Wendell
| Holmes All of these but Irving were
New England born. Others as Cooper,
Stowe. Thoreau. Bancroft Prescott and
Motley. all New England born but
Cooper. would be urged, but would
probably not be selected among the
first 50, though all would be named
later in the roll of greatest Americans.
1t Is to be remembered that only thos
who have been dead 10 years can be
considered for present selection. As
to the orators, editors, teachers and
philanthropists these names are sug-
gested: Jonathan Edwards, Patrick
Henry, Peter Cooper, George Peabody,
Horace Greeley. Theodore Parker
William Garrison, Wendell Phillips and
Henry Ward Beecher Roger Williams
may be entitled to a place in this
, class. Notwithstanding his foreign
Charming, Horace Mann, Thomas
Gallaudet, Edward Everett and James
Otis will, no doubt, receive attention
ana John Browns name is certain t.
l excite discussion. Almost all of thes,
+ are Of New England birth. AS to the
inventors. nobody could dispute the
l b. Morse, while Eli Whitney, Cyrus
: Mccormick and Elias Howe would b
considered. In science besides Frank
: lin. Audubon. the naturalist and Dana
the geoogist, will be mentioned bu
are not likely to be placed among th'
first 50. In sculpture and painting ",
| how ri al
Powers and Richardson, but agaii
none of these are likely to he selected
among the first 50 names. And Of Ou
= song writer's. surely Francis Scot
A Key and John Howard Payne vii
: come in later if not now. And thert
II are other names in all these lines tina
win quickly suggest themselves. bu
the 40 mentioned above are PRACTICAL.