Evening star., 1901-11-18
Mckinley Memorials.

The request of the Canton Memorial AS
sociation that the Washington Mckinney
Arch Association suspend operations until
one and half million dollars or even haIf
that sum has been raised by popular SUD-
scription for the Canton monument, Is OBJ
viously in inevitable effect a request that
the project Of erecting a Mckinley arch
by popular subscription at the national
capital be abandoned. The time within
which public sentiment responds to ap-
peaIs for memorial subscriptions Is limited.
and the Washington project, IL 1t should
sleep until the date suggested, would either
never awaken or would awake only to
starve.
The theory of the people of Washington
has been that the nation would by popular
subscription raise two monuments to Nc
KinIey. one marking his grave at Canton,
the other commemorating his life at the
national capital. the one a mausoleum, the
other a memorial.
The reasonable method of avoiding in
furious friction between the two projects
and the death Of either Is to coa1esce them,
by agreeing, for instance, that the Ohio
subscriptions shall go exclusively to Can
ton, the District of Columbia subscriptions
exclusively to the capital, and that ma
tional subscriptions obtained by the CO.
operation of the machinery of the two or
Plantations shall be divided between the
two associations on an agreed basis By
this arrangement McKinley's memory
would be honored by two distinctive me-
MORALS instead of one. the Washington
project would profit by the untiring labors
of an influential group of the ex-President's
intimate friends and the Canton project
would utilize the national machinery pre-
pared and the national sentiment aroused
by the Washington organization, and would
fasten to the Canton movement and enroll
among the contributors to 1t that consider
able body of citizens who think that one
of the peoples memorials at least should
be placed where 1t will be seen by the
people in the peoples city, teaching to all
Americans the lesson of McKinley's life,
and keeping alive In public memory the
man whom all delight to honor. These
citizens while desirous of erecting a suit
able and impressive mausoleum at the ex-
Presidents grave would view the location
of a Mckinley monument exclusively at
Canton a burial of the peoples me-
mortal along with the ex-President's re-
mains. and with these Americans the con-
junction of the Washington and Canton
projects would inure largely to the benefit
OF the latter.
operate in the manner suggested and the
only question before the Washington COM
nittee is ITO be or not to be-" the framing
of the proper answer involves painful en-
barrassments and difficulties.
To abandon the project means bitter dis
appointment and waste of energy, time and
money already expended here and at the
instance of the Washington Association in
various parts of the country, in further
ance of the Mckinley Arch. 1t means that
there will be no Mckinley memorial at the
capital until Congress thus honors the ex-
President in company with Lincoln.
On the other hand to push ahead with
the project in the face of antagonism from
the powerful Canton organization and in
spite of the latter's representation that the
success of the Canton project would be
thereby endangered would cause the local
workers in difficult and unselfish labor of
love to be rewarded with abuse and threats.
The prospect before them would be that
of struggle. as it were, over McKinley's
grave, resulting In comparative failure for
their own effort, and possible failure for
the Canton project. thus honoring McKin-
ley. not with two memorials. but with none
at all that would be worthy and credit
able.
The two associations should get together.
The impulse TO Do so should be felt on
both sides. The responsibility of killing
either the Canton or the Washington
project IS not one to be borne comfortably
by anybody.
If the result of the discussion is denial
of the honor to the ex-President's memory
of an arch erected by popular subscription
at the national capital and the relegation
of the arch project TO the tender mercies
of Congress. those who bring about this re-
suit should feel some responsibility resting
upon them to cause Congress to act favor
ably in the matter. 1t would be a debt
owed by them to the memory of William
Mckinley.