The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-05
WILL NOT CONTEST
MONUMENTS WILL BE ALLOWED IN
FORSYTH PARK.
COMMISSION WILL ACCEDE.
NO EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO Ex-
ERT ITS POWER.

Park and Tree Commission Merely
Considered the Parade Ground Lo-
cation as More Suitable and APP
propriate Than Those Proposed at
the Bull Street Entrance to the
Park-Mr. Theus Is Not Lacking in
Admiration and Respect for Nc
Laws and BartoVv-NO Place in Sa-
vannah Too Good for Memorials
TO Them, but He Believes Parade
Ground Would Be the Best.
THE Park and Tree Commission" said
a member of that body yesterday, could
exert its power and say that the pro-
nosed McLaws and Barlow monuments
must not be placed at the Bull street en-
trance to Forsyth Park, as contemplate ted
in the ordinance passed by the City
council, but it will not do that 1t will
make no contest over the matter, though
II is its opinion that the monuments
would be more suitably and satisfactorily
placed on the parade ground one on
either side of the south entrance to the
park on Hall street"
At the meeting of Council night before
Idsi ii uggestion from the Park and Tree
Commission that the monuments be es-
tablished on the parade ground was read,
but it was received as information. 1t
was this receipt of the suggestion that
induced the member of the commission
to so express himself 1t is evident, from
what he says, that the monument COM
mittee will be allowed to erect the mon
uments upon the locations granted by the
ordinance.
Alderman Thomas said Mr.. s. z.
Theus, secretary of the Park and Tree
Commission, should not have construed
the suggestion that the monuments be
placed on the parade ground as an insn-
uation that Forsyth Park or any location
in Savannah could be too precious or too
sacred as sites for memorials to suen men
as McLaws and Barlow. The sugges-
ton of the Park and Tree Commission
came through me as secretary, and l am
a Confederate Veteran and yield to none
in the love, respect and veneration in
which l hold the memory of the departed
generals. 'r-.
THE suggestion was made merely be-
cause the Park and Tree Commission
concluded that locations on the parade
ground would be better. as the monuments
would show off to greater advantage
there. l understand that they are to
have marble bases, and il is impossible
to properly protect such material with
out a railing about it. If located within
the restricted spaces to either side of the
Bull street entrance in Forsyth Park,
there would not be room enough left for
ratings and the bases of the monu-
ments would be used as seats
and standing places Small boys would
Chamber over them, as they do now over
the Jasper Monument, and their heels,
grinding sand into the marble, would
leave such prints as would deface it. In
the parade ground, however, there is
room to spare, and ratings could readily
be constructed about the monuments for
their protection.
The trees about the Bull street en-
trance to the Park would shade the mon
uments, and they would not show up as
well as if located upon the open parade
ground. Then, too, there are the
sphinxes at the Bull street entrance, and
the juxtapositon could not add to the APP
pearance of the monuments.
Apart from all these, which are ma
terial reasons why in the view of the
commission, the monuments should be on
the parade ground, there is the sentiment
of association. 1t would be but appro-
pirate to erect memorials to such mill
tary heroes upon the military parade
ground. No, there is no place that is too
good for the monuments, but it seems to
the commission that there are some that
would be better than others. The parade
ground seems the best