The sun., 1901-09-26
USE OF MONUMENTS.

Suuuestious for the erection of monu
ments to the memory of President Me-
Ninles have been numerous. They are
SIN coming. Ii is fair to assume that II
each of these suggestions cuminatc III
the erection Of 4 monument. there viii l'a
more Mckinley monuments in this cour.
try than have been erected to the mrn-
ory of any other American citizen. 1t is
easily understood thut these many sng
geStionS are the outcome Of transitoiA
spasms of emotion, and will come to n"tn
ing Of any Importance. There is the ruh
These violent spaslnS of emotion which
temporarily eXnlt public character ma!
be credtahe to Il people judged in tll"
aggregate. hut the monuments in which
some Of them culmnate are not credit
able either 10 the man whose memory is
to he perpetuutcd or to the people whu
raise them. These monuments are fail.
urcs. They serve no good purpose Z.
ccpt aS warningS-rNamplcs failures
that should not he repeated. Monument
building is something in which the will
cannot be taken for the ,lred. The monu
mcnts last too long ana are too easily
outgrown. We think there are some such
memorials in Delaware The primary
Ilsr Of il monument. il is readily concrd-
ed. is to commemorate some life, or no
table deed, or mark some historic locality
There are still other uses y tablet upNl
,-,ll 81 ~ ,,,,pll., Nm, a Mi. #
rough rock fills. or could fill the use,
Of marking localities or recording tltc
berth and death of the individual whose
lif, was worth it; hut Il monument SHOULD
should express Il noble sentiment gnn-
erously and beautifully. Ii ought to i,
that in honor of the man or thing com
m"morated, If they are 1t all worthy u
monuments should. iii size and style. fiji
into the scene of which their sites are t
pait-should add to rather than De
tract from the picturrslurncss OF tht
carry with them and express the est
mate of their builders, of the event Q
life rommenoruted. These estimates, \
is attrSted by current memorials, are fru
qnently far from creditabe Franklin
tomb might he cited as an instance.
is only fair to suy that the memorials I
Dciawares great dead do not expire.
amy adequate estimate Of the Incl
.ney are tomb stones that simply mar
burial places That Is not the purpose d
monuments hunoring i state or Il nation.
dead. These ought to he apart frol
graves and gravey8rS fhcy need to Il
heroic figures or towering shafts. I'LL
form und material Should H. iii harmon.
and the monument should he both hen,
ttu aud impressive. such moinlmcnr
hcauiiy the scene Of which they becoli
Il part. Fhat Is good usc. They "
only carry impressive hcaS vf the pcrst
"r thing c",nmrmoratrd, but also cam
and express crrditablr IDEAS of the
builders estimate Of the person u thin
commcmuratrd. also Of their lihrrali
aud taste, and Knowledge iii ant No
umrnts that are cheap mul prrtcntiou
that ar not beautiful and mprrssi
enough. ~ THAI arc 20 badly placed
mol tn compel respect and care for thci
art NJ ~ use are ~ no credit To L
pcoplc erecting them or anon- whd
they nrc erected. Monuments should
expressive If tie art sense Of the poop
Of lhcir patriotism and yiyir Spirit shar
teach thr generations 10 rNalt thr i
tion's llrror~, and give postrrity nrrt
able impression ii the men ana age Of /
monument builders