The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-15

that he knew old Captain Reid person. | ally.
 But Colonel Gardiner also says, which | Is very much more to the point, that as | the law stands now. there Is no excuse | for the graves being unmarked; that the State Legislature, If 1t is asked, Is bound to place at least a headstone to mark the grave of every veteran of the Civil | War or the Second War with Great | Britain.
 "Of course, in the case of a man of such brilliant service as Captain Reid they generally do more; bill asking for an appropriation for suitable monu- ment. But to have the grave properly marked, all you've got to do is to me- moralize the Legislature"
 | As for bills. as a matter of fact, bills have been introduced and abortive at l tempts have been made to get both the I State and the National authorities to | make appropriations for a suitable mon ument for Captain Reid. In January, 1899, William l.. Sandford representing | the First Assembly District of Kings, in- troduced a bill asking for the passage of | "an act to assist fin the erection of q
 monument and statue to the memory of
 the late Captain Samuel Chester Reid
 and providing for payment thereof" The
 bill was read once and referred to the | Committee on Ways and Means" | And on February 2S. 1900, Senator De- pew introduced in the Senate of the | United States "a bill to assist in the cree | ton of a monument and statue to the memory of the late Captain Samuel Ches-
 ter Reid" This bill was Tread twice and
 referred to the Committee on Library. '"
 Both bills failed.
 The two bills are practically identical: l . SI,.r .,Ir IL. no1
 ito be expended by theF Captain Samuel Chester Reid Association of the State of | New York. to assist in the erection in | Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, in the State of New York over the remains of Captain Samuel Reid, who designed the present American flag, of a monument to his memory, surmounted by life size stature in bronze, with appropriate inscriptions to commemorate his illustrt- ous. patriotic public services during the War of 1872 and subsequently. : 2 The sum to be paid to the association aforesaid, under order of the Secretary of the Navy when he is satisfied that a similar amount has been otherwise pro- vided.'
 Which being interpreted means that the Samuel Chester Reid Association un- dertook to raise 5000 if the State or ma ton would give it 5000 more, and erect herewith a suitable monument at a cost of $10,000. Mir. Depew frankly knows nothing about the bill except that he in- troduced it and that it didn't pass. He does not know who sent 1t to him, who instigated 1t, and has no memoranda on the subject MT. Sanfords memory is rather better-or, perchance he has less to remember. He says that at the time he introduced the bill at Albany there was considerable outcry against the waste of public moneys in the erecting of public monuments, and that the message con- sequently failed. The Samuel Chester Reid Memorial Association is mainly, or at least most actively Captain James Webb. well known politically and in Grand Army circles in Brooklyn.
 It seems as if there were some truth in a note from q high official of the National Society of the War of 1872. who writes: T am much interested in your letter and have forwarded it to ths Pres ldent General. I am mortified to admit,