The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-17
THAT FREDERrcr STATUE.

We nominate Senator Stewart of Me- vada as orator at the dedication exer- cises on the acceptance of a statue of Frederick the Great The Senator grave iy rehearsed the sarly history of Peter the Great before his colleagues the other day and gave this history as a reason why a statue of Frederick the Great should be, set up in Washington. The Senators listened with gravity, apparent ly, to their venerable colleague as he told of Frederick mingling with the common people of his realm and how he had as youth learned the trade of ship car penter. The Senator had stood in the
 shack" where Frederick had worked at the bench. History is evidently not the Nevada statesmans strong point, but as the old gentleman was but recently mar ried. Senators seemed willing to pardon some confusion of recollection as to the facts in Frederick's career.
 Senator Bacon is displeased with the idea of our accepting at the hands of the Ger man Emperor, a. statue of his illustrious ancestor of the House of Brandenburg. He wants to know what Frederick ever did to justify an American love and ven. eration and he Is anxious to learn by what authority. his image Is to be made to grace or disgrace the grounds of the War College at Washington. It is ru- mored that the Emperor himself is grow ing impatient at the delay in the ship ment of the statue, now securely packed and ready for shipment at the studio of the German sculptor. The authorities at the National Capital may we'll be em- barrassed. The gift was rendered at the time We were all more or less effusive on account of Prince Henrys visit and how ever taken aback-if he is ever taken aback-President Roosevelt must have felt bound to say. "I am delighted"
 We have no statue of a king anywhere in the United States. We think, however, Congress ought to accept the statue or at least in some formal way signify it's pleasure that a government reservation may be used as a site. They ought not to seek embarrassment of the President because he professed himself delighted by the Emperor's gift. The commissioners of the District of Columbia ought not to be used as hiding posts either. Let us accept the Frederick statue, like men. We are not possessed with the horror and dread of kings that distinguishes us in the latter part of the eighteenth cen- tury. One purpose will at least be sub- served. We shall be taught some history and along with the rest Senator Stewart will discover when he begins the prepar- ation of his address, that we are not hon. bring one of the founders of the Russian Empire, but one of the great heroic fig ures of modern times.
 If We set the statue up. we shall not be debarred. in event of scrap with Ger many, from treating 1t as that of George was treated in New York in the Rev. olutionary time. We can topple 1t over. And we suppose, in event of war. that would be its fate. It is to be placed, if present plans are adhered to, on the banks of the Potomac. Bronze cannot be melted into bullets as Georges leaden image was, but bronze Is heavy and the ooze of the Potomac will accept charge to keep if Frederick should ever be con- signed to the river.