Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-14
OLUMBUS' MEMORY
Suggestion That Statue Be
Erected in Washington.
REASONS ASSIGN ED
ADDRESS BY PROF. MONAGHAN
AT KNIGHTS BARBECUE.
Large Assemblage Last Night in Grove
Near Nineteenth Street and
Benning Road.
REASONS ASSIGNED

lor6 the evening had passed from twelve
to fifteen hundred of the knights and their
friends had passed the gates. Much prep
aration had been made for the entertain
ment. and when the guests arrived, about
o'clock they found a huge OK
charcoal fire in preparatory stage for the
feast and plenty to drink also on hand
| The affair was in direct charge of Mr. A.
D. Wilkinson and an able corps of assist
ants, who did all in their power to further
the general enjoyment. Prof. Maurice Joyce
was on hand and entertained the audience,
after the speechmaking. by exhibitions OF
tight rope walking, which were roundly ap
plauded.
Promptly at $50 o'clock Mr.. Wilkinson
walked to the center of the stand, upon
which Feringers band Of this city was
seated, and addressed the knights assem-
bled, saying: I'VE have gathered this
evening to try to impress upon you the
good that can be found within the order of
the Knights of Columbus. We want you
to do your level best to build up the order
and make 1t the greatest body of Catholic
laymen in the District of Columbia
Mr.. Wilkinson then went on to explain
the need of repairs upon the building now
occupied by the knights. their head
quarters, and declared that soon the
ganzation will give a fair to raise the
money required. He closed his remarks by
thanking Mr.. Keane for the use of the
for the entertainment of the knights.
Prof. Monaghan's Address.
The next speaker, Prof J. c. Monaghan
of the Department of Commerce and Labor,
was then introduced by Mr.. Wilkinson.
Prof. Monaghan said In part:
Not long ago where you all stand was
the hunting ground of a race of people with
a skin of reddish hue. Here lived another
peODle. Here the Indian hunter
and slaughtered his game. Here the In
dian lover sought the dusky maiden Of his
choice and never gave up till he won her.
To this country came the seeds of life and
death, the first for you and the other for
the native. How miserable is man when
the foot of the oppressor is his neck
We have simply to look to the first inhabi-
tant of this continent and see the truth of
the statement. See how the noble red man
has gone down."
This much. ladies and gentlemen, by
way of Introduction.
knights of Columbus the discoyerer Of
the country has had no monument erected
here, no monument commensurate with his
fame, with our wealth or standing as q
nation. Some one has said republics are
ungrateful. 1t is lie; we know that, but
In the case of Columbus we have been heed
less, careless. 1t is time to do justice while
the capital stands, and with Gods help it
Will stand while man needs it. The fame
of our first President, the Father of His
Country, is safe. The splendid shaft over
near the White House was not needed
Still, as 1t is there, let it stand Nor does
Columbus need one 1t Is we that need to
DO it, not only to wipe out the stigma of
fngratitude, but for the practice of this
great virtue. 1 hope to see a monument
here somewhere near the Capitol in the
most conspicuous spot, possibly In the
foreground of the new station, telling the
world that the land of Washington Is
worthy of Washington and Of Columbus
You will ask me to name the sculptor
/ hesitate. Why? Not because l cannot
name great many. We have great men
men in whom the fires of freedom burn
Let them try-let them work together Let
all our leading sculptors participate Let
it be work of the north. the south. the
east and the west. Let it be work of the
world, If you will Let the monument he
entirely national at least I wish IT were
possible to make 1t stand for the CONT
nent. Canada will erect her own at Hall
fax, Quebec or Montreal. South and Cen
trail America have monuments.
Tribute to President Roosevelt.
when the first stone is laid let the hand
of a man much like Columbus put 1t there
the man who Is at the head of our govern
ment President Roosevelt The deed will
be worthy of the man: the man worthy of
the deed.
1T is time, ladies and gentlemen, that
this was done. The world expects It, The
world has long wondered at our seeming
iANoAN~N' A'"'J puAtNIhS up liS republic,
shaping its destiny against dangers, we
have had little or no time to think of CO.
lumbus. But now, when we measure our
wealth by billions; when our population is
nearly 1O0O00,O00; when the temple of free
dom is buttressed four square against
everything on earth except the purposes of
God-we turn to this, not as to a task but
as to pleasant duty. laid aside in the past
for q day and hour like this.
las to It's form. I have no suggestion
Leave that to the artists Surely their sue
cesses in the past are a guarantee of sue
cess. Only this / ask and urge-make 1t
not only worthy of him, but worthy of our
selves. Give the artists large room; they
will do the rest.
What shall it stand for? Not for Column
bus, alone. That We're not enough Nor ia
that what Columbus would want or ask
Let II stand, first. for our desire to do JUS
tice-to let the world see that republics are
not ungrateful; that they know how to re-
ward merit. AS the pilgrims to Mt. Yer
non, to Washington, come in and go out
they will carry away with them the lessons
of two great lives-the life of Washington
and the life of Columbus, BY and by we
will add the life of Lincoln in a fitting
shaft. II is the lives of such men that the
nation needs-lives devoted to duty, to
noble ideals and high purposes. Put 1t up.
then, high on "a hill or on a wide placed
square. Let It speak to the world of our
willingness to do justice, our purpose to be
honest and fair.
when / was a teacher In Wisconsin I
Norwegian, who had devoted half hun
dred years to proving that the Danes. I'M
der Left, son of Eric. had discovered this
country. He based his belief on certain
analogies that he was sure were irresistible.
| Examination revealed whole world of big
books written to prove that If the Dane
didn't do It. the Chinese did-everybody,
anybody. only not the one who actually did
| do tt-Columbus.
Fascinated with the analogical reason
| ing OF Andersen and the others. took up
| the one delightful task of proving-why
ot?-that this country was discovered by
| the Irish. Follow my most marvellous anal
| ogies.
Pays Visit to Iceland.
by way Of preface let me say that Left,
| Prof. Andersen being my authority visited
| Iceland before he set out In his famous trip
| to Vineland. He went thither to see his
| father, Eric. who was in exile. From him
he learned that lot OF old Icelandic
| monks. many of whom were Irish, had a
| legend of a land to the west to which they
gave the poetic name of Vim or vineland.
| As the tale was told some Irish monks had
| gone thither years before Now, as q mat
| ter of historic fact, let II be noted that Ice