Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-22
Roosevelt to the Rescue!

The question is still unanswered as to
who is responsible for placing the site
OF the Grant monument in the unworthy
position given II in the Botanic Gar
den. more unfit site could not possibly
have been selected. The Botanic Gar
den occupies the lowest ground in the
city; scarcely above tide-water level. 1t
Is built over the bed of Tiber creek, the
waters of which still percolate through
the ground 1t required the enormous
amount of 100000 carloads of filing of
stone and earth to raise the surface
above water level. A large portion of
this material was used in the task of
filling a seemingly bottomless qucksand.
AS often as success in its mastery APP
peared to have been attained a collapse
would occur in the filing overhead. and
the work would have to be gone over
again And even now this quicksand Is
an eve--threatening danger should any
great weight be placed over it like that
of the ponderous Grant monument
Who then is responsible for placing the
site of this monument in a swamp, over
Q bottomless morass? All the other statues
and memorials of our great soldiers and
statesmen have been placed on high
ground In conspicuous positions. with one
singular exception. The statue Of Gen.
Rawlins. Gen. Grants close friend and
most sagacious adviser, Is placed on low
swampy ground Tin front of Center Mar
keD similar to that proposed for the me-
mortal to his great chief. There is
certain fitness. therefore, in placing in
companionship on the same low level the
memorials of the two friends.
no hon u,I,a
guilty of this indignity to a great SOL
dier?
The park commissioners have no ad-
miration for trees and are without SEN
timent in the matter. They care nothing
for Grant or the trees. They would
cheerfuily put the Grant monument In
sunken garden or at the bottom of the
sea If they could thereby get control of
the Botanic grounds and be enabled to
go on with their work of laying a track
OF desolation sixteen hundred feet wide
from the Capitol to the river. as bare
and as hot as the Desert of Sahara, in
order that they might create a Grand
Vista. askew to everything. But they
have no authority to do anything in this
line of destruction and have to work by
indfrectiOn for the accomplishment Of
their purpose. They have sought to use
the Grant monument commission as a
catspaw to pull their chestnuts from the
ire
The monument commissioners may have
no more love for trees than the park
commissioners: but they are supposed to
have some respect for the memory Of Gen.
Grant that would prevent them from
placing his monument In this ignominious
position.
And what apology has Col. Bromwel
who. as superintendent of public build
ings and grounds. Is charged with the
proper care of the noble trees in the
parks. to make for his betrayal Of his
trust In indorsing the action Of the tree
butchers?
President Roosevelt has done a great
public service In calling a halt upon this
work of devastation, thereby saving the
country from the shame Of having per-
United the monument of the great soldier
1t honors to be placed In this degraded
and humiiiating position.
The monument commission have also
reason to be grateful to the President for
enabling them to repair their terrible
error and thus escape the storm of pub
lie indignation that would surely have
been poured upon them when 1t was
known that they had been parties impli-
Gated In this act of indignity toward Gen.
Grant. The only course open to them
now as honorable men is to beat a prompt
retreat from the Botanic Garden and
seek more fitting site for the Grant
memorial.