Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-06-09
A Memorial to Blaine.

The recent editorial comment in the
unfortunate neglect which has pre-
| vented the erection of any fitting me-
| mortal or monument to the late James
G. Blaine has attracted more or less
attention both in this State and be-
yond our borders. Our comment
reached the eye of George Wilfred
Pearce, former Maine man who is
now the financial editor of the New
York Sun, and Mr. Pearce writes us
the readers of the Journal. He sug-
gests that the magnificent building
now being erected at Washington for
the International Bureau of American
republics is in a way memorial to
Mr.. Blaine and has been SO termed by
Mr.. Carnegie, the donor of this splen-
did structure which is to be built in
the interests of the great work with
which Mr.. Blaine was so prominently
people of Maine ought to subscribe for
a Blaine memorial room in that build
ing r room to be furnished with Maine
stone and wood and embellished with
the products of Maine artisans. We
publish below Mr.. Pearce's letter in
full and hope that it will have a care
full reading.
Editors of Kennebec Journal:
Sirs:-The magnificent building for
the International Bureau of American
Republics at Washington is as Mr..
Carnegie the donor thereof states, a
memorial of James G. Blaine. Would
ii not be praiseWorthy for the people
of Maine who appreciate the services
which Blaine rendered to all his coun-
try people to subscribe for fund for
a Blaine memorial room in that build
ing? 1t is understood that a fine
statue of Blaine will be the central
adornment of the grand entrance hall
of the structure. If Maine should
furnish 4 memorial room to honor the
memory of the creator of the Inter-
national Bureau of the American Re
publics, it would be fitting to trim the
room with Maine stone and wood and
embellish it with products by Maine
artisans. and doubtless the desk and
chair and the working library which
Mr. Blaine used in his work at home
could be obtained for placing in the
room.
This is merely the outline of an idea
that occurs to man from Maine who
is in close relations with work that Is
going on in a commercial way with
South American countries, and which
owes its birth to Mr.. Blaine. Mr..
Blaine was statesman whose plans
We're SO broad and so far stretching
that their bounds went far beyond the
span of one life. People yet to be
born will hardly see the full yield
from commercial plans for which the
foundations were laid by Mr.. Blaine.
He was CONSTITUTIONAL engineer of
great undertakings. Many sagacious
men of affairs had no faith in Mr..
Blane's ideas as to relations with our
sister Republics southwark, when he
began his work to promote close re-
lations through commercial treatise.
Blaine's suggestion of Pan -Ameri-
can railway was hooted at by thou
sands of sagacious business men who
regarded the matter as folly. Today
much more than one-half the system
is finished, and every day sees con-
struction going on from the south to
the north. and from the north to the
south within the sister Republics.
Time which tries everything as by |
fire in the refiner's furnace. has purged |
the dross from Blaine's political |
speeches and writings. The fine gold |
of sound patriotism cOnsecrated for
the good of all the people remains
with us and is current everywhere.
His hest years We're lived in an at
mosphere in which all the bad passions
by Civil War, fought on
both sides mainly under false pre-,