Evening star., 1909-05-07
Of the Monument
And Those Who Erected II

The monument representes the poet
seated, with a book in his hand. and has
been erected after twelve years Of hard
work on the part of the LonsfelloW Ma
tional Memorial Association.
The association was formed in this
city. with William Mckinley. then Presi-
dent, as its honorary regent. Grover
Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison, at that
time the only living ex-Presidents. were
on the list of regents. Many of the
original members of the association are
new dead, among these being John Hay,
Secretary of State under Presidents Nc
Kinley and Roosevelt; George F. Hoar,
senator from Massachusetts,: Dr. Henry
c. Potter. protestant Episcopal Bishop of
New York; DIR. John f. Hurst. Methodist
Episcopal Bishop of Washington; DIR.
Swan NJ. Burnett, husband Of the author
of Little Lord Fauntleroy": John w.
Mackay Of New York city. Henry Hitch
cock. st. Louis lawyer; Edward O..
Wolcott, senator from Colorado: William
Preston Johnson Of New Orleans, and
Representative Thomas B. Reed of Port
land Me. The list also contains the
names of Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore,
Seth Low and Andrew Carnegie of New
York city, DR.. Charles w. Eliot, the re-
firing president of Harvard University !;
Robert T. Lincoln Of Chicago, son of the
late President Lincoln: Hoke Smith, for
mer Governor of Georgia; Chief Justice
Fuller and Associate Justice White of
the United States Supreme Court. the
Very Rev. T. ]. Conaty of the Catholic
University of America. William Alvord Of
San Francisco. Prof. Frank H. Bigelow
of the United States weather bureau,
John Joy Edison. Gen. Adolphus w.
Greeley, U. S. A.; Frank w. Hackett,
William T. Harris, United States commits
sioner of education; ex-senator John B.
Henderson, John A. kasson, Thomas Mel
son Page, George r. Stetson and Prof.
Benaiah l.. Whitman, all of Washington;
c. F. Libby of Portland, Me-; Henry Wat
terson Of Louisville and Herbert Welsh
of Philadelphia.
Purpose of the Association.
Brainard H. Warner, treasurer Of the
association. who has given much of his
time to the completion of the myriad
details in connection with the presenta-
tion. said recently:
This association was formed for the
purpose of erecting a statue Of Henry
Wadsworth Longfelow in the capital of
the nation. Washington already con-
tains the statues of more than score
Of eminent citizens, but among them there
is not one which marks distinguished
services rendered to our national litera-
ture. It has been thought by many COM
petent judges that a statue of Longfel-
low placed here would be fitting tribute
both to his fame and to the distinction
which he conferred upon American let
ters. 1t Is grave reproach to us that
while England has been quick to recog
nize his eminence by placing his bust
in Westminster Abbey, our own people
have as yet done little to testify the
affection and pride with which millions
regard one who is beyond all others the
poet of the American home and fireside
1,{1 x1,As-< ~
the claim of Longfellow to the title of our
greatest poet there are. on the other
hand, few who would not place him as
second only to some more favored name.
No one of our poets has been translated
into so many modern languages, and no
one has ever so beautifully illustrated
the earlier phases of our national life as
the author of Hiawatha.' of .Evangeline'
and of The Courtship of Miles Standish.'
Many of his poems have become in a
measure, part of our household speech: !:
the best aspects of our social and. reli-
giOus life have through his works been
made familiar to the world while Amer
lean patriotism has been powerfully stim-
ulated by the lines with which every
child Is familiar addressed to The Ship
of State II, in addition to this. we re-
member that SO gracious and engaging a
personality, SO complete and beautiful a
life have rarely, If ever, graced the lit
erature of any nation, we may we'll con-
CluQe tHdt 10 place a tasting memorial 10
Longfellow in the city which belongs to
all our people and to which they send
their representatives to make their laws
is to furnish both a true inspiration to
our highest ideals of citizenship and a
testimony to the achievements which we
value most"
Many Difficulties Overcome.
Gen. Greedy. secretary OF the Longfel-
low National Memorial Association, said
recently:
'.This project of erecting a statue to
Longfellow has been under way SO long
and so many difficulties have attended its
completion. that every one is gratified
that the National capital has. at last, OBJ
tanned a most creditable work of art.
which will be dedicated to Americas s
greatest poet whose words and influence