The National tribune., 1909-09-16
The Maine Monument.

The Maine Monument.
Ringing resolutions indorsing the pa
triotic project of erecting monument
to the dead of the American battleshir
Maine were adopted by unanimous vote
of the 24tn Annual NATIONAL Encamp-
ment of the Union Veteran Legion, held
in this city last week.
There was q whirlwind of applause
when the resolutions were read, not
only indorsing the efforts of the Maine
Memorial Association to erect the pro
posed monument in Washington. but
urging the Government to raise the
wreck of the Maine from the mud OF
Havana Harbor and give the uncoffined
American sailors honorable burial un-
der the Stars and Stripes in their own
country.
The Importance of this matter was
brought to focus at the session of the
Encampment Wednesday afternoon
Sept. s, when John McElroy, editor Of
The National Tribune. and Mrs 1sabe
Worrell Ball, Past National Officer OF
the Woman's Relief Corps and a mem
ber of the Maine Monument Association
appeared before the Encampment as
representatives of tee Maine Memorial
Association of which they are leading
members. They both spoke fervently in
favor of the projected memorial, their
addresses being frequently interrupted
by outbursts Of hearty soldier applause.
John McElroy eloquently told the
story of the Maine, and related how her
crew of American sailors and marines
while peacefully sleeping under the
southern stars of tropical night. had
been suddenly hurled into eternity by
the destruction of their ship. He urged
the gallant veterans of the Union Vet
eran Legion and kindred organizations
to lend thsaHassistance to the patriotic
Mrs. Ball called upon the veterans to
help rear the monument to the sailor
boys of 1898, who went down to their
deaths in the muddy depths of the har-
Dor of Havana. She said the patriotic
women of the land will do their share
of the labor of love.
On the following day the Encamp-
ment by unanimous vote adopted the
ringing resolutions which were intro
duced by Corp1 James Tanner, Past
Commander of the Union Veteran Le-
gion and Past Commander-in-Chief of
the Grand Army Of the Republic. Their
adoption was accompanied by thunders
of applause.
The Resolutions.
The resolutions are as follows:
Resolved, That the Union Veteran
Legion are in full sympathy with the
desire of those citizens comprising the
Maine Monument Association in theiI
efforts to have a monument erected ir
our National Capital to the memory OF
our sailors who went to their death in
the waters of the harbor of Havana
consequent upon the wreck of the
Maine
Resolved, That We contemplate with
unqualified shame, humiliation and hor
ror the fact that for more than IL years
the wreck of the Maine has been per-
T1itfpd tn remain nartial1v S1hmprpp0
in the mud of Havana Harbor, its shat
tered hulk the only coffin afforded the
remains of IS gallant defenders of the
Flag of our Nation, a continual re-
proach to every citizen of the Republic
exposing the American character to the
scorn and contempt of the civilized
world.
Resolved, That we express these our
sentiments, fully aware of the fact tina
it is whispered in certain circles tha
we had better not raise the wreck OF
the Maine for fear that such action
might develop the fact that the expIo-
sion which destroyed her came from
within, and thus relieve the Spanish
character from the heavy Indictment
now resting against il, based upon an
opposite belief, and thus demonstrating
10 the minds of some that we had not
sufficient warrant for our declaration OF
war against Spain in 1898. To this we
respond: Let the truth be known II
the fact shall be thus proven that the
explosion came from within, then an
other fact stands forth in the knowl
edge of the world at large, that in God!
high Court of Justice it has been fully
established that by Spanish misrule il
Cuba and in the Philippines. by thei
denial of the most inherent rights O.
man, thru long years of rapine and de
bauchery and by reasons of thousand!
upon thousands of murders, Spain had
nile6 the in foh
ranting US in wiping them from the
face of the earth.
Resolved, That we ask the press o.
the country, the mightiest engine within
our borders for the redress of existing
wrongs, 10 rouse the public conscienc,
On this matter to the end that our jus
demands may be brought to success
ful termination, unhesitatingly declar
ing that in our opinion any NatioI
which does not afford honorable burial
wherever feasible, to those of its son!
who go to death under its Flag does no
deserve to have defenders when it is in
peril. We demand that the wreck O
the Maine be removed from Havan;
Harbor and the bones of our BOYS who
went to death with her be brought bacl
and given honorable interment il
American soil beneath the Flag the.
died under.
Resolved, That copies of these reso
lutions be furnished the press at once
and that copies properly attested b.
the National Commander and the Ad
1utant-General be addressed to tn
President and to each member Of tn
Cabinet"
Business Session.
The Path Encampment of the Uniol
Veteran Legion was called to order tn
forenoon of Wednesday, Sept. s, in tn
auditorium of the Arlington Hotel b
National Commander Thomas J. Shan
non. The roll call by AdJt-Gen. o. T
Hallam showed an attendance of NOR
than zoo delegates The opening pray
er was by William II. Wormersley
Chaplain of Encampment So, of Wash
3ngton, ID. G..
Seated on the platform were the fol
lowing National officers: Thos. ]. Shan
non, National Commander; o. p. Hal
lam, Adjutant-General, Washington, L
C; Henry Sanford. Assistant Adjutant
General, Washington, ID. c.; Ben. L
Miner, Quartermaster-G General, Indian
apolis, Ind; j. s. Du Shane, Senior Vic
National Commander, New Castle Pa
w. y. Simpson, Junior Vice Nationa
Commander, Camden, n. J.; C. II. CARD
s1er, Surgeon-General. Philadelphia, Pa
Rev. y. III. Holmes. ID. D., Chaplain-iI
Chief, Pittsburg, Pa; Levi Bird DUFF
Judge-Adyocate-Gene Pittsburg Pa
alias w. Beach, Chief of Staff, Buffalo
~. Y; w. p. Griffith, Chief Musterin
Officer, New York, n. Y: George y
Elstum, Inspector-GeneraL Cincinnati