Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-07-28

This is about the vision of this con-
struetiye Grand Army man: He would
haev bull on each side OF the histor-
ic old entrance small granite struct-
IRE with heavy arch reaching from
one building over to the other; and,
standing on the keystone of the arch,
a life-size statue of the typical boy
soldier once in camp there, guarding
the entrance. He would have proper
" placed, inscriptions telling about the
camp as a place of rendezvous for
Wisconsin, soldiers and a tone time a
place N9r the dentention of confeder-
ate prisoners. in the small buildings
supporting the arch he would have the
memorial tablets placed, which are
now being paid for by the towns of
Dane county and bearing the names
of their soldier dead He would. too,
like to see in one of them the names,
on bronze tablet, of every student
der He would put into some suitable
repository in this structure a his
tory Of Camp Randall, record of
the names of all the men of all the
regiments stationed there at some
time during the war. the names Of
both union and confederate soldiers,
so far as possible. who died there, a
picture of the camp as it was in war
times, and such other historical mat
ter as may by-and-by seem worthy of
/ preservation there. This is what the
conlrade sees, and what he and some
Others are thinking about these days.
1t seems to me well worth while to
think seriously of this plan. Patriotic
peol lie cherish their traditions of such
things as have been good for them.
A people without traditions is a peo-
pie without history, and a people
without history has been, so far. of
but little consequence. A people that
does not cherish both its history and
its traditions has little certainty of a
future. If there is anything in our ma
tional history every true patriotic citi-
zen must fondly cherish, it is the hero
ism Of self sacrifice that made this a
free country in fact as well as name.
and established the integrity of our
national union. He who care not for
these things is, to say the least, AN
undesirable citizen" The vision of
our good comrade once well realized
would be worth more to Madison than
houses and lands and bag full of
| gold.
Though memorial of this kind may
net be fully appreciated now, there
will come time, if it is erected, when
ii will be more highly priced by Mad
son and Wisconsin than we can now
understand. But, in order that it
may be thus priced, so we patriotic
people must think enough of it now
| to see that 1t is built and enriched
with proper Inscriptions and important
| records. These records can best be
prepared while men are living who are
them. In less time than we think
those men with their knowledge and
their proven patriotism will be gone.
A memorial of this kind would, in
deed, be unique. 1t would be the first
of its kind in Wisconsin, and, for
aught | know, in the whole cour tty
| In that place it would he seen Will iii
| terest by the thousands of people
| who gather there from time TO time to
see university games. Also, it would
take the attention of the many stu
| dents who would in the coming CEN
| ury-centGries-pas by it every day.
| And it would put an educative thought
| into every receptive mind. 1t might,
too, be imbued with the spirit of uni
versity extension. and put thoughts OF
value into the heads of Farmer Smith
| and Ira man Jones as they drive by.
He wnu reads about this vision may
say. 20, yes. all very true, but it will
take money to do all this; and where
is this TO come from?"
Well. he who sees this fair gateway
and arch-by-and-by- a business
man. and he well knows that stone
and mortar and labor, every good
! thing. costs money and he has plans
by which, if necessary, the few thous.
ands of dollars for the erection and
equipment of this patriotic memorial
! NAV readily become available.
This gateway, if erected, will stand
on land owned by the state and in
possession Of the university. The
| consent of the state to such use OF
the ground. and the agreement OF the
regents OF the university. must. OF
course. be obtained before anything
more than seeing visions can be done.
But all undertakings of real conse-
ouence begin with visions: and some
one must first have the vision It is
! a blessed thing that the typical
American has such power of vision
he ability 10 see things that i IS wen
to bring 10 pass.-also ways OF dong
I them.
Reader. when you next go by the
I place where we boys used TO go IN ano
come out of Camp Randall where We
soioarned there as students In the prl'
mary school OF the soldier, try TO
imagine for yourself this memorial
gate and arch. and see how you Ike
II The place is JUS across from the
home az the fire department Of the