The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-08-20
FOR The HALL OF FAME
PROFESSOR FOLWELL SUGGESTS
RAMSEY AND SIBLEY.
7. /. Best Advanced the Name of the
Late Judge William Mitchell;
Statewide Interest Shown

President Cyrus Northrop of the Uni
versity of Minnesota gave hearty sup
port to the suggestion of Senator j.
r. Elwell that Minnesota should Sc
lect two from her well-known men as
subjects for statues for the national
hall of fame in Washington, and Will
liam w. Folwell, the first president
of the university, names Alexander
Ramsey and Henry H. Sibley as his
choice, says The Minneapolis Journal
DIR. Northrop would not commit MIN
self to any name, further than to say
that he thought Minnesota's selection
might come properly from the suggest
ed list of six which included Governor
Ramsey, Congressman Sibley, Secretary
of the Treasury William Window, Gov
ernor John S. Pilsbury, Senator Cush-
man X. Davis and Colonel William
Colville
at goes without saying" said DR..
NOrthrop, ''that when a state gets in
ia position to put its representatives in
the hall of fame. it ounght to do SO. If
it has not the history or the men dis
tinguished enough to be prepared to
specify at once the men it wants to
honor, further delay is pardonable, but
that is not the case with Minnesota
The men who have been mentioned are
undoubtedly men worthy of that honor
Among them probably should be found
the two men whose statues should be
placed in the hall of fame.
Confesses Choice Is Difficult
DR.. Folwell did not hesitate to say
that of the six men mentioned, he
would select Ramsey and Sibley, and
said further that he could think of nc
other Minnesotan to add to the list OF
possibilities. The invitation to Mime
sofa to participate in this representa-.
ton will not permit the selection OF
any living man.
eff it is advisable that Minnesota
act now" said Mr. Folwell. Ramsey
and Sibley are the two men to whom
the honor should 60, and yet we live a
little too near them really to Judge OF
them with entire wisdom. To choose
one man now and defer the selection
of the other would be even more diff
ficult. Ramsey and Sibley seem now
to be the men, and yet perhaps fifty
years from now the verdict of history
will be different"
Dr. Folwell examined the list of rep
representatives. sent by other states and
observed that in several cases they
seemed to him premature and whimsi
cal. 1t is senator Elwell's idea that
the next state legislature should fill one
or both the vacant places allotted to
Minnesota and that by some method
the people of the state should express
their choice.
Prefers Judge William Mitchell.
l. Another suggestion for the hall OF
fame came today from Judge j. l. Best
of Minneapolis, who advanced the name
of Judge William Mitchell Minnesota's
best known jurist. Il could make nc
comparison of Minnesota's favorite
sons," said Judge Best "but it seems
W ihC CI1dC Sldtut vi JuuSe mitchell
would be Il fitting tribute to our great
est Judge"
Judge Mitchell served for years on
re state ! preme court, and his opin.
ions gained for him national fame as
jurist. During President Harrison's
administration he was mentioned as a
possible appointec for the United
State supreme court, and it was sal
that only his political affiliations, he
being a democrat, prevented his APP.
pointment. Judge Mitchell died in 1902
Senator Elwell's suggestion has arou-
sed widespread interest. The invita-
tlon for Minnesota to name two citi-
ems for the hall of fame was ex-
tended by President Lincoln in 1864