The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-09-02
THE ALLISON MEMORIAL.


THE ALLISON MEMORIAL.
The Washington D. G. Times has the
following to say regarding the Allison
memorial:
1t is now more than year since the
death of the man who held the record
for continuous or noncontinuous length
Of service in the senate, William Boyd
Allison, of Iowa. But the movement to
erect q monument to him at the capital
OF his own state, Des Moines, has not
progressed satisfactorily, much to the
chargin of his friends in Iowa and
Washington. 1t begins to look doubtful
II the needed amount would be secured.
Senator Allison was buried at Du-
buque, on knoll Of ground overlook
ing the Mississippi. The state Of Iowa
appropriated $4,000 for the foundation
and base of monument to be erected
at Des Moines, and it was the under
standing that $4,000 was to be raised
by private subscription. But thus far
only about $4,000 has been raised. This
is the more surprising in view Of the
numerous outbursts Of sentiment which
we're provoked by his death. One of
VIC oIdWO6CAb w Cu0 piOJSSU, ~ 10 VI uOs
has been the illness of General Granville
chairman of the monument committee.
Nevertheless, the situation is not
pleasing to the old friends of Senator
Allison"
The fact that only $4,000 has been
raised by popular subscription to this
fund is not discreditable reflection to
the people of Iowa.
The monument was proposed by re-
dictionary politicians who are always
willing to ada glory and renown to one
of their own members providing the
people can be made to pay for it.
The legislature appropriated $4,000
of the tax payers money because the
tax payers couldn't help themselves,
an act they had no moral right to do,
and then the political sshemers and
trixters tried to induce the school
teachers of the state to coax enough
pennies and nickels out of the school
children to pay the balance. They ut
terly and ANONYMOUSLY failed.
This paper has not the slightest OBJ
lection to the erection Of a moument to
Senator Allison, providing his admirers
foot the bill.
Allison served as a member of Con-
gress for more than \ generation. Dur
ing the greater portion Of this time he
was at the head of an important COM
mittee, and was an influential man with
the administration. 1t is perfectly safe
to say that during this time he furnished
fat jobs and official positions to more
than Thousand Iowa politicians who
are perfectly able to go down in their
pockets and put up from $4,000 to
$4,000 each to erect such a monument,
but when Allison died these officials
scavengers we're through with Allison
and they called on the school children,
one-half of whom had never heard of AL
flison, or whose parents had always been
opposed to him politically, to contribute
the necessary funds.
We do not believe the state should
go into the business of erecting monu-
meEts to members of Congress-. II it
does where is it going to stop? And if
it is going to erect such monuments it
ought to commence with the first
senators from Iowa and treat all alike.
Allison was not the equal either in
force of character or sturdy states
manship to Grimes or Kirkwood, nor
did he compare with Dolliver or Cum
Minis in intellectual attachments or
forceful oratory.
& The people will always give money
for just cause when it is necessary to
do SO.
Two or three hundred church men,
bers Of any denomination in city will
raise from $4,000 to $4,000 for church
edifice when they think it is needed.
When great calamity overtakes
city like the earthquake calamity OF
San Francisco, it is not necessary tc
call session of the legislature and
levy tax to aid the unfortunate. The
people give spontaneously and gladly
because they know it goes to just
cause.
A short time ago Mrs. Smith, Of Des
Moines, wrote letters to various citi
Z zens throughout the state asking them
to contribute to a fund for the purpose
of putting full sized oil painting OF
General Weaver in the State Historical
building at Des Moines and generous
public responded with much more thai
$4,000 and the contributions SO muct
exceeded the amount asked for tina
hundreds of dollars we're sent back t
the contributors, and the unwilling o
the portrait was made state affair, ant
vet not dollar of the taxpayers none!
was asked or received.
The people know intuitively whel
and how to discriminate in giving t
such causes. -Creston American.
The democratic Creston American ~
serts that "outside of those who hol
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