Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1910-05-05
Proposed
Indian Monument

A bill introduced in both House:
Of Congress providing for colossa
statue of the North American | liar
to be placed in New York Harbor
will be reported in the House on
March l. This measure was intro
duced by Representative Joseph A.
Goulden and Senator Chauncey M.
Depew, 0f New York. and provides
that there shall be erected without
expense to the United States Gov
ernment, by Rodman Wanamaker,
of New York City, and others, on a
United States reservation in the
Horbor Of New York, memorial to
the memory of the North American
Indian. 1t is further provided that
commission consisting of the chair.
man Of the committee on library. Of
the Senate, chairman of the COM
mittee on library of the House, and
the secretaries of state, war. navy,
and interior, the attorney general
and Robert C. Ogden. of New York,
shall be created with full authority
to select the site in the Harbor of
New York and a suitable design,
and to contract for and superintend
the construction of the memorial.
The bill is the result Of a sugges-
ton made by Mr.. Rodman Wana.
maker, at a celebrated dinner given
last May a. Sherry's, New York. in
honor of Col. Cody, the famous
Indian scout. The idea of erecting a
statue of an Indian, with arms out
stretched in welcome at the gateway
of the New World met with such
instant enthusiasm, that there is
little doubt, but that the measure
will meet with unanimous support.
While the ways and means of pro-
viding money to finance the enter
prise have not yet been decided
upon, it is expected that the statue
will be a National Monument to
perpetuate the memory of the first
American, and an opportunity will
be given to every one who desires to
contribute; it is estimated that one
penny from every man. woman, and |
child in the United States will fur
nish ample means for its erection.
Already various tribes of the
Order of Red Men throughout the
United States have taken steps to
contribute their share to the general
fund. 1t is planned that each of the
five hundred thousand members of
the Order of Red Men represented
in the four thousand tribes in the
United States shall contribute two
cents each, which would amount to
$40, 900. A pile of copper cents
amounting to $4,000 is far more
than single check for
that amount donated by some one
individual to whom it would mean
so little.
The idea of this statue originated |
with Mr.. Rodman Wanamaker, of
Phila delphia, during an expedition
made by him in 1908, for the pur-
pose of studying the Indian on his
own ground. His first impulse was
to present the statue to the country,
but the consensus of opinion is that
it should be national gift, and that
every child in the country should be |
to contribute one penny in
memory of race that is fast be-
coming extinct,
The bill is backed bv the entire
New York delegation both in the
House and in the Senate, and is re.
the support of the President,
the Vice President, and many prom
inent men in political and financial
circles. Very valuable aid is being
given to secure the passage of the
bill by Senators Owen, Of Oklahoma,
and Curtis, of Kansas. and by Re-
Carter, of Oklahoma, !
all of whom trace their ancestry |
back to the noble Red Man Of the
forest.