The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-12-21

! oPPS OOAoI0 July Iuo ucolIc VI Iuc
part Of the originators and friends Of
the movement set forth in the petit
ton.
A letter from the owner of Month
cello made us feel that the petition
could not receive our official endorse
ment. Mr.. Jefferson Levy wrote in
Part as follows:
For thirty-three years, alone and
unaided by government or associa-
ton, have spent time. energy and
great amount of money restoring
Monticello and bringing back to
their original settings many Of the
relics of the great American states
man. do not seek commendation; !
ask only Justice.
Before the house rules committee
last August stated in the most pos.
tive way that would not listen to
any proposition for the sale of Mon
t!cellO.
81 feel bound to notify the public
that subscriptions to the fund for
carrying on this campaign will be
useless. This property has been in
my family for more than eighty years
and the effort to deprive us Of 1t Is
without legal basis, as numerous con-
stitutiOnal lawyers have advised me
II have said that do not expec.
gratitude, but think that every
American will feel that I am entitled
&c fair play. have demonstrated
In the last thirty years that l have
appreciated fully the Importance Of
properly maintaining the historic
place.
The public may be assured that |
have not failed to give careful and
patriotic thought to the care Of Mon
tlcello in the years that may follow
after ! am no longer able to see to it
in person. If my provisions for its
proper maintenance prove to be in
adequate, then submit, will be time
enough to consider the government
taking it,
II have begged to be allowed
through this medium to appeal to
your sense of fair play, and to have
presented to you few of the many
facts unfamiliar to you, concerning
he efforts to force the acquisition of
Monticello by popular petition for
the action by congress.
There is now established at your
convention an office for the purpose
&C. persuading yon to sign the petit
ton. and feel that if you know
more about the facts you may hest
tate before allowing yourselves, un-
Willingly, to aid in doing me and my
family great injustice"
Mr.. Jefferson Levy referred also to
Measurements concerning his uncle,
himself and the past care of Month
cello, in terms of some natural Sc
verify, and reiterated the positive
statement that Monticello was not
for sale, and that no proposition for
its purchase would be considered.
In view of this fact and the indu-
hitable right of an owner to decide
whether or not he wishes to sell, 1t
did not seem possible to officially re-
oeive the petition for endorsement
Furthermore, the wish of Virginia
tc own Monticello, IL ever Mr.. Levy
desired to part with it, was stated;
and it would seem that either the
State of Virginia or the University
OF Virginia might naturally desire to
own it.
1t was also said by some of the vir-
ginia delegation that it was quite
probable that Monticello would pass
to the State Of Virginia as either a
gift or legacy from Mr.. Jefferson
Levy.
Mr.. Levy's uncle did at one time
tequeath the estate to 1.-THE people o:
the United States" but the courts
declared the will void. and the es-
tate the rightful property of the
heirs-at-law; this would surely set
tie the right of Mr.. jefferson Levy to
wnership.
For the above reasons the endorse
rent was not given. and under the
circumstances it would scarcely seem
that Daughters of the Confederacy
should sign the petition. as such, al
thong as private individuals, they Of
course have the right to do SO il they
wish; but as Mr.. Levy says, one
should hesitate before doing an in