The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-06-25
Monument to Famous Publ
cist Will Be Unveiled at
Stockbridge
JULY A is DATE
OF DEDICATION
Sketch of Distinguished Vermonter
Who Was Better Known Away Than
in This State-Granite Boulder Will
Be Shipped This Week.
Especial to The Reformer.)

Dc culppeo 1nlS week.
Especial to The Reformer.)
MONTPELIER, June 25.-One of
the most noted events of the year will |
take place at Stoekbridge, Vt, on July
+, when a monument to Orestes Au-
gustus Brownson, a famous philosopher. |
who was born in that town, will be
dedicated with fitting ceremonies.
Brownson is one of the famous sons of
Vermont who is better known away
than he is in the state which gave him
BIRTH and since the agitation to erect
a monument to his memory in Vermont
arose the question has frequently been
asked ''Who is Brownson?' Even in
Stoekbridge, where the early days of
his life were spent on a farm. the old
er residents know that famous citi-
zen of that name was born there. but
their children today never heard his
name mentioned until recently.
That the name of this great writer
an& critic, and one of the greatest
friends the working man eyer had.
should not remain unknown in his own
state, the state council of Knights of
Columbus appropriated sum to erect
a suitable monument and this boulder
with bronze tablet is proposed to be
unveiled on Independence day
As BrOWnson was born on one of the
hill farms, hard to reach, it is proposed
to erect the memorial in the more
settled portion of the town and an APP
/ propriate spot along the main highway
close to the village was selected. The
exercises, which will take place at 1
0 clock, will be public
| The program Of dedicatory exercises
/ is not yet completed beyond the fact
/ that it is expected that James Cos
grove Of st. Johnsbury viii preside
and that Rev. d. J. o 'Sullivan, former
representative from St Adams city,
will deliver the Grafton. Thomas W.
/ Moloney of Rutland w n TheriaGIt
/ of Montpelier and others will speak.
/ Orestes Augustus Brownson, phiIos-
/ opher, essayist, reviewer, was born in
/ Stockbridge, September 16. 1903. and
/ died in Detroit, Mich. April II, 1876.
! His childhood was spent on a small
/ farm with plain country people, honest
and upright Congregationalists. At
/ 10 he joined the Presbyterian church
and two years later became a Univer-
saist and four years later was ordain-
ed and for three years wrote and
preached as a Universalist minister
He abandoned the ministry and be
came associated with Robert Dale
Owen and Fanny Wright in their war
on marriage, property and religion
carried on in the Free Inquirer, of
which Brownson, then at Auburn. n
z
the same time he established a journal
in weston New York in the interest
of the Workingmen 5 party. His sym
| pathies were always with the laboring
| class and he entered ON the work of
elevating labor and making it respect
| ed and his aim was moral and social
| amelioration rather than political. He
| next became a Unitarian and remained
| one for II years In 1882 he settled
at Walpole, n. H., opposite Bellows
Il Falls, and remained two years. Two
Il years later he was pastor of the first
II Congregational church at Canton,
Mass, and in 1886 organized in Boston
the Society for Christian Union and
III Progress.
/ Although steadfast Democrat, he
II disliked the name Democrat and de
II nounced pure democracy, called popu
II lar sovereignty. He denounced equality
ii Of rights, not that men should be al
II equal but that no man should make
II himself taller by standing on another :
shoulder. He condemned the modern
II industrial system Of labor at wages
II Democrats were Mortified at his arti
II eles. The Wings reprinted them an,
II Van Buren, blamed them for his defeat
II He never commanded more attention
II or had more promising career than
: when he turned his back on honor
: and popularity in 1914 and became
i Catholic at the hands of Coadjuto
Bishop j. b. Fitzpatrick.
He published the Boston Quarterl,
Review, later the Brownson Quarterl,
Review, and other magazines in whicl
he did most of the writing, whic1
attracted nation wide attention Fl
was attacked on all sides and his al
swers and books published in tina
| period make an interesting chapter i
the religious and social era of the frs
half century Of the Republic. A hand
some monument to his memory ha
been erected on Riverside Drive, Ne,
York
The monument to be erected a
Stockbridge was cut of Barre grant
in the shops of the Columbian Grant
company in this city. 1t stands six fec
high, four feet wide and two fec
thick, being of boulder design wit
bronze tablet, suitably inscribed. I'll
l. Monument will he Skinned to Stool