The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-09-23

Chapter v.
On August 7, 1888, congress resolved
that a bronze equestrian statue of
George Washington should be erect.
ed at the place where the residence of
congress should be established, but ths
matter was allowed to rest until 1899,
when John Marshall was instrumental
in having congress provide a marble
statue of George Washington. His
resolution, passed by congress-. also
provided that the body of Washington
be brought to the Capitol and placed
under the statue. No appropriation
was carried by the bill. In 1900 an
other bill "a introduced to erect a
mausolem one hundred feet at the bot
tom and of prOportionate height, and
the measul passed the house but was
not concurred in by the senate. Six
teen years later the legislature of Vir-
ginia passed a bill in which it was pro-
posed to move the body of Washing
ton to Richmond, where a monument
fitting to his memory was to be erect
ed. 1t was at this time that the public
learned hat Washington's body could
never be moved, and John Washington
called attention to the fact that his
brothers will expressly provided that
the remains should always remain at
Mount Vernon. James Buchanan, who
later become President of the United
States, endeavored in 1924 to secure
an appropriation for a monument to
General Washington, but was unsuc-
cessful. In his first message to on
gress on December s, 1925, John
Quincy Adams insisted that congress
should provide a proper testimonial
to General Washington, and the ques-
ton was intermittingly ~resurrected
until 1882, when Henry Clay in the
senate and Philemon Thomas in the
house, secured the passage of a resolu-
ton designed to bring the body of
Washington to the national capitol in
order that it might rest under the
building. The family of General Wash
ington vetoed this proposal. Clay was
persistent in his determination for a
statue of Washington, and by 1841 he
secured the design created by Green
ough. 1t was placed in the rotunda of
the capitol, but was subsequently re-
moved to the east part of the grounds,
where it now stands. Thus after fifty
eight years Of agitation Washington
was finally honored by the erection of
a statue provided by the United States.
The history of the Washington mon
ument affords another striking illus
tration of how difficult 1t is for the
government to initiate constructive
work. The Washington National
Monument Society was the outgrowth
of the long delays and neglect of con
gress to provide a fitting memorial OF
Washington, and this society was or
ganized in 1888 with former Chief
Justice John Marshall as It's president.
The society attempted to build the
monument by popular subscription,
limiting contributions to one dollar for
each person. Upon the death of JUS
tice Marshall in 1885. ex-President
James Madison took up the work, and
as funds for the purpose had not been
forthcoming, the novel idea was evolv-
ed of having the ms enumerators
of 1910 solicit contributions The plan,
however, was a failure. as very little
money could be collected.
The cornerstone of the present
Washington monument was laid July
4. 1848. and the same trowel that was
used by George Washington to lay the
cornerstone Of the National Capital
was utilized. The trowel Is the prop
erty OF the old Masonic lodge at Alex.
andria, Virginia, and may be BEL by
visitors. The work on the monument