The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-07-13
and a charge of deliberate affront

nier as a British admiral or as an
enemy of our country or indeed In
any other way personally by any
representative of Tacoma.
We stuck to the record absolute
ly. l have told you how Charles
Tallmadge Conover, representing
numerous citizens" confessed
that I'VE are completely thrown
off our feet here" because the pa
per he had prepared (and which
he read) did not fit our presenta-
ton, and answered" lot OF
things that we're not there.
| have the stenographic report
of our side of the proceedings be-
fore me, and have read DR.. Dyer's
address, my own, Judge Wicker
sham's and all others and find no
single mention of Rainier being
anything other than a name to
be taken from the mountain.
Merriam Quotes 1t.
And now | am ready to quote
for you C. Hart Merriam-"fair-
minded and eminent geographic"
so amazed" and shocked himself.
He does not hesitate to do the
thing which seems to him so very
reprehensible in us for having
done-supposing we had done 1t,
which we did not. He says:
1.-THE accusation that Rainier
was an enemy to America in the
war of the Revolution was not
only made to me personally, but,
amazing as it may seem, was en-
bodied in the original memorial of
the legislature of the state of
Washington, addressed to this
board and passed by the house
January Is, 1917 Oh. Con. Res.
81 tho afterwards killed in the
senate and omitted from the final
memorial which passed the SEN
ate Feb. 10 and the house Feb.
81. 1917.
The words referred to in the
original memorial are: Whereas,
said Rainier at the time of the
American Revolution, when we
were fighting for liberty, was act
lively engaged as an enemy against
us and was effective in harassing
and destroying our ships of COM
merce'-all of which appears to
accord with the record
Maudlin Stuff.
But DR.. Merriam, as have said,
had to go outside the literal rec
ord to get it. Remember in our
whole presentation of this matter
"Rainier" is but name that has
been an irritation for 25 years,
which we, for that reason, want
taken down-that and nothing
more.
DR.. Merriam introduces Peter
Rainier in person, and so far from
being an "enN my of our country"
of which fact we out here-and
his fellow geographer r. B. Mar
shall-are so keenly aware, he
appears in Mr.. Merriam's state
ment very like a hero. He says:
"And is it not to his credit that
as a patriotic British subject he
fought for his country? Further
more, the record shows that when
engaged in battle with one of our
privateers and wounded in the
breast by a musket ball, he re-
fused to be taken below until he
had captured the enemy's vessel,
proving himself a brave and valor-
Gus officer, worthy of the honors
bestowed on him.
What utterly maudlin stuff!
The "enemy's vessel" in this case,
mind you, is an American vessel,
with Americans on board fighting
for liberty. Huh!
Then this eminent and fair
minded man proceeds to point a
moral out of facts not before him.
He says:
Slur On a Patriot.
"In view of the present official
relations of our government with
the governments of England and
France does it seem to our board
that the moment is opportune for
casting slur on the name of an
English patriot whose grandfa-
Their was a French Huguenot?"
Can you understand how those
other eight men-mature men,
mind you, above the grammar
school age-could stand for that
stuff? And now see what we
have
THE only other matter worthy
of consideration by the board is
the memorial of the legislature Of
the state of Washington, passed
by a vote of SO to 33, asking that
the name Rainier be changed.
How DO You Like 1t?
This, the only other matter
worthy of consideration by the
board" is reached by DR.. Merriam
in the paragraph preceding the
concluding one in his 10-page
pamphlet. What do you think of
that? What will the members of
our legislature who passed this
memorial think of that? In his
10-page statement of facts he ap-
proacffes the ONE fact in this
fashion:
Were the question at issue a
local one," continues the state
lment, land did the vote fairly
represent the sentiment of the
citizens of the state, the memorial
would deserve more serious con-
federation. But the question is
not a local one and we have every
reason to believe that the vote fails