The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-12-27
THE MEMOIR
IAL BUILDING
Sumter County Still Making Col
lections for This Fund

The Committee is still actively en-
gagged in securing subscriptions for
the Memorial Building, which the leg
islature has decreed shall be erected
in the capital of the State, in per-
petual recognition Of the heroism OF
her devoted sons.
Throughout the State. the dieifrent
counties are adopting various meth
obs for cemmemoratins their own
sons. Some of these counties Will
have monuments, some hospitals, and
others memorial parks. But the leg
islature. in it's wisdom, has detern1ln-
ed that there shall be also a state
Memorial in which every county IN
the State may have an equal part.
This building is not intended to en-
bellish Columbia, or to add one Whit
to the equipment Of the University OF
South Carolina Columbia has the
advantage, if it be an advantage, OF
being the capital of the State; all
State buildings Of every nature, there-
fore must, of necessity, be erected
there.
Instead of being Of direct benefit
to the University of South Carolina,
the University is permitting TINS
building to be placed upon State
property, thus saving the commission
the amount that would otherwise nave
to be expended for the purchase OF a
iot-at least fifty thousand dollars.
Whatever thu other counties OF the
State may do, Sumter county is go
ing to be broad enough and big
enough to contribute her share to
Memorial Building for our sons, wher-
ever that building may be placed. The
State Memorial Commission has just
issued a statement in which the fol-
lowing facts are emphasized:
/. That the form Of memorial IS
mandatory as set out in the joint res
olution and that the non-utilitarlan
idea is the expression Of the lesisla-
ture.
Q. That Lnder the present plan
however, the building will be not en-
tirely of a non-uti:itarian character,
as it will contain a large auditorium
in which the veterans Of this and
other wars can meet and other meet
ings Of an historical, patriotic, or ed
ucational nature may be held.
5. That the memorial is in no
sense a Columbia project; it is State
wide in it's applico ton. Nor will it
be for the benefit OF the University
of South Carolina, for the commission
desires it to be placed under the su-
pervision Of the State Historical Com
mission. The University Of South
Carolina has generously agreed to-do-
nate a. site on Main Street in Colunl-
bia. in the rear Of the capital build
ing. where the building would be seen
by practically every visi:.or TO Coium :
bia, and this land IS worta thousands
OF dollars. The structure Will be :.
substantial work OF art ard will stand
as a memorial for all time.
4. In the building there VIII be
provided an alcove for each county.
whore bronze or other suitable
tablets recording and perpetnating
the supreme sacrifice made by its
white sons and daughters in World
War will be placed.
IS. The structure will contain a
large auditorium, as outlined in the
foregoing, and hall Of records for
the preservation Of documents and
historical data appertaining t. the
persons and organizations from South
Carolina who participated in the
World War.
s. Unless South Carolina has some
kind Of repository, the imperishable
history of this State in the struggle
for Democracy against Autocracy will
be imperfectly preserved. and, in af-
ter years, the record will be incom-
plete like that Of the War Between the
States.