The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-02-21

used for vocational training and
stated there were ten arguments for
such education at Bethany
Divorce commerciaIism and Patriot
Judge w. L. Comstock called at
tention to the Safety league sugges-
ton for a memorial. He said that
he would have no interest whatever
in the subject if it was proposed to
erect a memorial for the city only.
The government selected the county
as war activity unit, Judge Com
stock said, and the memorial should
be for the county as a whole. He
also expressed his disapproval oil
commercializing any memorial.
"Commercialism and patriotism
should be divorced" he stated.
The Safety league, the speaker ex-
planned, planned a Liberty memorial
for war relics, records and the like
with tablets on the walls and the
names of those who gave their lives
thereon. Judge Comstock referred
to the Webb Hayes monument in
Ohio and said that the smonument
here should be an institution in
memory of the men and not mere
building. He pointed out that other
cities will build halls and community
buildings for their men until they
will become ordinary and common
He expressed the belief that tho
ways and means of such a plan
would take !, care of itself. He felt
confident that the county as a whole
would favor the plan.
Pass Agrees With comstock
George Pass agreed with Judge
Comstock in his suggestion for a
memorial but thought it would be
excellent, in addition to- this, to
erect a memorial arch to the men on
an extension to Van Brunt street
near the slough.
Judge Lorin Gray stated that he
was not married to any plan. He
said he was greatly in favor OF
erecting a memorial of some kind
and called attention to the efforts
made along this line in the past
Formerly, he pointed out. the G. A
X. here was composed of Sea
members now there are but about
twenty five! He said that the organ
iZation assisted the city to purchase
Lincoln park and paid $500 fol
the fountain and statue which had
been put up there. The park was
then turned over to the city. Since
that time, Judge Cray said the statue
had blown over and repeated efforts
to get the city to put up another mad
failed.
Now is the opportune time to dc
something for the men, Judge Cray
said. He, referred to the county
historical society and to the collec-
ton of priceless relics it had &C
cumulated. He called attention to
the fact that the only treaty signed
by the Winnebago Indians, by which
much land in this section was turned
over to the whites, was in the
possession of the society.
Other valuable documents ar: also
held ty the society and Judse Cray
said a place should be erected in
which to store them. Judge Cray
said he did not favor calling on the
county for aid. If such assistance
was to come he thought that the
county itself should make the first
suggestion. In closing the speaker
declared he favored something as a
memorial which should prove useful
for a definite purpose.
City or County?
II. A. Patterson was of the opinion
that it should be decided whether il
was to be a city or county
memorial. He expressed hope that
the matter be rut through without
friction and stated the county should
be given a chance to say whether or
not they wished to come in.
If anything was done toward build
ing a memorial for commercial pur-
poses, Ed Brett said he thought the
county would oppose it but if Judge
Comstock's plan was followed they
would be glad to come in on the
proposition. Professor Miller was of
the opinion that this was a good
time to bring the city and the county
together and to eliminate friction.
Rev. E. F. CraTy expressed the
opinion that representatives of all
city and county ORGANIZATIONS should
meet and thrash out the proposition
together II. A. Patterson was also
Of the opinion that the county Should
be represented at the meeting from
whicn the final Plan for a memorial
will come.
DR.. +. A. Cone spoke of the sol
diers' organization and said that
this should be taken into account. He
said the committee should get a list
Of all organizations in the county to
be represented at the meeting. Ed
ward Schumacher said he could see
no great hurry in getting the mem
orial started.
Professor C. J. Miller made a
motion as follows:
First: That . committee Of nine
members be appointed by the mayor
20 consult with representatives f. on
the county as to the ACCESSIBILITY of
erecting Blue Earth county mem
Orial and with those representatives
work out a definite plan for such
proposed memorial
Second: If such committee finds
that the county rs a whole docs not
care 10 join in such memorial in that
case the committee is to evolve A
definite plan for a memorial for the
city of Mankato
The motion was unanimously