The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-27
OPPOSITION TO GOVERNMENT
 OWNING WASHINGTON HOME

Washington, May 26.--(Special.)-
 Suddenly a strong opposition develops
 in the Senate to the proposal that the government buy and maintain Mt. Vernon, the home of George Wash ington.
 The proposal was made following complaint of 5000 Masons who were forced to pay 25 cents for the privilege of entering the grounds. From such payments last year $73,000 was col lected, enough to pay the cost of main tenance.
 Opposition to government ownership
 and some of the history of the present ownership was expressed in the Sem
 ate today by Senator Dial of South Carolina, as follows:
 Recently there has been 8 good deal of talk around Washington about the government acquiring, by purchase or condemnation, Mt Vernon. I feel a deep interest in that property, and a great pride in the part that patriotic lady of my state played in organ izing the Ladies' Mt. Vernon associa- tion and purchasing that property and preserving it intact to the present time. This lady was Miss Ann Pa mela Cunningham of the county of
 Laurens, in South Carolina, who was
 the first regent and whose memory will be forever cherished.
 T hope we shall hear no more of this talk of the government taking the property from that association. In 1855 the association purchased it and has preserved 1t until the present time. At that time the place had been cut up and 8 great deal of the land had been sold. The household furniture had bene sold and scattered. These patriotic ladies went to work and bought the main property. all that DOT tion which had been sold off which could be had, and collected all the furniture that they could find" Continuing, Senator Dial said: T wish to read 8 portion of the last ad- dress that Miss Cunningham made with reference to this particular sub jest, as follows:
 N UP TO THE LADIES Ladies, the home of Washington keep it the home of Washington. Let no irreverent hand change it; no van dal hands desecrate it with the fingers of progress. Those who go to the home in which he lived and died wish to seA in what he lived and died. Let one spot in this grand country of ours be saved from change. Upon you rests this duty
 II consider" Senator Dial added. "that every patriotic citizen of the United States ought to feel under lasting obligations to this patriotic society. and I trust that the Mt. Vernon property will be preserved for ever in the present state.
 "A short time ago, about the time the Masons had a meeting in this city. some protests were raised about the pitiful sum of 25 cents being charged as an entrance fec to Mt. Vernon. I have no authority to speak for the Masons, as a whole. but being one of that organization. I repudiate the im- putation that any Mason in the world would object to paying 26 cents to visit that charming spot. hope that | 1t will not be spread abroad that the Masons originated the idea of the gov- ernment trying to take the property from the said association.
 SMALL FEE NO HINDRANCE 'T do not feel that any one can have any just objections to paying that small fee for seeing this historic place It ia q mere pittance; 1t Is too small to be considered. It is not more than q great many people hand the waiter for serving breakfast. I trust that the words of Miss Cunningham will be
 needed here. and that the property will
 be preserved in its present state for
 ever.
 "As my friend from Florida (Mr.
 Fletcher) suggests to me. the fee Is
 necessary in order to maintain and
 keep up the property and have 1t
 looked after and preserved. No one
 should have any thought of objecting
 to the payment of so small a sum; it's
 collection is not for the purp6se of
 making money. I hope. at least, we
 shall never hear any objection of that
 kind in the Senate of the United States.
 Not only that, but I desire to say
 I do not know of any law under which
 the government could condemn that
 property unless. perhaps, 1t might