Show TO TT ALJON IS PLEA TENANT BUI GUAM I H H. WERTS chaplain of ot the One undred undrell Forty fifth field artil- artil t rj addressed the members of of ot representatives and the thee C li he e Utah legislature In Joint In the house chamber at 1 t 1 afternoon lant tant Roberts Roberts' subject dealt battalion monument rk of the commission in he memorial which Is tod to tod ton d n the capitol grounds at a 1 Chaplain Roberts Is of the commission appointed of ot the twelfth legis legisla- legisla la- la upon the members of ot nt legislature by the speaker out t the original pl plans ns rather l acquiesce in the suggestion of Bamberger in his budget tc 0 divert the appropriation opo opo ed state stats memorial to the i e ot of all ail wars i rL SUBMITTED lately ly following llo in the speech sp ch la lal aP report of ot the battalion as required by Creating the commission was lito the members in joint ses- ses In addition to setting ahead been accomplished by devotes several parala para- para la lac a plea that the thel Mormon bat bat- morial be left in its original if inot ot consolidated with the memorial to all heroes The Hows ll Vs l the State of Utah Battalion Monument com- com eq that it shall report Its gs to the next following legand leg- leg md and biennially thereafter ac- ac I this report to the legislature legislatures ure s herewith submitted was created by bythe the I of the state of ot Utah to tc proceed with the f a a monument upon the capi- capi I 1 ds to to v commemorate the im- im made to the early Im development of the and the western portion States hy by b the Mormon er MOVEMENT I of this commission tl given to it were theofan the tan act of the previous leg- leg the Eleventh which had ap- ap former fprmer commission of seven ven seveno o Investigate the subject of ot choose a site fo it it capitol capitol grounds select a 1 report to the legislature n r ty t 33 if y Accordingly a site was sc- sc cx c- c competition x held in which ti- ti t land fand and sculptors of Utah and andi i g. g United States were invited pate oate and in which prominent and nd architects from the who did CUd participate submitting g 1 models for their designs design ch h a a committee composed of eminent artists and archi- archi cled t d three as winning first Jil third places respect respectively vel velon on on the jud Judgment ment of this com com- mitlee the the design accorded first place was recommended b bj by the monument commission to the legislature and an appropriation of asked for not notto notto notto to be available however before 1920 and only onh when a like amount of money should be raised from other sources The report of the first commission I resulted as before stated in the ap appointment appointment appointment ap- ap of ot the present commission I the making of the aforesaid appropriation tion with 2000 2000 additional for contingent contingent contingent con con- expenses and authorizing procedure procedure pro pro- with the work MODEL IS PREPARED G G P P. vold the successful sculptor in the competition associated with James R R. M r. Morrison and Mr 1 Walker alker architects Chicago Ill were notified of of- the action of the legislature The following spring I Mr 1 Morrison of the firm of the sculptor and associated architects i being in m Salt Lake Lale City and meeting with some members of the commission commission commission commis commis- sion volunteered the making of a larger model of ot the design submitted by Mr to be used in it the campaign for raising the outside outside outside out out- side the states state's appropriation A re recent recent recent re- re cent communication from the firm of ot sculptors and architects date December December December De De- cember 26 20 1918 brings the information information information tion that this model was nearing completion completion completion com com- that it would be ready for exhibition by January of this 1919 year that it measures 11 feet by 14 feet Our further study we believe remarks Mr Morrison has han greatly improved the general design You Tou will wUl not be disappointed WOULD PROCEED NOW As remarked this enlarged model was Intended Intend d to be used by your commission for campaign purposes in raising funds but in April 1917 came I our country's entrance into the world war and the necessary postponement for the time being of all such enterprises enterprises enterprises enter enter- as the battalion monument With the war ended however and for the United States happily ended your commissioners are confident that they can now take up the work of proceeding with the raising of ot the sum necessary to make the states state's appropriation available and finally erect the monument as as provided for foi now by the enactments of two legislatures legislatures legis legis- II tures and in m accordance with the thep I p- p pits ns of f the state monument corn com com I mii miss sin n I JOINT PLAN OPPOSED Here we should be pleased to close our report but in view of certain recommendations by his excellency the governor of the state in his re recent recent recent re- re cent message to the legislature in respect to diverting the appropriation made by the last legislature for the erection of the Mormon Battalion monument to quite different purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses and also because of recent agitation in the press by former opponents opponents opponents op op- of the battalion monument as approved and authorized by thelast the thelast last laEt legislature and favoring said diversion of ot the appropriation for the I monument to different purposes the state commission feels it incumbent upon it to at least east refer briefly to these several matters It is proposed in this new scheme In respect to state monuments that thata a memorial hall shall be bo erected to Utah's soldiers sailors and marines in inthe inthe inthe the world war the Indian war veterans veterans vete vete- rans Civil war veterans Spanish Spanish- American war var veterans and Mormon battalion and all others who have borne arms In defense of ot the common welfare of ot our nation The enumeration enumeration enumeration tion of subjects to be covered by the new scheme is from the title of ot a conjoint resolution on the subject now pending before your honorable body The appeal in the new scheme arises from the proposal to memorialize the soldiers and sailors who have made I I the supreme sacrifice of their lives inthe in inthe inthe the present worlds world's s war an appeal that is particularly strong because of the n numbers involved and the recentness recentness recent- recent ne ness s of the sacrifices THINK TIME UNRIPE We Ve could could not envoy those who would not desire to see the sacrifices of th these e heroes fittingly and undoubtedly the state of Utah will worthily recognize and permanently perpetuate their memory But we suggest suggest sug sug- gest that the time to do that by the state sUte is not now The war in which I th they fell is not yet jet ended we are rest rest- inz In only under an armistice in it it We Ve stand so Hose close to the events of ot that that its true significance is not jet et ct apparent all Its largeness and the splendor and glory of it is not discern discern- able abe The proportion and influence of pf Utai's Utah's Uta contribution to that war is not yet vet realized How then shall we of ot tod to- to day d before the smoke and dust of its battles have drifted from its fronts an and anel t before its peace terms are even formulated fi much less settled provide for a suitable memorial for those who have given Iven their all ail in that gigantic struggle Local monuments in some of the towns and countries of the state stale honoring the heroic dead of their v vicinage may be erected at once These would be simple in character and having having hav hav- ing but one purpose In view viz honoring hon- hon 01 oring ing the local dead and the erection of such monuments should be encouraged aged But when the state of Utah her p participation in that I world struggle and honors her heroes that fell In its battles or died of disease disease dis dis- I ease easa while in their country's service it should be done in full view of all tint that wars war's achievements that it ml might ht be done worthily All AU this we cannot I provide pio for today toda not knowing in any large way the volume of what has been accomplished and what our states state's full fuI I relationship to the whole is is Those things are not yet in perspective e Weare Ve We are standing too clo close e to the mountain to io see it ft I M I STAKE IS CLAIM Utah will yet jet et build man many and we wet t truet 11 ct varied monuments to celebrate heroic deeds in connection with her hei birth and growth as a commonwealth It would be a mistake to attempt to provide for all alj these in one one monument or give o-ive them one general character The historical things to were so different in character and so separated In time that they may not be so treated The new scheme for instance proposes proposes proposes pro pro- poses the erection of ot a memorial hallin hallin hall hallIn in which the utilitarian notion of housing historical relics and providing for educational an and all aU kinds of public and social functions as well as in some someway someway someway way to memorialize memorialize- the heroic dead within its walls Those who speak I from large observation and experience in such matters say that the significance significance sig sig- of ot such buildings In future years jears becomes entirely lost sight of by reason of their u utilitarian purpose that such a memorial loses all aU Its character and is looked upon by the average citizen as merely another public public public pub pub- lic building such as the postoffice public library or in case of being erected on a university campus another an an- another another an- an other school building the memorial Idea being lost Needless to say that the purpose ofa memorial Is to memorialize This 6 says an authority author author- ity upon the subject is the sole practical practical practical function of a monument and this is Is' Is just exactly what no building does I or ever can do Moreover if Utah wishes to adopt the policy of ot housing all her memorials of historic and he heroic heroic he- he incidents she sho has already in her splendid c capitol every facility for such sucha a scheme with ample wall room and rotundas to provide space for such a purpose for years to come with the advantage of having them housed in the states state's a civic center and in ahall a ahall I hall more splendid than the wildest of utilitarian schemers would ever dream of erected I HEART OF MATTER But the heart of the matter is here heie I There are historic events which no building and nothing which can be crammed Into one can properly memorialize Fortunately we ve have within our own gates a happy illustration illustration illustration illus illus- of this fact Imagine a hall hal of some kind in the place of the seagull monument on the Temple square of our city Could a hall filled with pioneer pioneer pio pioneer pio- pio neer relics and lined with bronze tablets tablets tab- tab tabI I lets about the cricket war tell the story to every visiting tourist so appealingly ap- ap I and with such heart interest as as do those four relief panels from which rises the tho graceful stone shaft I II topped lopped by the seagulls seagulls' It would be I I impossible to tell such llUch a story in any anyo o other than in such way as it stands there revealed The Mormon battalion I march and the things that came of Itis it itis itis is another such theme It has to doll do I with such large events every everyone one of which is so fco unique and compelling that combined they make male an absolute demand for treatment unconnected with any other historical Incident of our states state's experience Any Ally state can erect monuments to its soldiers of the late war o or 01 any ny other war and doubtless doubt doubt- less in time all will do so but Utah I alone has the opportunity of ot celebrating celebrating celebrating ing not only an unusual but an absolutely absolutely unique thing Something that has only happened once and will never happen again The only thing that suggests a parallel and that only in interest but not in kind is the Catholic CatholIc Catholic Cath Cath- olic mission period of California and andeer er e everyone one intimately acquainted with that noble state knows how California to her advantage antage has made that period and its romantic and spiritual Influence Influence influence ence color all her subsequent life in inart inart I art and architecture and is the one thing above all others that makes California California Cali Call fornia distinct from other states SCHEME WIDER THAN STATE Under the treatment of the battalion battalion battalion battal battal- ion monument proposed h by the first commission and authorized by the last I legislature and now under progress of realization the monument will be conducive conducive conducive con con- to arouse interest in the mind of oC every visitor and awaken admiration admiration admiration admira admira- tion and reverence leverence for these soldier- soldier pioneers o of the West Vest and what is even of more importance it will Inspire the youth of our commonwealth with patriotism patriotism patriotism pa pa- and respect for these men who did so much for the winning of the West Vest The theme of the tho Mormon 1 Battalion Battalion Battalion Bat Bat- is wider than the tho state of Utah It had to do with the opening of the highways to the Pacific coast It made mada up a section of the vanguard of the American people in their move movement tent to their inheritance on the Pacific coast c ast It was connected with the discovery of gold in California It is identified with th the transition of the irrigation aye aye- system tem of cultivating the soil loll to the Saxon Anglo race It took an important import import- ant part in the conquest of northern Import Import-I block of which Mexico as a result of a territory equal to more than two- two thirds of ot the territory forming the thirteen thirteen thir thir- teen original states states' of ot the United I Sates SaLes of f America was added to our heritage and all in all Is too large atheme a l i and too fundamental to tho the I I theme honor and glory of the state and to the they I I early heroic sons of the commonwealth I Ito to be cribbed cabined and confined within some utility building In connection connection tion with many other and varied subjects sub sub- CHANGE IS OPPOSED To change chang plans plan now after the c ox- of money and effort eUort involved and after the progress that has been made under the direction of two executive ex executive executive ex- ex administrations an and under the direction and mandates of ot two legislatures legis legis- now now to divert the appropriation legis-I legis tion made for the Mormon Battalion Ito to other uses would be to decide that the people as represented by the past I two legislatures did not know their own mind on this subject and would be an ant act of bad faith towards those who have carried earned on the project to Its Us present present present pres pres- ent state of development Respect for fair dealing with all the other considerations considerations considerations consid consid- herein urged demands that it should not be done doneAll All of which is respectfully submitted submitted sub sub- i matted B n H. H ROBERTS President t MAY BELLE DELLE T T. DAVIS Secretary Tr Treasurer Secretary S. S HART HEBEn ANNIE M M. WALLACE I |