Show THE MARQUETTE STATUE A P A intolerance to is made manifest to a remarkable extent in the pretests that are being sent to members of congress against the unveiling of the statue of father marquette in statuary ballot hall of the capitol the statue in question to is the gift of the state of wisconsin and ud has baa been accepted by both houses of congress Con eress the objection to it if based only on the fact that the artist has the ecclesiastical ader of the illustrious missionary and traveler is childish child for the obvious reason that this was an essential characteristic act of the mao man any other representation resen tation of him would have been untrue inasmuch as an it would have been undesirable to divest the statue of drapery entirely some design bad to be adopted an AB A P A sculptor perhaps have suggested that of a soldier or sailor or knight errant or what not but the absurdity of this would appear at once A statue as a painting in order to fulwil fulfil the very object tor for which it exists must depre abbot the subject as it really wa or ie its value consists consist to in its fidelity to facts not to the ever changing changle imagination of fanciful cranks it if it is true that nations honor themselves by remembering and honoring the men that have distinguished themselves io in the cause of mankind the statue la in question cannot be re carded otherwise than an honor to the american people jacques marquette was wae one of the first explore explorers rg ot or the great mississippi river at a time when the indian still reigned supreme in the new continent be took nie his life in his bia hands and labored for the redemption demp tion of the country and the civilization of the savage what if his bis cat was that of a jesuit his heart was that of a hero he acquired several indian languages langua gec founded missionary statI stations mod and added to the geographical knowledge of the world some items of the greatest importance in 1669 he first conceived the idea ot exploring the pl pi and in 1673 he be had bad an opportunity port unity to carry out his bia plan when the ito Kove vernor of can canada da 11 appointed him to accompany 70 joliet list on the expedition in two canoes the little party started from mackinaw and floated down the river they stopped at indian villages along the route and were sometimes very kindly received they proceeded as ae far as ae within two days journey of the sea and satie satisfied fled that the river emptied into the quit gulf of mexico and not dot into the pacific or atlantic sis as bad been presumed and then thed they resolved to re turn owing to 0 the danger of meeting i with hostile beati is treatment not at tb the hanae bana s of savage indiana but spaniards aris and a 0 religionists their voyage had bad consumed about two mouth later marquette returned to the indiana he had bad visited erected altars altara and taught them to worship there he gave his bli life lo in this labor As AB his name already ties baa a prominent place on the pages of american history bigotry should bould not succeed to ia expelling b bis to statue from the place where the memory of great men is perpetuated or to be consistent it should also alao be allowed to efface thai oame name from the annals of the american natam |