| Show MAINE MEMORIAL DAY DAT por for the church of jesus christ of lat ter day saints july 1898 to the presidents of stakes and the bishops of the church dear brethren in view of the fact that the management management of the maine monument fund has disclaimed any intentional slight on the part of the national committee towards the church of jesus christ of latter day saints by omitting on the ath day of may to call upon the church to join the other churches of the land in holding memorial services on the ath day of may in honor of the brave men who lost their lives in the maine disaster and now asks us through its management to appoint a suitable day on which the members of the church may hold memorial services and take tak ara up collections for the maine monument we have decided to designate sunday the of july as an the day on which such se services shall be held e 4 it lt to is our desire oat hat the church of jesus christ of latter day saints would should be identified with all such patriotic movements as the erection of this Y moun ment to the nations honored d dead ead that our fellow citizens may know that our sympathies both in its joys and in its sorrows are with our country wo W therefore ask aak the presidents of stakes 2 aad the bishops of the wards throughout the church to make all necessary arrangements for holding special memorial rial services at the time designated and at the conclusion thereof to take up a coil collection action from the people to beast in the erection of a monument to the maie martyrs an all money collected should be promptly forwarded by the bishops to elders heber J grant and B H roberts who have been appointed a committee to take charge of this business address them at 20 26 south bast temple street salt lake city lutah your bre brethren thren WILFORD WOODRUFF GEORGE Q CANNON JOSEPH P F SMITH soon after the destruction of the ignited sta tea warship maine in ha vana harbor on the night of cd february national maine monument committee waa organized halving for Us H object the erections erect ioni of a ault aible 1 I to the memory of the men lost in tha t k rhobe boe aves were fj idys vaine maine ex vice president idt was chairman of 0 the COM coan 9 geo L J gynild w treasurer and paul latzke mana manager er of the fund the committee included such names as an gen nelson A miles commander of the united states army cardinal gibbons thos P F bayard archbishop corrigan W C whitney former secretary of ac the navy the governors of sixteen states and the mayors of sev enty four of the he principal cities of the country early in may the subcommittee sub committee on memorial day issued the following circular letter to the churches dh of the country asking that on sunday the eighth day of may special memorial services to the maine heroes be held a and that the church offerings of that da day be dedicated to the erection of a monument to make their fame lasting IN MEMORIAM reverend Hever end and dear sir the subcommittee sub committee chosen from the national athe maine monument committee earnestly desires that one sunday be set apart upon which congregational observance may be given in all the churches of the united states to the heroism of the men aeja whose lives were lost in havana harbor on the night of february 15 16 the men who sailed into havana under the flag of our country went in obedience to the call of humanity it has been made plain since the destruction of the maine that their fate had been foretold to them and yet they did not falter the element in their action which cannot be overlooked nor forgotten was unselfishness the tahe unselfishness which is ah the keynote of all ail christian teaching and living they were martyrs less bo be a nations honor than to the cause of hupan kindness and the unwavering courage with which they went upon their mission merits and will have in american history a more enduring monument than any that can be of stone but to the shaft which is to tell in how high esteem a nation holds the men who met death under its flaig flag the churches of this land should add some stones to commemorate the sacrifice to the universal brotherhood of man will you not upon sunday the ath day of may in your church services pay to the memory of the maines heroes the public tribute which is their due and devote the church offerings of that day to help to make their fame lasting it is desired to make this a maine memorial day throughout the land if this proposition meets with your kind endorsement please communicate with the national maine monument nt committee room 80 nassau street new york remittances should be made to george J gould treasurer western union building new york GENERAL NELSON A MILES commander U S any REAR ADM T 0 SELFRIDGE U S navy retired fredericks D GRANT former U S minister to austria CHAUNCEY M DEPEW subcommittee sub committee on maine memorial day in this djs call made upon the churches of the country the church of jesus christ of latter day saints was andt omitted and therefore no services were held by the church or any of its branches in memory of the maine he roes in some remarks made by one of the speakers at the tabernacle Tabe macle on the of may he referred to this slight alight and protested against such buch treat ment at the hands of the national corn com it appears that a newspaper clipping of these remarks fell into the hands of mr paul latzke manager of the maine monument fund and he addressed a tetter letter to the speaker in question disclaiming any intentional slight to the mormon church and saying that he would regard it as a a favor it if that gentleman could put him in a position to repair the unintentional slight so that the mormon church might be given the same opportunity as the other denominations to contribute its share sham towards the building of a monument to the memory of the brave sailor men who went down in the maine the nature of the elders reply may be learned from the following letter ot at mr latzke to president wilford woodruff new york june 18 1898 president wilford woodruff box B salt lake city utah dear sir at the suggestion of elder B H roberts I 1 take the liberty ot of writing to you concerning the observance of maine memorial day by the mormon church through a newspaper report of an address delivered by mr roberts my attention was called to the fact that the mormon church was unintentionally slighted when the general appeal was sent to the churches of america for observance of memorial day as set forth in the enclosed circular I 1 beg to disavow the intention to S slight alight any religious body or denomination the circular letters were in the regular course of business entrusted for transmission to toan an addressing agency ageny y which had in its possession all the lists of churches and ministers that were available unfortunately tt it had no such list of the mormon church this accounts for the apparent slight I 1 should take it as aa a great personal favor if you would put me in a position to repair this slight so that the mormon church may be given the same opportunity as the other denominations to do its share toward the building ot or a memorial to the brave men who went down with the maine mr roberts suggests that it if I 1 addressed dressed myself to you it Is pro bable lAble that you will be enough to appoint a suitable sul tabe day on which the mem bet of the mormon church may hold memorial services and take up collections fo for r the maine fund if this suggestion meets with your approval please let me hear from you sincerely yours PAUL LATZKE manager maine monument fund in view of these the first presidency have Int informed ormed mr latzke that they have appointed sunday the of july as the d day on which memorial services are to be beheld held in honor of the maine martyrs and to taki take up collections from the congregations for the maine monument fund |
