Elliott's Statue

[RichardB]

A MAN OF METAL FOR THE MILLION

The poet Horace blowing his own trumpet boasted on the publication of the

third volume of his poems, that he had completed monument more durable than brass.

Another poet has done the same thing - though he has not said so.

Ebenezer Elliott, bard of the Anti Corn Law League, has left us memorial of a substance

as imperishable as the testimonial to Quintus Horatius Flaccus contributed by himself.

It is proposed to erect a statue in honour of Elliott; and any monument which the

public may award to him ought obviously to made of as good stuff as that which

he has bequeathed to the public.

The acknowledged legislator who repealed the Corn Law - Sir Robert Peel has had raised

to his memory some ten or a dozen statues of bronze.

The "unacknowledged" legislator that did same service is to have one which, for

want of metal, threatens to of Portland stone.

The site intended for Elliott's statue is Sheffield, the metropolis of hardware,

the chief town of worker in brass and iron - how disrespectful to the founder of

all foundries, to set up a stone image instead of a metallic one in that place

under the very nose as it were of Tubal-Cain !

It is well known that Sheffield is a town which docs not consume its own smoke.

Should the statue of Elliott, which is to adorn it, be made of stone, that work

of art, in the first place, during fine weather will have all its hollows and

mouldings blackened with soot; in the next place, the rain will come and wash

the channels clean, leaving the smooth surfaces dingy. The statue will thus exist

alternately in two opposite states of piebald,exposed to the derision of Europe

and the little boys.

Perhaps it would so soon become an eyesore, that the next generation would hurl

it from its pedestal to Macadamise instead of disgracing the street.

To preserve the memory of Elliott from those relative indignities which it

will suffer in his graven image, if of stone; to give him proper statue of

bronze what is lacking is, as aforesaid, metal.

Bronze as all enlightened members of Mechanics Institutes know is composed

partly of copper. The contribution of a certain number pence would supply

the needful. A penny subscription from men would be precisely the most suitable

tribute to Elliott's merit. It would, moreover, be the discharge of a debt of

gratitude, at least, paying him a part of what, but for him, they would owe

the baker.

It is needless to remind a scientific public, that silver and even may, by a very

simple process, be transmuted into bronze; and that the largest as well as the

smallest contributions will be received by the promoters of the design to

raise a monument to Elliott that shall not degenerate and crumble into a

laughing-stock.