Posted on 02/09/2004 12:18:08 PM PST by chance33_98
Plan to honor abolitionist causes rift in Talbot County
Easton - Supporters of a plan to build a statue honoring abolitionist Frederick Douglass are angry that Talbot County Council has shelved the proposal.
Douglass was born in the area in 1818 and sponsors of the memorial want to build the statue on the lawn at the county courthouse.
But some council members say the lawn is traditionally reserved for monuments to the county's war heroes -- including those who fought for the Confederacy. The council members suggest that the library or a park might be a better place for the statue.
County Councilwoman Hope Harrington is a supporter of the courthouse site. She says the Douglass project appears to have been brushed under the table after a public hearing in November.
Municipal officials in Easton haven't taken a formal position, but many in the business community see the Douglass project as a plus for tourism.
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